Claro in Tel Aviv remains one of my favourite dining experiences ever, so I’m just a little excited that it has now opened in London. Is it ever possible to replicate the Tel Aviv vibe somewhere else? In truth… no. But nor should we go looking for that. Because, this being London, there are other things in its place.
An absolutely stunning listed building for one. Sophistication for another. And a gentle frizzante, a ripple of bonhomie with really cool background music just loud enough that lively chatter is still possible. It’s a lovely big space, in a high-ceilinged former bank, but feels really intimate, and an open brick wall and industrial steel columns have been added to inject a Tel Aviv ‘edge’. The food is simply wonderful.
Fried Brussels sprouts – a vegetable I loathe but… Claro-style… dipped into caper aioli, I now love! Go for venison tartare with pickled apples, kohlrabi steak with ricotta sauce, short rib tortellini with a foamy, creamy onion sauce, and smoked pink trout atop crunchy potatoes with scallions and a punchy horseradish cream, a magnificent lamb platter and a fabulous frena bread (a rich olive oil-infused pita) board, both with all manner of dips and pickles.
Claro
Leave room for date pudding with pecan crumble and whisky caramel, which is the ultimate winter dessert, the richness cut through with a coconut sorbet. Who even thinks of such things?! Ran Shmueli, that’s who, chef-owner, who has had the vision to bring his Tel Aviv masterpiece to our city and show us what we’re missing. claro-london.com
Cacao Tree
Cacao Tree was one of the best things to happen to Borehamwood. And then chef-owner Kushan sold it. But now… he’s bought it back and visiting feels like coming home. The vibe, the energy and the food are as good as they ever were, with superb cocktails, amazing flavours and sumptuous portions. All the classic dishes are on the menu, including my favourite chilli beef taco and teriyaki chicken.
There are some exciting plans afoot, including lots of exciting new tapas dishes, and the return of the amazing Sunday roast. The restaurant is a sideline to the hugely successful catering business that Kushan launched five years ago and he is very much focussed on that for weddings, barmitzvahs, private and corporate parties, yet he manages to run both businesses, even going to the flower market at 5am to do the stunning arrangement in the restaurant himself. A man of many talents! cacaobar.co.uk
It’s Bagels
The oh-so-genteel Primrose Hill set have had to contend with queues round the block ever since It’s Bagels opened. New Yorker Dan Martensen started selling bagels at Caravan in Islington before opening this unit (and then another in Notting Hill, plus a third in Soho). What makes this bagel different to all other bagels, you ask. Notably the price – an ‘everything’ bagel with sesame and poppy seeds, dried onion, salt and garlic filled with ‘the works’ – cream cheese, salmon, capers, onion, lemon and tomato will set you back £14, although the plain bagel with lox is ‘just’ £7.50. But the main difference is that they are boiled with a dash of malt, which puffs them up and makes them crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. itsbagels.com
Kleinsky’s pumpernickel bagel with pastrami
Also on the bagel front, there’s the new Kleinsky’s on North Audley Street in Mayfair. It’s New York deli-style but comes here from Cape Town. As well as seven types of bagel – plain, poppy seed, sesame, onion, pretzel, pumpernickel and the ‘everything’ – which you can have filled with anything from smoked salmon and cream cheese to salt beef, there is also a ‘breakfast banger’, a lamb BLT with lamb bacon, schnitzel and epic pastries including cinnamon buns and chocolate pistachio swirls. kleinskys.co.uk
Octagon Bar
Sopwell House has been slowly undergoing a transformation. A visit to the newly refurbished Octagon Bar with luxurious velvet seating, pretty lamps and stylish marble-topped tables is the way to kick off a wonderful evening with one of the just-launched seasonal cocktails inspired by the Quality Street tin. The Purple One is a smooth blend of rum, chocolate liqueur, butterscotch and vanilla syrup, while the zesty Orange Crème is made with Cointreau, Grand Marnier, chocolate liqueur and lemon.
Omboo
Cheers to that, and just a few steps away, Asian restaurant Omboo has the hallmark of a special dining experience with exotic oriental décor, attentive service and a hushed but gently fizzing ambience. Large, deep-filled mushroom and truffle spring rolls and tender seared tuna set the scene for a magnificent flow of dishes, including succulent blackened cod with just a hint of miso and beef short rib served off the bone and finely sliced, and a pile of tenderstem broccoli brought to life with garlic. It goes without saying that the sushi rolls would be exceptional in a restaurant of this calibre, but perhaps the biggest revelation of all is a heap of deep-fried crispy mushrooms – move over zucchini fries there’s a new indulgence in town. To finish this feast there’s a Valrhona dark chocolate mousse with miso caramel – easily enough for two but good enough to warrant one each. sopwellhouse.co.uk
Delamina Townhouse
Not content with running two restaurants and publishing a recipe book (My Tel Aviv Table) Limor Chen, together with husband Amir, has opened a third site, Delamina Townhouse in Covent Garden. Set across several spaces on two floors, the décor manages to be cosy, pretty and minimalist all at the same time, accentuated with artwork and sculptures made by the highly creative Limor herself. The food is equally pretty, with punchy flavours that belie its refinement.
Kubaneh and dips at Delamina Townhouse
Start with the beautiful kubaneh bread with dips, then surprisingly spicy courgette two ways, delicate arak-cured trout with foamed labneh, lamb tagliata with glazed shallots and dukka, and an absolutely magnificent whole crispy seabass with chill-date molasses is the crowning glory. If you’ve never tried olive oil chocolate mousse now is the time to do it, while the kadayif cheesecake dessert is the best iteration of it I have had. delaminakitchen.co.uk
Carnaby Toffee Pudding Donut at Donutelier
The Israelis say Roladin but we say Donutelier, because that’s what founder Arik Waiss opened here in London, in Charing Cross Road. A second branch, this time in Carnaby Street, opened last month with a star-studded party. Vanessa Feltz was there to indulge in decadent donuts including the new Carnaby Toffee Pudding Donut. If patisserie is your weakness, a box from this boutique bakery, which likens itself to a fashion atelier with doughnuts as its muse, makes a gorgeous-looking Chanukah gift to yourself or to others if you can bear to part with it. donutelier.co.uk
Kapara, Soho
If you’re looking for a family or friends activity for chol hamoed Chanukah, the days between Christmas and New Year, a Israeli food tour around Camden or Soho is a seriously tasty option. Delicious Cities has arrived from Tel Aviv to offer three-hour walking tours where you will be taken to five Israeli restaurants including Kapara in Soho, to nosh on up to three dishes in each, with lots of interesting facts and tips shared along the way. Find out more at deliciouscities.com
