Less than a month ago The Clove Club opened its imposing Edwardian doors at the old Shoreditch Town Hall. One of the most eagerly anticipated restaurant launches of 2013, bookings have quickly filled up for the five-course tasting menu...
Less than a month ago The Clove Club opened its imposing Edwardian doors at the old Shoreditch Town Hall. One of the most eagerly anticipated restaurant launches of 2013, bookings have quickly filled up for the five-course tasting menu in the main dining room, and for the more casual fare offered at the bar. The venture has been several years in the making, as head chef Isaac McHale tells us, but this is only the beginning. “We’re not there yet, he says in his modest, unadorned manner. “We’re just finding our feet.”
Far from exuding the kind of anxiety you would expect from someone at the start of a potentially risky endeavour, McHale instead seems anticipatory, excited. This may be because he’s used to the kind of lengthy process needed to do things right. “It took me a long time before I thought I was ready to be a head chef,” he says. “Lots of people do it when they’re 23, but I wasn’t ready. Are they ready? Do they know enough yet? Possibly. But I wanted to take my time.” Glaswegian McHale, who is in his early-thirties, worked internationally before spending six years at highly acclaimed restaurant The Ledbury in London. Then, a few years back, he started up The Young Turks cooking collective with James Lowe and Ben Greeno. Uncompromising and unpretentious, The Young Turks built a reputation for their one-off dinners, residencies, and pop-ups – all featuring contemporary British cuisine characterised by a playful curiosity, a dedication to fresh, often overlooked produce, and a belief in keeping things affordable for diners. Along the way Lowe and McHale formed a partnership with Daniel Willis and Johnny Smith, who ran a supperclub at their East London flat, from which The Clove Club gets its name. The four then opened what was to be a temporary space above a pub, Upstairs at the Ten Bells (which has since become permanent). With Lowe heading off to start up on his own, Smith, Willis and McHale decided it was time to settle down. Not willing to compromise on their vision, or see little return for their hard work, they decided against finding a traditional financier, and, since the banks weren’t lending, they did something untested for a restaurant; they turned to crowdsourcing to raise the necessary capital. It worked.
"It took me a long time before I thought I was ready to be a head chef. Lots of people do it when they’re 23, but I wasn’t ready. Are they ready? Do they know enough yet? Possibly. But I wanted to take my time.” — Isaac McHale
One could lose one’s breath listing off the details that make The Clove Club a distinctly comfortable and sophisticated space; “a bit grown-up” as McHale would have it. The décor is a perfectly pitched, folksy art deco, eschewing theatricality and theme in favour of subdued design. Every small element has been taken into consideration, as has McHale’s dedication to British craftsmanship; from the Timothy Everest-designed aprons and matching breadbasket cloths, to the baskets themselves made by traditional weavers in Hastings. The dinner knives were specially designed by traditional Sheffield knife makers, and the vintage furniture and light fixtures sourced by The Peanut Vendor in Newington Green.
A love of detail is also reflected in the daily-changing menu. From McHale’s famously delicate buttermilk chicken and pine salt appetizer, to mains such as the achingly fresh mackerel sashimi with pickled rhubarb and Tokyo turnip, or the pleasingly textured grilled squid, tarragon and green radishes. The naturally sweet blood orange, sheep’s milk mousse and wild fennel granita is an exceptional and complex dessert, showcasing McHale’s skills. Across the board, the flavours here are clear, strong, and distinct. As an added consideration, the kitchen is not just open, it’s literally in the room – with everything happening in front of diners’ eyes. This is the farthest cry from a traditional closed, hierarchical kitchen that you could get.
"The kitchen is not just open, it’s literally in the room – with everything happening in front of diners’ eyes."
The transparency in the kitchen is well suited to McHale, who, despite moaning when asked to describe his style of cooking (rarely a popular question, to be fair), loves to talk about the process of cooking and creation. His eagerness to learn is impressive, even for a chef, and already The Clove Club are making their own bread, chocolate, ice cream, and salumi, and McHale has started a charcuterie cupboard. “I love learning new things,” he says. “That’s what propels me on and inspires me – and fresh produce. Being in a space helps define what you can and cannot do. Being here will help define who I become as a cook.” McHale’s journey as a chef is sure to be an interesting one, and most certainly worth following.
The Clove Club is open now, at Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London, EC1V 9LT.
Ananda Pellerin is a London-based writer and Neil Wissink is a visual artist also based in London. More from The Hunger here, and contact The Hunger here.
