As lifelong Londonites, we at coolography cannot justify any inclination we may have to sample the best hotels the city has to offer. In another life, maybe, coolography would definitely have boutique hotel The Zetter nearing the top of a list of fantasy accomodation. Located in the heart of Clerkenwell, the former Victorian warehouse is regularly touted as one of London’s coolest hotels. Be that as it may, we took it upon ourselves one midsummer’s evening to visit The Zetter’s much recommended ground floor restaurant…

Forgoing the al fresco option (and the earlier Sunday lunchtime jazz accompanied grill) we sat with a comfortable corner view of the restaurant: A clean, refreshingly playful design framing floor to ceiling windows with views overlooking St. John’s square. Presented with a varied and intriguing cocktail menu, we opted for a refreshingly punchy ‘Smithfield Pony’, a vodka and ginger beer concoction muddled with combined sweet and sour spikes of blackberry, passionfruit and morelle cherry. Arriving soon after, a perfectly named ‘Tenessee Tart’ combined the warming notes of Jack Daniels and Disaronno with kick of passionfruit tartness.

A brief skim through the surprisingly short a la carte menu made decisions swift. Appetisers for the table unanimously consisted of garlic roasted prawns and glazed pork belly; crunchy yet yielding surf mounted on sweet, fatty turf. Adorned with a scattering of minutely diced chorizo, and accompanied by a generous smear of sweet potato purée, the opening course was a decadent mix of rich flavours and contrasting textures.

The main course consisted of, again, a near unanimous decision for the veal chop. Once more, the table found themselves pleasantly satisfied; the milky meat mixing well on a bed of creamed Swiss chard. Accompaniments of roast rosemary jersey royals added a comforting body to the rest of the meal, and a side of sauteed spinach with splashes of lemon added a citrus twist to a normally uninspiring leaf. The lone dissenting order was rewarded with a faultless ribeye steak – explosively tender and complemented well with a creamy horseradish sauce.

Dessert beckoned and unanimity raised its head again. A round of dulche leche creme brûlée for the table was thinner in texture than desired but served to highlight a satisfyingly shatterable surface. Topped with an inventive banana split ice cream, the round of desserts was a well received mix of creamy sweetness and opposing textures.

Despite an a la carte menu lacking somewhat in breadth, The Zetter serves up a solid yet relaxed dining experience. Add to this reasonable prices, cool decor and an unbeatable location, and you have a coolography recommended venue that easily warrants repeat visits.

The Zetter