Café Clement knows its angles. Situated on the most stylish block in central London, this glitzy all-day bistro’s highbrow neighbours are artsy 180 Strand, bougie and phenomenally pricey deli Corner Shop, double Michelin star champ Ikoyi and Frieze’s bakery and artsy restaurant Toklas. Quite frankly, Cafe Clement wouldn’t be seen dead anywhere else.
A molten volcano masquerading as a cheese souffle chuckles in the face of Mounjaro
It’s on the ground floor of St Clement, the glammy new hotel from hospitality kingpin and founder of the Soho House empire, Nick Jones. With St Clement, Jones means business - of the regular and show variety. Before the hotel’s official opening there are penthouse parties thrown for the Rolling Stones, and, three weeks in, Café Clement has already seen a rotating door of A-listers hoofing up souffle. In part, that’s due to the lure of Jones, whose inbox is a who’s-who of the past 30 years of the global entertainment industry, but also thanks to the pull of former River Cafe head chef Danny Bohan, who’s hit the ground running with a menu of flair-packed French and Italian classics.
From the outside, the brusque building gives ‘glum office block’, but inside a contemporary take on art-deco shimmer puts the nearby Savoy to shame. You enter Cafe Clement through the hotel’s fragrant lobby (the bespoke scent is a nod to the ‘oranges and lemons’ in the St Clement’s nursery rhyme) and up a curvy green-carpetted staircase that feels not unlike you’re negotiating the door at Studio 54.
Inside, the vibe is immaculate. Low-slung ceilings and frosted-glass partitions between beige leather booths seemingly stripped from a classic car interior make the place feel like vintage Manhattan on a financial upswing, and oil lamps flicker on the tables offering an upscale Wee Willie Winkie ambiance. The view isn’t quite of the river, but of the (arguably more interesting) women’s sculpture park on the roof terrace of Temple tube station. Staff in blazers glide across the red marble floor like Fred Astaire in an MGM musical, while Peggy Lee and Wanda Jackson play on the sound system.
The food is just as pleasant. Zucchini fritters are light, minty and stodge-free, wearing crispy edges and a veil of parmesan. A molten volcano masquerading as a cheese souffle chuckles in the face of Mounjaro, the bulbous belly buster of Montgomery cheddar, gruyere and aged comte, delivered to most of the packed tables here. It’s allegedly a starter, but my god, you could order it as a main and still be turning down lunch the following day.
A herby and fresh fish bourride makes for a restorative and lighter follow-up. Sea bass, gurnard, mussels and various mullets mingle with silky, flash-cooked tomato, and a dish of musky aioli is provided to smear wantonly over giant croutons for dipping into the stew, which manages to be both light and decadent.
If you’re at capacity, a scoop of creamy melon sorbet will do to finish, if not, baked peach and plum with cold cream is the kind of school pudding we imagine they serve at Eton; sweet, sticky and incredibly rich.
All this and St Clement still isn’t officially open yet. Impressive? Sure. Slightly mad? Also yes.
The vibe An international and starry crowd at Soho House founder’s new all-day hotel restaurant.
The food French and Italian favourites, with lots of fresh shellfish, pasta and risottos and a hearty casserole section.
The drink Martinis, of course, as well as decent wines by the glass and bottles for big spenders.
Time Out tip There’s a decent looking set menu for just £28 (ouefs mayo and onglet on our visit), which - when paired with an £8 glass of tap house wine - makes for a cheap-ish visit.
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