A soft nugget of pine-salt dusted buttermilk fried chicken served in a leafy wreath. This dish has been on the menu since day one and is described as a truly iconic mouthful. The chicken is brined in buttermilk, fried until golden and crispy, then finished with a subtle pine needle salt that elevates it beyond standard fried chicken. The herb-heavy presentation is both beautiful and functional — the leaves add freshness to each bite.
Tips from diners
This dish is a signature course that appears on both tasting menus. Savor it as one of the snacks — it's a key moment in the progression.
The mackerel is lightly cured or raw, then flamed to order for theatrical presentation and subtle smoke flavor. The kitchen sources line-caught Cornish mackerel at peak freshness. The flaming technique adds a layer of flavor without overwhelming the delicate fish. Reviewers note this as one of the most memorable dishes on the menu — it's as much about the moment as the taste.
Tips from diners
This is one of the visual highlights of the menu — watch the kitchen carefully when it's prepared.
Perhaps the most Instagrammed dish on the current menu. Gently cooked Orkney scallop served in its shell with a luxurious potato butter sauce and shaved Périgord truffle. The scallop is barely warmed through, keeping its natural sweetness intact. The potato butter adds richness without heaviness. The truffle provides earthy depth and visual drama. This single dish showcases the kitchen's ability to let premium ingredients speak while adding just enough technique to create harmony.
Tips from diners
One reviewer called the scallops the best dish on the menu — the cooking is so precise that the truffle and potato butter elevate without overshadowing the scallop itself.
A tender mini-slab of grilled tuna belly, cooked over wood or charcoal until the exterior develops a slight char and crust while the interior remains translucent and buttery. Tuna belly (toro-like quality) has natural richness that pairs beautifully with the char. The simplicity of the preparation — minimal seasoning, perfect heat control — allows the ingredient to shine. This dish demonstrates the kitchen's philosophy: let premium ingredients and technique do the talking.
Tips from diners
Unlike sashimi, this is cooked just enough to warm through. The char adds a layer that raw tuna belly doesn't have.
Thinly sliced or minimally cooked Scottish blue shell lobster, plated with silky choron sauce (a Béarnaise variation with tomato) and yuzu gel for citrus brightness. The dish balances richness from the butter sauce with the acid from yuzu. The lobster meat is treated with respect — cooked just enough to warm through without drying out. This is refined cooking that doesn't announce itself.
Tips from diners
The yuzu gel is the brilliant touch here — it cuts through the butter and prevents the dish from becoming heavy.
Chef Isaac McHale's The Clove Club occupies the Grade II-listed historic rooms of Shoreditch Town Hall. Since opening in 2014, it's been recognized as one of the world's best restaurants (#32 in World's 50 Best 2021). The kitchen focuses exclusively on British ingredients — Orkney scallops, Herdwick lamb, Wiltshire trout — prepared with technical precision but without pretension. The dining room reflects the space's heritage with original architectural details.
The Clove Club operates a full tasting menu format (£285) with no à la carte options. The shorter menu is £225 and available Monday-Thursday. Both come with pre-meal snacks including the famous green herbal broth.
This is one of London's hardest tables to get. Book well in advance through their website. Wednesday lunch can be slightly easier than dinner or Friday/Saturday.
The dining room features the original architectural heritage of Shoreditch Town Hall. The space itself is part of the experience — high ceilings, period details, and careful lighting.
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