Core by Clare Smyth

The Review

Refreshing the page, the bookings were open and less than 10 minutes later, I had secured a reservation, result!

Stepping out the taxi, I saw the signs, quite literally. There it was, Core by Clare Smyth. Had I not known it was there, I would’ve walked past. An unassuming building in Notting Hill, no flashing lights, no big neon sign, just quiet elegance. 

Darkness engulfed us, highly polished dark wood, dark green walls and low lighting welcomed us in. Our coats and jackets taken to be hung up in the cloakroom. We were shown to the bar area behind us momentarily, before escorted to our table. 

The contrast of the bright lights of the kitchen came into focus. A glass wall offering direct sight to the kitchen and the brigade of chefs working hard to create perfection. We rounded the corner and climbed the two steps until we reached our table. 

Promptly seated, we were asked if we wanted an apertif, we pushed the boat out with a glass of chilled Dom Perignon. 

Canapes were brought out moments later, consisting of Lobster Roll, Chicken Liver Parfait and Maderia, Pea and Mint Gougere, Jellied Eel and Toasted Seaweed. One mouthful of each. Chicken Liver Parfait identical in textutre and flavour to the very same canape we experienced at Oncore 18 months prior. Warm parfait oozing out of the tart case once you take that first bite. The lobster roll beautifully soft. I was a little skeptical about the jellied eel, however those doubts soon faded as the crispy shell melted away the moment it met my mouth. A gorgeous pop of cheese soon followed from the Gougere.

Once the Canapes were eaten, we were then asked which menu we wanted to dine from, Seasons or Classic. I choose the Seasons. The bread course swiftly followed and then we got down to business. My first course was Langoustine and English Saffron. This was the one course I was looking forward to the most. Soft pink Langoustine meat standing out amongst the darkness of the rest of the dish, with flashes of orange and green from crunchy Carrots and Coriander.

Up next was Braised Morel, with Smoked Duck. Morel is a type of Wild Mushroom, with a honeycomb like appearance, which we later saw for sale at Fortnum and Mason for £100 per 100g, so it’s no surprise to see a high quality item like this on the menu at Core. The dish was dowsed in a Chaga Broth, a mushroom-centric umami broth. Whilst I ate this, Mum had Potato and Roe dish from the vegetarian menu. It was suggested that she have another slice of the Sourdough to mop up the Beurre Blanc. Not wanting to miss out on more of that fluffy, soft, crusty Sourdough, we all asked for more bread with this course. I wish I hadn’t as that slice of bread really did fill me up and I struggled to finish the decadent food towards the end of the menu.

Cornish Turbot with Smoked Mussels was hot on the heels of the Braised Morel. Delectable white Fish, prominent in the centre of the plate, with slithers of crunchy Apple and pops of green. It didn’t take much effort for me to slice through that beautiful Fish with my knife. Perfection. A course I could’ve eaten again, and again, and again.

There was no break in between as a stunning white Turnip was placed in front of me, in the shape of a Rose. Nutmeg was grated over the top. The Turnip was that perfect balance of soft and crunchy, with a velvety velouté. Brittle Walnuts hidden within the dish provided another level of texture in an already superb dish. It was a travesty to dissect the stunning Turnip but I couldn’t let it go to waste.

The final savoury course was Beef and Oyster, another dish I had the pleasure of eating at Oncore. Beautiful Wagyu Beef and Oyster, accompanied by an Oyster shell, hidden by a light, airy, crispy goodness. Uncovering the Oyster shell, was a meaty treasure trove. The Oyster was lovely, to say I’m still not a fan of Oyster, no matter how many times I eat it.

We had a break of 10 minutes before the palate cleanser. Lemon Posset. Flowers must’ve been the theme for Spring as the Posset arrived in the shape of another flower. (Florals for Spring…ground-breaking…IYKYK). This Rose was more creamy and lemony than the last one. Elderflower and pops of Strawberry cut through the lemon. The perfect palate cleanser.

We came to the final course. Mine should’ve been the Coreteaser, however, as I had already had this at Oncore, I swapped with Mum and ended up with the Pear and Verbena. This was a stunning finale to an already incredible evening of food. Perfect discs of Pear and Meringue, covered a shell of Meringue. In the Meringue shell, perched the Poire Williams Sorbet. Poire Williams, an unsweetened Brandy made from distilled Pears. Not too overpowering, but also refreshing. A flawless dish, which could also be a great palate cleanser too.

We ordered Coffee and had the Petit Fours which were included in the tasting menu; 2 Jelly sweets, each with a strong after taste of Alcohol, and a warm Chocolate Tart. The Tarts was only half eaten as I gave up, I was full to the point of bursting. We soon paid the bill and headed back to the hotel in a taxi the restaurant had arranged for us. On our way out, we had a brief conversation with Head Chef Jonny Bone, and thanked him and his team for the incredible meal we had just eaten.

I was filled with trepidation as I had high expectations of Core, especially after Oncore and didn’t want to be let down if Core failed to live up to those expectations. It did not disappoint. A couple of pointers; after the Champagne, I ordered 2 mocktails. Both mocktails were the Smoked Pear mocktail. The first mocktail was perfect, the second was very bitty from the pulp of the fruit. I’m not a fan of bits in drinks so I ended up giving this to my Dad. The second thing, once we left Oncore, we were given a Sourdough loaf of our own to take home with us. At Core we didn’t, however, we were allowed to take home copies of the menus and the flowers which were laid on top of each place setting. I loved the Sourdough and was hoping that Core would do the same as Oncore, but alas not.

So the inevitable question, is Core really worth it? 100% yes, 1,000,000% yes. Whole heartedly yes. We planned our whole trip to London around going to Core and did not regret one bit of it. Yes, the above is just personal preference and expectations, they’re not a reason for me to score Core any less than 5 stars. If you’re in London, make sure you have space in your itinerary for Core. It’s not to be missed.