The Clerkenwell Kitchen

Three words: yummy, friendly, and close-to-my-office (alright, alright, technically that's more than three words, but who's counting here anyway?)

I was introduced to The Clerkenwell Kitchen by my dear co-worker Lizzie G. who also had just recently been introduced to this place via a Yelp-Friend of hers. (I think that's actually how Yelp is meant to work, right?) Anyway, on my first visit I was immediately in love with the whole concept of the store: it's open kitchen, the blackboard-menu, the semi-rustic-semi-modern design and the overall bright and airy space.

My first epicurean experience here was actually only a three star one: I had ordered their beef sandwich with mustard and while I was quite liking the beef, I felt that they had gone cheap on the mustard...the whole sandwich felt a little dry...

But I really wanted to like this place and so I came back - this time with another friend of mine...and let me tell you: this time I really liked everything! In fact, I'd ordered a pumpkin-tart refined with a cousin-of-the-Parmigiano-Regiano cheese and served on a sea of lentil salad. Wow!!! Let me tell you: that was quite a mouthful of absolutely delicious pie...

Who can I now introduce to The Clerkenwell Kitchen?

At last, an American-style brownie in Clerkenwell!

And not only that, this lunchtime gem serves up stellar soups (like mushroom and chestnut and leek and potato) and sandwiches. I took my mum and she raved about the pheasant casserole and mash.

Absolutely worth a visit to the sweet, village-like area near Clerkenwell Close at midday.

Ooh what a lunchtime find!

Sitting in The Clerkenwell Kitchen is kind of like sitting in a canteen. Very laid back vibe despite the lunchtime rush, the staff are friendly and helpful and they have a resident dog! At least I think he was the resident dog, he seemed very at home.

I had an amazing chard, leek, ricotta and parmesan tart with a lentil and baby carrot salad. The carrots were roasted and sweet, oh the whole thing was just delicious!

For pudding we waited a while for the chocolate brownies to make an appearance but it was worth the wait. Warm chocolate brownie with a small jug of cream, I ditched the cream and got stuck right in to the chocolatey goodness. It was a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth-in-a-sea-of-chocolate-dreams brownie and was perfectly baked on top to give just enough crunch.

I tried a bit of the ham sandwich and the bread was so dough-ey and so fresh. I like the sound of the beef and mustard sarnie so I'm sure I'll be returning soon to give that a go, and maybe one of their soups. Even if I can't get over for lunch I'll have to return soon for another one of their brownies! Mmm...

There is a big board listing the local suppliers that they source all their ingredients from - good on you The Clerkenwell Kitchen!

Leave your diet at the door, these are sandwiches like your Jewish mother would make. No, no, not Kosher, just extra fattening with real butter and brown meat chicken, proper mayonnaise and thick door step bread.

I didn't realise how flippin' huge this place was, not only is there loads of room inside but you also have a whole outside area for you to sit when the weather is good. So as I mentioned, these are your mothers sandwiches so treat this like her kitchen, there will only be 4 selections and someone is actually making it for you so it may take a few moments.

I have to say that I'm pretty excited about going back, they had a chalk board of hot food up on offer to. Pies, tarts, fried fish, brownies... Mmmmm. If my sandwich wasn't so mouthwateringly amazing, I'd be drooling over that right now.

Wait, what? I'm the first one to review them? Why aren't you eating there? Let's discuss...

I found Clerkenwell Kitchen from Time Out's cheap eats list and it's by where I live so I wanted to give them a go. I'm not sure I'd go so far to say they're the cheapest eats in the area, but they are indeed the best of the pricerange. The menu changes daily, so check their website for what's being offered. They make everything fresh and source from local suppliers as many Clerkenwell food joints tend to do lately(FARM, Malmaison even has a local menu, etc.. ).

Food was really good though, I've been several times and it's always been a great meal. It's tucked away in a little maze of winding residential roads off the beaten path, but it's worth the stop! They only serve lunch until 3pm I believe but they're open till 5 as a cafe, and later on Thursdays.

Clerkenwell Kitchens is actually an extension of my office space, when I cannot find a meeting space on the office for a meet, we'll decamp to the Kitchens for a coffee and maybe a feed.

In fact on occasion important meetings have to be fabricated in order to sample the delights.

TIPS:
A tasty croissant and coffee in the morning is a nice start to the day.
In warm weather sit outside.

Enjoyed a delightful roast chicken salad her for lunch. This reminded me how a salad should be: flavourful and inviting. The chicken was still warm, the ingredients were fresh and the dressing was superb with capers, olives and chives. Good flavours and well balanced.

Enjoyed a good wedge of lemon polenta cake for afters. A great find in the side streets of Clerkenwell. There's an outdoor courtyard at the back too for a sunny day.

I wholeheartedly agree with Thomas. We all should be eating here for the good of humanity, for not only is the food delicious and affordable but this unassuming bistro was voted Best Sustainable Restaurant 2008 by Time Out (whatever that means). I certainly felt 'sustained' following lunch on a rainy Monday last week. A deliciously tender and warming beef stew with chanterelles and mash potato did just the job to curb my displeasure of facing the week ahead.

This place was very busy on my visit and a reservation is recommended if you want a table, although there are some breakfast-bar stools to perch on too. Take-away sandwiches, soups and tarts are also available, so get down here and start sustaining things.

What a delightful eateries. Hidden off the main strip in Clerkenwell close. Clerkenwell Kitchen really does give the vibe of being in your posh mate's, posh kitchen.

Other than the drinks menu, all other food listing could be found on chalk boards mounted high on the walls. I went for the seared squid. It was good but perhaps a little too salty for my palet. This was followed by possibly one of the best browies I've had to date.

I'm not a big chocolate eater but... I have to admit that the brownie was sooo good, and I love that they served it with a small pot of cream. It was the kind of chocolate loveliness, that I felt I should feel bad about eating and honestly... I did a little, in a good way!

A wonderful establishment that in intend to visit again. :o)

Stripped back factory/workshop space all exposed brick and wooden floors? Check. Tables of pinstripe and jeans-clad media types drinking lattes? Check. A preponderance of iPhones and Converse? Check.


So far, so Clerkenwell. But boy, does this place pack out over lunch. The reason? Fresh and fabulous food you can order and eat in an hour.


The emphasis here is quite definitely on quality, with only about six ever changing choices. One day might see onglet and chips, the next beetroot cakes and salad. Those converse clad media people obviously know when they're on to a good thing.


Asparagus farfalle pasta was perfectly al dente with a delicate flavour and just the right amount of bite. It's so easy to be too cautious with pasta and serve it limp, overcooked and flavourless. Not here. The asparagus was fresh, there was generous lashings of cheese and a deliciously creamy sauce replete with whole cloves of garlic.


Chorizo and cuttlefish stew was full of large, meaty and tender slabs of cuttlefish coated in a rich tomato sauce. The sausage provided an intense and smoky backdrop and fresh garden peas balanced the richness with a freshness that made it a suitably summery stew.


The glorious scarlet beetroot cake landed like a meaty UFO in front og me. And it was out of this world. Sweet and delicate in flavour, but with a luxurious feel, topped with lightly steamed purple sprouting broccoli and a perfectly poached egg. The dish was all oozing yellow, zingy green and a deep, almost bloody, purple. It was almost enough to turn me veggie. Almost.


Only one downside, it's only open one evening a week on Thursdays and you need to book.