Time Out says
Thu May 3 2012
Chatsworth Road in Clapton was once home to a thriving weekday street market, which at its peak in the 1930s had 200 stalls. But the market slowly declined, and it closed for good in 1990. The street was just the usual uninspiring mix of shops and cafés – then, in 2010, there was a local campaign to get the market restarted on a Sunday. By June 2011, Chatsworth Road Market became a weekly event (11am-4pm Sundays), with a range of food stalls including BánhMì11, Kimchi Cult and Herman Ze German popping up among the vintage clothes and bric-à-brac.
It’s a taken a while for a restaurant of real note to open, but Shane’s of Chatsworth has just made Clapton into a proper dinner destination. This bijou bistro claims to focus on British food, seasonality and local ingredients – all very much in line with current London gastro-pretensions, and although not able to fulfil all the criteria, at least the execution strives to match the spiel.
A starter of mussels with nettles set the tone: big, juicy mussels in a light white wine broth with wilted nettles. While we were prepared for a metallic assault on the palate – the mussels and the nettles both being of that flavour-family – the earthy dish surprised us with boozy depth and gentle sweetness from onions, reminiscent of a French onion soup. The ham croquettes also exceeded expectations: the first bite through the crisp breadcrumbs revealed a cheesy béchamel, containing salty chunks of ham hock, finished with a light hit of garlic.
Shane’s is attempting to follow the ‘food from your doorstep’ concept as best it can, bearing in mind this is Hackney, not Provence. The ‘foraged salad’ is picked on the Hackney Marshes, and mixed with cultivated leaves. The salad was simply dressed with a bit of olive oil, so that the chickweed, ground elder and sour wood sorrel leaves could shine through. The sea beet that came with our main course of hake was also foraged, though not by Kiwi owner Shane Harrison, but by his foraging supplier, 4°C, from Norfolk. The pan-fried, crisp-skinned piece of deep sea fish (pictured above) was served in a smoky chorizo broth, augmented by the aroma of clams – a classic Spanish combination. With the addition of new potatoes, this was a light, but very satisfying dish.
On the heartier side was a filleted and stuffed rabbit wrapped in bacon. The moist meat was filled with a mushroom and rabbit duxelle, whose rich flavours went well with the buttery tarragon béarnaise sauce. The accompanying Jerusalem artichoke mash arrived with the skin left on for some rustic crunch.
Rhubarb fool was served in a Champagne flute – the dark but tangy fruit compote balanced with a topping of sweet, vanilla-dotted whipped cream, and two buttery biscuit thins.
Shane’s opened in April 2012, and Clapton is clearly hungry for it: walk-in customers had to be turned away on our visit. The intimate space only has a few tables and a counter facing out into the street, so booking is essential. There’s a BYO night once a week to entice more spend-conscious residents, and the love of localism extends to the staff, all of whom, we’re told, walk to work. If you can’t manage that, a journey here is well worth it.
Comments & ratings