Review: Clos Maggoire
Whenever a restaurant wins an award, it is a bit of a double-edged sword (or carving knife, if you will). Take Clos Maggiore in Covent Garden. This charming little French spot has won London’s Most Romantic Restaurant, Sexiest Restaurant and Most Romantic in the UK and countless other variations for several years. On the one hand, of course, this is fantastic, because it raises the profile and makes it seem really rather special. However, there is also the risk that the restaurant ends up being pigeonholed.
Clos Maggiore certainly is romantic. There are twinkly lights, softly-spoken staff and an awful lot of indoor foliage. From the second you step in all senses are firing. Having said this, it should not just a spot for dinner-à-deux. It is an old-fashioned restaurant in the best sense, relying on good service and good food to deliver a great evening. Any combination of diners should pay a visit here, whether they’re friends, business partners…Hell, even people who don’t even know each other but just want a tasty meal.
The menu here is not huge, but the selection of dishes are carefully crafted in that they are familiar enough to appeal, yet creative enough to excite. To start, we opted for the hand picked Devon crab and braised shoulder of Loire Valley rabbit. If the descriptions aren’t enough of a giveaway, they are big on provenance here and you can really taste the quality. My crab was served with smoked anchovy mayonnaise, thinly sliced bread and colourful leaves, and was almost too pretty to eat. The rabbit was equally spectacular, and especially rich and fragrant with the wholegrain mustard mousseline.
The food menu may be select, but the wine list is enormous. In fact, it is quite literally a book. For this reason, rather than confine ourselves to one bottle we decided to pair our wines with each course. The smiley sommelier presented each glass with a little bit of back story, and it is always helpful to have some guidance on the notes you should be tasting.
The standard firmly set, our mains had a lot to live up to. And happily, they rose to the occasion. Both the roasted Iberico pork loin and the roasted rack of lamb were tender, hearty, and served with an array of appealing accompaniments. Now that I’ve sampled petit pois a la francaise, peas with never be the same, while my friend is now convinced that black olive and goat’s cheese is the only way to serve up lamb.
Starters here hover around the £10 mark, and mains edging toward £20, so supping here is not an inexpensive. It is, however, a dining experience. Our meal was peppered with extra little dishes, such as mini cheese scones on sitting down, then truffle-topped cold soup with bite-size bruschetta pieces. These keep your tummy ticking over between the courses and more importantly, make you feel as if you are being spoiled.
They are also conveniently portioned so that you are not too full for pudding. My friend went for the Valrhona mille feuille which was effectively a sugary piece of artwork, while I decided the honour the French tradition and go for the cheese. And what a decision it was. Out came the most enormous cheese trolley, from which I could select five generous slabs to try. Complete with endless crackers and homemade chutney, It was a decadent, gluttonous, wonderful end to the meal. And one that must be repeated…with a romantic partner or otherwise.
www.closmaggiore.com
Clos Maggiore certainly is romantic. There are twinkly lights, softly-spoken staff and an awful lot of indoor foliage. From the second you step in all senses are firing. Having said this, it should not just a spot for dinner-à-deux. It is an old-fashioned restaurant in the best sense, relying on good service and good food to deliver a great evening. Any combination of diners should pay a visit here, whether they’re friends, business partners…Hell, even people who don’t even know each other but just want a tasty meal.
The menu here is not huge, but the selection of dishes are carefully crafted in that they are familiar enough to appeal, yet creative enough to excite. To start, we opted for the hand picked Devon crab and braised shoulder of Loire Valley rabbit. If the descriptions aren’t enough of a giveaway, they are big on provenance here and you can really taste the quality. My crab was served with smoked anchovy mayonnaise, thinly sliced bread and colourful leaves, and was almost too pretty to eat. The rabbit was equally spectacular, and especially rich and fragrant with the wholegrain mustard mousseline.
The food menu may be select, but the wine list is enormous. In fact, it is quite literally a book. For this reason, rather than confine ourselves to one bottle we decided to pair our wines with each course. The smiley sommelier presented each glass with a little bit of back story, and it is always helpful to have some guidance on the notes you should be tasting.
The standard firmly set, our mains had a lot to live up to. And happily, they rose to the occasion. Both the roasted Iberico pork loin and the roasted rack of lamb were tender, hearty, and served with an array of appealing accompaniments. Now that I’ve sampled petit pois a la francaise, peas with never be the same, while my friend is now convinced that black olive and goat’s cheese is the only way to serve up lamb.
Starters here hover around the £10 mark, and mains edging toward £20, so supping here is not an inexpensive. It is, however, a dining experience. Our meal was peppered with extra little dishes, such as mini cheese scones on sitting down, then truffle-topped cold soup with bite-size bruschetta pieces. These keep your tummy ticking over between the courses and more importantly, make you feel as if you are being spoiled.
They are also conveniently portioned so that you are not too full for pudding. My friend went for the Valrhona mille feuille which was effectively a sugary piece of artwork, while I decided the honour the French tradition and go for the cheese. And what a decision it was. Out came the most enormous cheese trolley, from which I could select five generous slabs to try. Complete with endless crackers and homemade chutney, It was a decadent, gluttonous, wonderful end to the meal. And one that must be repeated…with a romantic partner or otherwise.
www.closmaggiore.com