What do you get when two wine importers team up with a notable London chef? An oenophile’s dream dining destination is opening near Smithfield Market in Farringdon. Called Cloth, the restaurant and wine bar is opening in a Grade-II-listed building opposite St Bartholomew on an historic row that survived the Great Fire of 1666. It comes to you courtesy of wine importers Joe Haynes and Ben Butterworth, along with chef Tom Hurst (former head chef at Lasdun, Levan and Brawn, to name a few).
Inside Cloth, you can expect cosy vibes, with low ceilings, warm candle bulbs, white marble tables and long dark-wood banquettes but with the silver-service and antique crockery befitting a classic bistro.
The seasonal menu celebrates the best of British ingredients and runs the gamut of elegant bar snacks (Carlingford oyster and Chardonnay vinegar) to a weekly changing set-lunch menu (£25 for two courses or £29 for three) to more significant events in the main restaurant (we see you, 800g Longhorn ribeye, Roscoff onion and bone marrow). The opening sample menu includes the following:
- Brown crab and Berkswell tagliarini
- Cornish pollock with razor clams, white asparagus and lovage
- Somerset hogget, grilled cos lettuce, smoked tongue and anchovy
- Cornish squid, black olive, preserved lemon and lardo
- Grilled Tropea Onions with whipped curd and a truffle and almond pesto
- Rhubarb sorbet with blood orange caramel
As you would expect, the wine list is a thoughtfully curated affair, with half the bottles coming from Joe and Ben’s businesses, and focused on grower Champagnes, as well as winemakers from Alsace, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Loire, Luxembourg and Germany. The remainder of the list will comprise bottles from friends in the industry, slanted towards small, independent and sustainable producers. There’ll also be drops available to taste by the glass on a regularly rotating list, whether you fancy a Miro La Mar Fino Sherry or a 2022 Laura Bourdy, Côtes du Jura ‘Jeanne’. Also - keep an eye out for regular winemaker dinners and special events.
More about Cloth
Where is it? 44 Cloth Fair, London EC1A 7JQ
When does it open? 29 April 2024
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @clothrestaurant.
Subscribe to be the first to get the news from Hot Dinners
