One year on from my previous visit to Core and the venue goes from strength to strength. The quiet confidence exhibited by Clare Smyth and her team remains firmly intact and certainly not disrupted by the pandemic. Indeed, the venue was among the first to reopen in London post-lockdown. Our recent Saturday night visit saw the venue packed, with guests arriving even after we had sat down at 9.30pm. Perhaps everyone was making the most of things while they still could. Certainly if you want to be treated (albeit at a price that might see your wallet commensurately lighter), then there are few better places currently to visit in London that rival Core.
Clare Smyth takes all of the panache acquired working under Gordon Ramsey, but none of the arrogance. Eating at her first solo venture is somewhat akin to being in a very nice house; intimate without being at all stifling. The culinary angle is modern European, albeit where presentation plays a major role and there are a few fun twists too. Although a la carte options are available, the best way to experience a venue such as Core is to go all-out and embrace its tasting menu. Here, there are two options, comprising ‘classics’ or ‘seasons’, both being self-explanatory, with the latter priced at a 20% premium (vegetarians have their own dedicated tasting menu too).
A look back at my notes from our previous visit reminded me that many of the classics were also on the menu a year ago, but maybe the clue is in the name; these dishes exemplify what Core is good at. To eat, for example, such a beautiful tasting (and looking – see the picture) scallop once a year is hardly a hardship! Stand-out on this occasion for me were the roasted monkish (also on the menu in 2019) and a new grouse dish paired with beetroot. Grouse is always a special treat when in season and here it was executed superbly with a wonderfully rich bread sauce and a perfect vegetable foil. Plaudits to the sommelier too for some excellent wine matches: a Gripa Rhone white blend for the aforementioned fish and a 2010 Clerc Millon Bordeaux for my game. In the final assessment, above and beyond the food and wine, it’s the little moments that diners will remember. The kitchen staff stop what they are doing and greet all diners on their way in and out. The head waiter and sommelier will make a special effort to talk with you. The amuse bouche and petit four options constitute works for art as much as frivolous nibbles. I could go on, but this is why diners rightfully keep returning.