The Dairy

Contemporary British with a twist

I came across The Dairy while I was doing some research on the internet for modern British cuisine, and after looking at the concept and pictures of the food, it just seemed very interesting. I really enjoyed the idea of small plates sharing food using fresh ingredients grown in its own garden as well as fine British suppliers, cooked in a modern manner with creative ingredient combinations. So even though it is at Clapham which is far away from where I work and live, I still felt it was worth a detour after work for a visit.

The Dairy

The setting of The Dairy is what I would expect from a Shoredtich hip venue, edgy and contemporary with bar seating at the front and an narrow dining room at the back. We decided to go for a la carte style instead of the tasting menu so we could try a little more food, first to arrive was a selection of small snacks which reminded me a little like The Clove Club. The cod's head rillettes was creamy and smooth, worked nicely with the salty seaweed bread. Venison Scotch was also quality, I really enjoyed the nutty aroma of the chestnuts on top of a well made earthy Scotch egg.

cod's head rillettes, sour cream, seaweed bread

chicken liver mousse, quince &

venison Scotch egg, brussel tops, toasted chestnuts

charred leak, three cornered garlic, egg york

For the fish and meat courses, we ordered two different dishes each and shared, the smoked cod was cooked in a water bath and it tasted so soft and silky. Seabass with sweet chard was perfectly cooked, a classic combination but executed in an edgy and modern manner. Irish onglet was cooked pink and it was moist and well seasoned, the fruity profile of the butternut squash worked as a great contrast to the robust flavour of the onglet. The Herdwick mutton loin on the other hand was very tender and had a lovely richness to it, the idea of having capers and anchovy also added a nice sharpness to the whole dish.

Lady Hamilton smoked cod, potato, fresh nori, sorrel

seabass, swiss chard, bonito butter

Herdwick mutton loin, broccoli, anchovy, capers

aged irish onglet, butternut squash, black cabbage

pear, toasted white chocolate, sheep yoghurt panna cotta

salt carmel, biscults, malted barley ice cream

The dessert quality was also great, not as exciting as the savoury dishes but still delivering in terms of the balance of flavours. My dinner at The Dairy was indeed excellent, I really enjoyed the creative elements of the dishes, all cooked at a very high level. These types of cooking concepts in British cuisine is something new to me and I can see it becoming a big hit in London in the near future, as the causal manner, innovate ideas of cooking, seasonal ingredients and the affordable price is surely a winning formula as a future trend for dining out in London.

Food 7
Service 7
Ambience 7
Value 7

£45 per head with a beer

15 The Pavement, London, Clapham SW4 0HY


http://www.the-dairy.co.uk/