Dining in London: The Clerk & Well

In the heart of Clerkenwell, you can find one of the oldest pubs in Central London. Going for a meal at a pub usually means choosing between the classics like fish & chips, onion rings, burgers or Shepherd’s pie. However, recently opened neighbourhood pub and restaurant The Clerk & Well provides a different experience of dining at a pub and offers a special menu of pub classic with a modern slant. 

The best way to start your visit at this pub is by trying one of their signature cocktails such as Watermelon Vodka Punch, Lemon Collins or Jalapeno Margarita. As the temperature remains high, these unique cocktails are perfect refreshment for summer days. The starter menu is suitable for everyone’s needs. One of the starters that you must try if you enjoy Japanese cuisine is the Severn & Wye Smokery eel with sesame seeded sushi rice, green caviar, shiso leaves and pickled walnut mayo. It is definitely one of the highlights of the menu. There are also light starters such as Buffalo burrata with peas, asparagus, sugar snaps, mint, borage flowers and pesto or Roasted chickpea & sesame hummus with a selection of vegetables. However, if you want to stick with something more familiar in a pub setting you should order a Tonkatsu CackleBean Scotch egg on pickled white cabbage with katsu curry sauce. The food is well presented on the plates and creates a more of a luxury pub experience. 

On the main menu you can find a selection of finest cuts of beef, pork and lamb served with a choice of Green Peppercorn Sauce, Bovril Butter or Northern Blue Cheese Sauce. There are also various vegetarian and vegan dishes such as Roasted Teriyaki Portobellos with rainbow slaw and sesame seed and pomegranate salad, with a ponzu dressing and chilli peanut rayu or Five-bean Madagascan chocolate chilli with coconut rice, pickled walnut, avocado cream and toasted corn tortillas. Overall the food selection at The Clerk & Well is exceptional and certainly not something that you would usually find in a pub. If you feel full after the dinner but still feel like having something sweet, you can have their unique dessert cocktail Roasted Strawberry & Rhubarb Crumble Martini.

When you walk into the pub, you are greeted by the loveliest staff members who are excited to tell you everything about The Clerk & Well pub and how it stands out from other places. According to one of the members, Thursday is the best day to book a table for dinner at The Clerk & Well since it is the day when you can join one of their events with live music.

The pub also has an outside area with a couple of tables if you want to enjoy your time in the sun. At the end of your time at The Clerk & Well, each customer gets a chocolate candy which is made by the company called Harry Specters founded by Mona and inspired by her autistic son Ash. The company involves autistic people in every aspect of the business – from making and packaging the products to administration, design and photography. By giving out the delicious chocolates to their customers, The Clerk & Well shows their support to the community. As the weekend is approaching, it is time to book your table at this unique pub in Clerkenwell.