SALTOUN SUPPER CLUB REVIEW : BEST SUPPER CLUB IN LONDON?

Photo from the night courtesy of Arno @ SSC

Fresh seasonal ingredients. Subtle, well balanced flavours. Meticulously styled dishes. Interesting dinner companions. For a supper club you can't actually ask for much more. Arno Maasdorp's Saltoun supper club has been a shining light in the London supper club scene for several years now and when I finally got around to visiting this week it didn't disappoint.

Arno works as a food stylist and photographer by day and it really shows. His amazing flat is filled with interesting objects and furniture to admire and the table settings and plates and crockery are all elaborate and assembled with care. And the food, oh my word the food.

To start a light and beautifully arranged plate of smoked black forest ham, green bean salad with figs, olives, radishes and capers served on a vine leaf. The flavours were subtle and well balanced, with delicate honey notes.

The trofie was perfectly cooked with lashings of crunchy Asparagus in a 'parmesan stock'. This was actually my favourite dish and was left wanting more.

The main was a rich, punchy lamb fillet served on a bed of giant couscous, broad beans and peas. It was lovely meat and wonderful rich flavour although the meat wasn't as melt in the mouth as I had hoped, but still a damn fine dish.
One of my dinner companions it turns out was allergic to broad beans and had warned ahead of time with Arno more than accommodating with with his request.

For dessert we were treated to a salted caramel mango eton mess. The textures in this dish were outstanding and again balanced phenomenally well.

Petit Fours was a wonderful elaborate board of fresh and marinated cherries, strawberries, raspberries, chocolate cupcakes and selections of teas and coffee.

By this stage I was filled with a warm glow of great food and wine and good company. Some of the guests made their thanks and started to leave while the rest of us retired upstairs to the attic to smoke and shoot the breeze. In the room there was professional tuba player, a spice marketing maven and a vintage homewares purveyor. What a great mix!

I had delightful time just hanging and chatting with Arno about supper clubs, the food scene and restaurants. Quite clearly capable of running a fantastic restaurant in his own right, Arno talked about how supper clubs provide the perfect level of intimacy (and commitment) that he was after. He seemed supremely content doing what he loves and sharing it with new people. And at two nights a week - he would easily be one of the most prolific and experienced supper clubbers out there. His reputation as one of the best is well founded. Certainly one of the most stylish too.

Up there in the attic I could have easily settled down and finished off my bottle of wine with the others but found myself looking at my watch and dashing like a mad fool for the last tube. Time flies and all that.

Saltoun Supper club. If you haven't been. You should book... Now. If you have been you should book again. I know I will be. It's seriously good.

4 out of 5 Gourmet Lovers hearts.

♥♥♥♥

The Saltoun Supper Club
Eatwithyoureyes.net
Suggested Donation £35.00
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