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SquareMeal Review of Frog by Adam Handling

Gold Award

With so many fine-dining heavyweights vying for your attention, how do you stand out from the pack? Frog has an idea, and it’s a good one: come out swinging.

Barely have you sat down, exchanged pleasantries with the charming server, when a full-blown snack parade hits the table. Not a couple of dainty amuse-bouches, but an all-out assault of precision-engineered, sculptural bites. There are plump gougeres oozing warm mornay sauce; delicate crab and green chilli cigars; tuna tartare tucked into croustades and topped with cornflower petals. Dinky ceramic eggs cradle a silky, chawanmushi-like steamed egg and chicken. Then, as if that weren’t enough, your server sweeps back in, unleashing a dry ice mist that rolls dramatically across the table. Say what you want - this Frog knows how to make an entrance.

Adam Handling’s cooking rarely drops the tempo. Aside from the brief respite of a palate-cleansing cucumber tea, the menu deals in brash, unapologetic flavours. Lobster cooked in Wagyu fat? Sure. Topped with a generous spoonful of caviar? Naturally. It sounds like pure excess, but this is indulgence with purpose, and it’s absolutely sublime.

That lobster, mind you, is a £35 supplement. Pricey, yes, but worth the price of admission if you’re chasing a genuine ‘wow’ moment. While the tasting menu’s £199 tag isn’t for the faint of wallet, Frog delivers serious bang for your buck. Classic British flavours get the luxe, modern European treatment: cheese and caramelised onion tortellini; cured sea bream in a seaweed and spruce sauce; and a smart play on tea and biscuits with Earl Grey sorbet, verbena and peach. Even the bread course is made into a star - a glossy Parker House roll comes with Handling’s now-famous chicken skin butter, concealing a puck of chicken liver parfait. It’s the most extra bread service in town.

Proprietor and head chef Cleverson Cordeiro orchestrates the show from behind a sleek white marble counter, where the kitchen team moves with zen-like precision. Tables are generously spaced, service is slick and informed, and you leave with a sweet parting gift: warm olive oil madeleines.

If you’re celebrating something special and you want a meal that delivers memorable moments, this Frog is your prince.

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Good to know

Spend SquareMeal Smart Vouchers
Average Price
££££ - Over £80
Cuisine
British, Modern European, Vegan friendly, Vegetarian friendly
Ambience
Cool, Fine dining, Fun, Lively, Quiet conversation, Quirky, Romantic
Awards
One Michelin star, SquareMeal London Top 100
Food Occasions
Dinner, Lunch
Special Features
Counter dining
Perfect for
Birthdays, Celebrations, Dates, Group dining [8+], Romantic, Special occasions

About

Adam Handling has established himself as one of the brightest young talents on the London dining scene since opening his first solo restaurant in 2016. This Covent Garden restaurant and private dining room is the flagship for the Adam Handling Restaurant Group, which also operates The Loch & the Tyne in Old Windsor and Ugly Butterfly in Cornwall. Frog by Adam Handling is the chef's Michelin-starred flagship restaurant, serving curious and intriguing tasting menus.

Walk past at night when the restaurant’s glow spills out onto Southampton Row and you’ll be struck by the sort of convivial scene that makes you want to make a booking on the spot. The open kitchen is the focus of the dark and stark dining room, with chairs angled to give a view of the chefs toiling away and a counter for diners who want to get up close and personal with the restaurant theatre that unfolds over the course of a service.

You can, of course, ignore what’s going on at the pass and focus instead on what arrives on the plate. Start with a couple of ‘snacks’ while you peruse the menu: cured trout tart - a crispy tart filled wilth dill emulsion, ponzu, trout tail and fresh fennel salad or lamb tartare with kimchi - lamb trim tartare seasoned with red pepper and cauliflower kimchi, finished with kimchi emulsion

A pair of tasting menus offer Handling's signature dishes in miniature (including stunning lobster tail and claw cooked in Wagyu fat), which may be a better way to get the most out of Handling’s undoubted talent for bold brushstrokes of savoury flavour.

There are also various pairings available to order alongside the tasting menu, including a juice pairing, wine, premium wine, and Cali Burgundy Excellence.

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FAQs

Does the restaurant have a Michelin star?

Yes, the restaurant has one Michelin star.

Can vegans and vegetarians eat at the restaurant?

The restaurant offers a dedicated vegan tasting menu that is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Frog by Adam Handling is featured in

Details

Get directions to Frog by Adam Handling Get directions to Frog by Adam Handling
Location
34-35 Southampton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 7HG

020 7199 8370 020 7199 8370

Website

Opening Times

Lunch
Mon Closed
Tue 12:00-14:30
Wed 12:00-14:30
Thu 12:00-14:30
Fri 12:00-14:30
Sat 12:00-14:30
Sun Closed
Dinner
Mon 17:00-23:00
Tue 17:00-23:00
Wed 17:00-23:00
Thu 17:00-23:00
Fri 17:00-23:00
Sat 17:00-23:00
Sun Closed

Reviews

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19 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Not Dinner

19 February 2025   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 4.5
Atmosphere 4.5
Value 4.5

Excellent

Alister W

13 March 2024   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 4
Value 4

Outstanding Food!

