Minnow, Clapham Old Town
Stylish new neighbourhood restaurant Minnow, overlooking Clapham’s leafy Common, threw open its doors earlier this year to much acclaim.
Super chef Jake Boyce (former Head Chef of Jason Atherton’s Social Wine and Tapas) has been cooking up a storm in the shape of sophisticated, seasonal, modern European dishes from breakfast through to dinner with a healthy dose of weekend brunch and cocktails thrown in for good measure. Dishes include squid with lemongrass, lime and ginger, white bean and truffle, baby leek and pickled egg yolk, and – if you’ve still got room - caramelised watermelon with blood orange and Campari sorbet.
Friendly owners Chris Frichot and Saba Tsegaye, partners in both business and in life, have been busy welcoming guests to their stylish and beautifully designed new restaurant since July; the ground floor is a bright and airy space with the charm of a characterful French bistro, complete with indoor trees, greenery and a luxurious long marble bar. A striking hand tiled monochrome mosaic floor leads to a small door tucked at the back of the restaurant, where a quiet walled garden provides space for al fresco food, should the weather allow.
Downstairs, however, is where everyone will want a table this winter; there’s an open kitchen which provides both warmth and the theatre of live action cooking, and there’s also a wonderful vaulted booth, a repurposed wine cellar, illuminated by a stained glass light box, providing the cosiest table for a long Sunday lunch…
Speaking of which – it is Sunday lunch specifically that I popped in to sample. It was a gloriously sunny autumn day and the sunlight flooded in through the large windows at the front of the restaurant illuminating the pretty indoor foliage, the leaves of which have been cleverly exchanged since the summer for seasonal orange, brown and golden tones. It’s busy; the lively chatter of happy diners fills the space and despite the restaurant’s modest size and demand for tables being high, Chris and Saba ensure that everything runs smoothly.
We are fortunate enough to get a table by the front window bathed in full sunshine- a rare treat in November. I start, as any self-respecting Sunday lunch should, with a cocktail. Minnow’s cocktail list has clearly been thoughtfully and creatively constructed – most concoctions take inspiration from local heroes and landmarks including The Clapham Sect (dry gin, lime juice, home made Earl Grey tea bitters and tonic water) and The Temperance Fountain (dry gin, organic sweet vermouth, Campari and beer jam), which the restaurant overlooks.
I opt for The Italicus, named after the historic Italian liqueur that it contains, which our waitress tells me is set to be one of next year’s most sought after cocktail ingredients. I’m sold, and it arrives in a beautiful vintage coup with a blueberry dancing in the Prosecco bubbles that sparkle in the sunshine; the liqueur provides delightful flavours of bergamot fruit (the distinctive flavour in Earl Grey tea) along with aromatic floral notes and a refreshing citrus finish. It’s delicious.
The food menu is your traditional Sunday lunch offering but with Minnow’s own twist. Yes you can have roast rib eye of beef with all the trimmings including a Yorkshire pudding the size of your head, but you can also have a hay smoked Yorkshire grouse, or the more unusual salt baked kohlrabi with red cabbage and parsley roots which is what I opted for, to satisfy my inner flexitarian.
To start we shared kale, grains and caramelized onion – which I would happily eat every single day given half the chance. The kale was fried and delightfully crisp and salty, and reminiscent of Chinese crispy seaweed in the best possible way. It sat of a bed of caramelized onion puree that was smooth, sweet and dangerously moreish, whilst the grains provided a satisfying crunch. I wiped the plate clean with a hunk of deliciously fresh bread, which Minnow bakes in house everyday.
The impressive kohlrabi dish that arrived next almost looked too good to eat. Almost. The red cabbage provided a bright purple puree base topped with a slice of vibrant orange pumpkin, a large piece of pale salted baked kohlrabi, dark green kale and a sprinkling of dehydrated slices of red cabbage too, all beautifully arranged on a dramatically dark plate. When I ordered red cabbage I was not expecting it in puree or crisp form, but that is the joy of Minnow and testament to the considerable skill in the kitchen – your plate arrives filled with the unexpected and it is surprising, exciting and completely delicious.
The dish sung with different flavours, interesting textures and colours, and was a truly satisfying plate of food. On the side we enjoyed a bowl of what I can confidently proclaim as the best truffle fries I have ever had the joy of eating in London – crispy, crunchy, host and salty, and covered in more punchy truffle than you could shake a stick at.
In true Sunday lunch style we shared a bottle of reasonably priced and very delicious Montepulciano, before moving on to dessert. Sadly the chocolate doughnut had by this time sold out, so we instead opted for the Lavender Crema Catalana to share. I am always dubious about the use of lavender in anything aside from hand cream as the flavour can be so overpowering, but unsurprisingly pudding was perfectly balanced. The thick and creamy crema and its crunchy sugary top were packed with sweetness and vanilla, and the beautiful floral flavour of the lavender cut through the richness and tasted divine.
The meal was a triumph from start to finish, complemented by laid back, stylish surroundings and friendly, knowledgeable staff; Minnow and its sophisticated menu are a truly exciting addition to Clapham Old Town’s buzzing restaurant scene. My only criticism would lie in the lack of options on the menu – 3 main courses and 2 sides is not enough choice to satisfy the greedy likes of me and I would like to see more of what chef Jake Boyce can do, but that is exactly why I am already champing at the bit to return for more, and soon.
Minnow, 21 The Pavement, London SW4 0HY; minnowclapham.co.uk. Published online at Essential Surrey and SW London
