Cloth

Wine and dine, proper British style  

Duck liver, soda bread

Tucked away on a quiet lane just behind the bustle of the City, Cloth brings an understated but dramatic twist to modern British cooking. While the focus here is on the wine and food, the way the restaurant is set up enhances the experience: Cloth is housed in a Grade II listed building on Cloth Fair, and the dining room is described as cosy with low ceilings, wood floorboards, antique wall lights and marble tables.

Crab, grilled leeks, tarragon

Vension, chestnut, walnut

Roasted turbot, butter and crab sauce

What stands out at Cloth is the way ingredients are given space to shine, and the execution remains calm and confident. Take, for example, the dish of Dorset crab with grilled leek. Simple in description, but the sourcing and treatment elevate it into something memorable. The turbot with artichoke in a rich butter and crab sauce shows that the kitchen isn’t afraid of bold fats or deep flavour and with a great end result, it was top notch. This kind of honesty in both menu-writing and cooking is refreshing.

House salad

Chips with Espelette Pepper Mayonnaise

Apple tarte tatin

In a city crowded with restaurants chasing novelty, Cloth stands out by doing fewer things—but doing them very well. The food and wine are the stars. It’s ingredient-driven, deftly executed and rooted in British produce—but it’s neither pastiche nor overly fussy. It delivers comfort with craft, and dishes you’ll remember. If I were to rate the experience purely by the food, I’d say Cloth ranks among the best in London’s modern British scene under the £100 per head mark.

Food: 4/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£80

44 Cloth Fair, London EC1A 7JQ

www.clothrestaurants.com