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The Modern Pantry
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© Britta Jaschinski
Anna Hansen worked together with Peter Gordon at the Sugar Club, then at Providores ( see right), before striking out on her own with this much-delayed project inside a handsome, Grade II-listed Georgian building facing a traffic-free square. When complete, it will feature a café, deli and first-floor dining room, but when we visited soon after opening in August 2007, the ground floor was in use as the dining room. Hansen’s style of food resembles Providores’: a genre-bending fusion of ingredients and cooking styles from around the world, with no affiliation to any region. For example, a sugar-cured prawn omelette initially resembled the Vietnamese dish banh xeo, but had been given a Kiwi makeover with a spicy sambal dressing and Thai basil on top. A main course of onglet steak (an inexpensive French cut) had been marinated in miso, and was served with cassava chips instead of the more usual potato. Not every dish was a success – one described as chorizo, date and feta fritters resembled onion bhajis – but the originality of them won us over. This is best demonstrated in the desserts, which included a chocolate liquorice mousse in a tiny espresso cup, served with half a tamarillo and a bitter-tasting wafer of caramelised cocoa and chilli.
Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009
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Details
- 47-48 St John's Square, Clerkenwell, EC1V 4JJ
- Area: Clerkenwell
- Tel: 020 7553 9210
- www.themodernpantry.co.uk
- Book online
- Category: International
- Travel: Farringdon tube/rail
- Times: Café Meals served 8am-11pm Mon-Fri; 9am-11pm Sat; 9am-10pm Sun. Restaurant Lunch served noon-3pm Mon-Sat; noon-4pm Sun. Dinner served 6-10.30pm Mon-Sat. Deli Open 7.30am-7.30pm Mon-Sat
- Price: Café Main courses £10-£15.50. Restaurant Main courses £12-£19
- Credit cards: All AmEx, MC, V
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We've eaten here many times–enough to now know that we won't be back again. Which is a shame, because we're both huge fans of Anna Hansen's cooking.
If you've puzzled over the widely varying reports listed here, the reason is simple:
it's lamentably inconsistent, both in terms of cooking and service. My instinct is that the chef is way too remote from the actual kitchen and floor.
How else do you explain a more or less raw piece of duck showing up? The server (sic) thought they should argue with us about. "That's how the chef says it should be served." Hmm. I don't know about that. Raw is raw. Rare is rare. We do know the difference, but thanks for challenging us, all the same. The bill showed up with everything charged at full price, which once again suggests a huge disconnection between all concerned.
All the same, we went back a couple more times after that–we are true fans, honest–but the hit and miss delivery of every aspect continued.
A great interior. Cooking has terrific potential. All of it let down by a team that doesn't seem to have any real passion for service. I sincerely hope they address the issues. My heart wills them to do so. My mind tells me to go somewhere else.
I had an excellent lunch on Saturday, served by friendly attentive staff. It was a very relaxed and pleasant environment. 1st class.
The Time Out review needs updating. The ground floor remains a dining room, and is not café stlyle. The maître d’ on the evening I ate there was precious in the extreme. The vibe was far from relaxed and the food fell well short of expectations. There are many much better restaurants nearby.
i'm with Simon on this one - we experienced indifferent slow service at a time when the "pantry" was almost empty + the decor isnt all that when you get up close and the food........avoid.....
Locals to the area, we have walked past this restaurant many times in recent months so decided to stop for breakfast on Saturday 18th April 2009. There was only one other diner in at the time. There were about 6 waiting staff busy doing nothing. We placed our breakfast order and we were facing the chefs who seemed to be chatting rather than cooking. Despite us making eye contact with one of the chefs several times, they started to prepare our order only after we complained as we had been waiting 30 minutes. I ordered the pancakes with gooseberries and yoghurt. What came back was absolute stodge, with cream, no yoghurt and no apology. Overall we were not impressed with the food or the service. Btw, salad greens do not go with sweet waffles with maple syrup, which is what my fiance ordered! It then took over 10 minutes for them to process our card payment as their machine was not working properly - we did get a free expresso for the delay, but would not recommend this place to anyone nor do we intend to go back. Had they been really busy, the delay mght have been more understandable, but to have three chefs watching us sit at our table, knowing that our order was in their kitchen, and not preparing our food and instead just chatting is simply arrogant and rude.
Smart and casual, beautiful setting, excellent food. A great place for a meal at a good price. Upstairs is more cosy and better for a quiet dinner. A great choice!
The Modern Pantry is more like the post-modern pantry… a panty with no food in it. The setting was fine, food was good, but there was little of it. Fortunately we ate before we arrived and then I had to eat again shortly thereafter I left. Nice spot to relax with friends, just don’t come if you’re hungry (or order two breakfasts with extra toast).
great food
Fusion cooking at it's very best and finest!
The Krupuk quail eggs, the roasted rabbit, the chocolate liquorice mousse was the best and most tasteful dinner we have had in years. Wonderful ambiance, happy, friendly and very efficient staff.This is where I would bring my family and my best friends. The best of luck to Anna Hansen, and congratulations!
S.Hauge, Chevalier, Chaine des Rotisseurs,Bailliage du Selandia.
The Modern Pantry is a gem. The small dishes are absolutely perfect for lunch and the service is friendly in an intelligent sort of way. I shall return.