I have not been so impressed with fine dining in a long time but this was really outstanding (and I do not often say this).  Service was excellent and they accommodated our request for an early start / speedy service to get to a matinee theatre performance without a moments hesitation (despite an errant son being late.....).

I had not realised that it was only a fixed menu (my fault not the restaurant's).  My wife and I thought the pescatarian version was fabulous  whilst two carniverous sons loved the meat version. 

It is not cheap but well worth a visit if your wallet can stand it!

Marissa I

28 December 2022  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

This restaurant surpassed many others which claim to be in it's category but they are a shadow in its immense presence! The service was second to none and the food exceptional and exciting!

Shelley S

27 December 2022  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

Adventurous and theatrical experience, sustainability focused, relaxed but very professional service and clever wine pairings 

Inci M

23 November 2022  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

Outstanding!

Guy B

12 August 2022   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 4
Value 4

Exceptional cooking with dish upon dish a work of art whose sublime flavours met the promise of its beauty. Almost flawless cooking brought to our table by a knowledgeable and friendly front of house team whose passion for the kitchen's creations shone through as they explained each dish. At the top end of the price for an establishment with a single Michelin star - but then by the end of the meal we had to agree just one star short changes what the kitchen has produced and had to concur that though pricey we received great value. 

Lloyd S

22 September 2020  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5
An Outstanding Lunch

This was our first visit to Frog by Adam Handling and I can assure you right now it will not be our last. We'd previously enjoyed the food inspired by Adam at his branch in Hoxton which due to the current situation sadly had to close. This meant we now had no excuse not to visit his main restaurant in Covent Garden. This would also give us the chance to meet up with some of the Frog team who were now working here. So on a sunny saturday we headed into town. The restaurant itself is situated on Southampton Street which was buzzing with people dining outside in the street. We arrived at the restaurant and were given a fabulous welcome from first Maria and then George. Our temperature was taken and hands were sanitized and in we went. All the tables were nicely spaced out giving the staff plenty of room to move around. It was also great to see that no one was wearing a face shield or mask. Our table was in a fabulous spot right in front of the open kitchen allowing us to watch the chefs in action. As we sat down there was a hello from Jamie & Enrique in the kitchen and also head chef Cleverson who it was a pleasure to meet for the first time.

We started with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine while we looked at the menus. Here you had a choice of A la Carte or different types of tasting menus which include vegetarian & vegan. The tasting menu was ten courses if you include the supplement dish which is exactly what we decided to do.

First to arrive was some of the most amazing snacks which included the famous Cheese Truffle Doughnuts. We enjoyed these along with two fabulous cocktails the British Tea Company and a Pandan Old Fashioned.

This was followed by the Sourdough Bread and the heavenly Chicken Butter before we moved onto the first course of the tasting menu. With our first course came a nice little surprise as alongside the Crab , grapefruit & cauliflower the chef sent over one of Adam's signature dishes the Celeriac with black truffle , dates , lime & apple which had been adapted once more to produce this time a lighter yet still full of flavour creation.

Now it was time for our second course of Cep Agnolotti , parsley & garlic. This was followed by the supplement dish and a must have it is to. This was a stunning Crispy Oyster with Caviar served in a giant oyster shell. Then our palate was refreshed with a delightful Tomato Salad.

We were enjoying these dishes with a fabulous Jasnieres Cuvee du Silex 2018 from France chosen by sommelier Kelvin which was full of lemon , pear & apples and in fact a perfect match. The next course was the restaurants signature dish. This was the Wagyu Lobster that was absolutely stunning. We followed this with another fantastic dish of Cod , mussels & butter leaf. The next dish was simply delicious and it was Chicken & Chips like you've never known before. The chicken breast was topped with haggis and came with a caesar salad snack and heavenly chips.

Now it was time for desserts which started with a Cheese , apple & meadowsweet that was a delight. We followed this with the Chocolate , cherry & tonka bean which was heaven and matched perfectly with another great selection from Kelvin who chose a fabulous Domaine Flumicicoli Muscareddu a rare sweet wine from Corsica that had aromas of allspice & strawberry with flavours of cherry & orange

peel.

We finished with coffee and petit fours to bring to an end a fabulous lunch. The food here is stunning and matched with excellent service and great wine pairings. I would highly recommend a visit and personally can't wait to return myself again soon. Thank You to head chef Cleverson and his team for the amazing food. Also thanks to George , Kelvin and the team their friendly and professional service. There really is a nice relaxed feeling to this restaurant so book yourself a table soon.

 

Thank You to you all for a fantastic dining experience and look forward to seeing you all again soon.

 

#SupportHospitality

Graham N

26 July 2019  
Great food and service. Tasting menu good value.

Sarah P

26 July 2019  
Absolutely delicious food packed full of flavour.

Amanda F

29 June 2019  
Downstairs bar a fab way to start the evening. Cosy airy restaurant, great watching chefs cook! Then serve there course. Love tasting menu and chicken butter. Special night out.
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