In the new year, I thought I would try something novel.
A teetotal visiting a wine bar. Would be like a vegetarian going to a steak house. Or a diary and wheat intolerant going to an Italian place. Any of these would be exciting. For the spectators at least if more than slightly annoying to the staff.
Much as I do on occasion engage in painful tendencies, I also need to ensure that such adventures are not ruinous financially. So I was lured in by a soft opening deal so would be willing to splash the cash a bit. Even if things didn’t play out that well. Which was in hindsight a good thing as abundance of money would clearly be needed as this rather miserly serving of bread and butter was a princely GBP6.50. Bread tasted a bit stale, butter, despite the radioactive colour, rather bland. You could do with missing this.
Chicken hearts, lardo, sherry reduction. The theme continued with smaller than expected bites. At first I couldn’t see what was on these metal toothpicks. Then I figured out these were actually chicken hearts. I love these when they are part of yakitori fare yet in this they were less than that. In that they were cooked but perhaps too much. A bit too bouncy for my tastes. These should be smoky and savoury.
Smoked ham hock croquettes. Eminently forgettable even if they were on a pea paste and dusted with parmesan. They just tasted like minced balls of nothingness. Actually, I should correct myself, they were minced balls of lots of stuff, just not things that I would choose to eat again.
HG Walter pork & apple sausage, lentils. Sausage and beans. Probably the best dish of the day. Perhaps because this was the easiest to make. Just boil (not much char) the sausages, boil the beans and then slap it all on a plate. Perhaps the presentation can b e forgiven a bit but it did look a bit like a dog’s dinner. At least put a bit of garnish on top. Even I know that at home when I am trying to impress. Unfortunately, even the taste didn’t bring it up as it was so tasteless that the pig who was sacrificed for this was probably rolling in their grave.
Braised chicken leg, celeriac, cavalo nero. Soft meat, somewhat strange cream sauce and mash that couldn’t decide whether it wanted to be a solid or liquid. At least the chicken was fall off the bone but that’s probably all the positives I can muster.
Chocolate torte. A bit dry inside, rather insipid custard. Tasted like granny’s week old left over cake. Not a great way to end.
As I hurried out the door of the near empty dining room (probably as it was lunchtime), I guess there is a reason this is named a wine bar first and bistro later. As if you are intoxicated, things would seem more palatable. If instead you had your full faculties, you would be filled with regret.
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A quiet eating 6/10.
Lunch (3 course equivalent) was about GBP20 but I benefited from a 50% soft launch discount.
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Clara’s deli, wine & bistro
17 Bethnal Green Road,
London E1 6LA
