Clos Maggiore is a contemporary French restaurant in Covent Garden that was voted the most romantic restaurant in the world in 2016 and the most romantic restaurant in London many times. I imagine your first question is, “really? is it?” I’ll get to that 😊.

Shiima found Clos Maggiore and she was really excited to dine in their conservatory because the pictures look divine, but I really didn’t care – I’m all about the food. We reserved for lunch last Saturday and sadly the conservatory was fully booked. But when we arrived they surprised us with a table in the conservatory, and it was even more beautiful than in the pictures. Plus, they had their Christmas decorations up, so it was very festive as well.

The entire restaurant was very beautiful.

The service was really good. Not only because they surprised us with the table, but they were very helpful and prompt. Now, for the food.

What we ordered

The lunch menu was fairly simple, but with a lot of intriguing dishes. You choose a starter, main course and dessert for £37.50pp, and extra for side dishes. For starters, Shiima ordered Roasted Jerusalem Artichoke Soup and I ordered Slow Cooked Charolais beef cheek. Shiima ordered Pan Roasted Suffolk Chicken Breast and Triple Cooked Chips for her main and I ordered the Slow Cooked Duke of Berkshire Pork Neck.

The Food

Starters

Shiima’s soup was very rich and creamy, and although she’s not a fan of mushrooms she really enjoyed these. The truffle brioche was really delicate and went well with the soup.

This was delicious. Everything about it, from the pasta to the tender beef cheek and the rich sauce. Very well balanced dish.

Mains

More mushrooms in Shiima’s main and this time she wasn’t a fan 😆 but she really enjoyed the chicken breast. Succulent and very well seasoned with a subtle Madeira sauce.

I loved my slow cooked pork neck. It was very tender and cooked in a delicious and slightly sweet raisin and pork sauce. The shredded ham hock was a tad sharp in comparison, but still very nice.

Dessert!

I ordered the Irish Baileys Parfait with Piedmont Hazelnut Sponge and Shiima ordered Traditional Dark Chocolate “Tarte Fondante”.

Both desserts were really good, although Shiima didn’t enjoy the mandarine in hers… and to be fair I didn’t enjoy it either. We aren’t fans of citrus fruits in our dessert, especially chocolate desserts.

Verdict

We really enjoyed our lunch at Clos Maggiore. The service was superb, the food was mostly delicious, and the restaurant was very beautiful. But is it the most romantic restaurant in London? Not sure, but it’s certainly on the podium and that’s saying something because we’ve dined at over 150 London restaurants. We recommend for, you guessed it, romantic restaurants and special occasions. Clos Maggiore is expensive, so do consider that… but I’d say it’s worth it.

Cuisine: French
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Shiima’s Star Dish: Roasted Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
Amen’s Star Dish: Slow Cooked Duke of Berkshire Pork Neck
Price: £40-50pp
Rating: 5 out 5

Clos Maggiore
33 King Street
WC2E 8JD
Reserve a table through OpenTable,
Or call 0207 379 9696