Fancy a festive night out in an unusual spot? Jenny Conlon finds something special
I was intrigued to discover that there’s a former WC (yep, you’re reading this correctly, a converted public toilet) that has been transformed into a stunning restaurant below Clapham Common tube station. I’ve walked past so many times and never noticed it was there. They say you must look up when you’re walking around the streets of London, but in this case you must also look down as you never know when you might find a rare gem.
We were warmly greeted by the welcoming manager Paul who gave us the choice of where we wanted to sit. We sat at the cutest Victorian table in a nice corner nook, which overlooked the Victorian-style bar that was draped in an impressive collection of wine from around the world. We settled in with a little cocktail and went for a Thyme for
Gin and Smokey Margarita.
We decided to share the hot artichoke and Parmesan dip with toasted sourdough, which was recommended by Paul who told us that it never comes off the menu. To say it was melt-in-your-mouth divine is an understatement, it was a real explosion of homemade flavours. The addition of Parmesan made it a whole lot moreish. We then moved onto the courgette and avocado salad with pumpkin seeds, goats cheese, sundried tomatoes and a lime and chilli dressing.
The salad was fresh with shavings of courgette which gave it a zesty tangy taste. Another real winner. The beef
meatballs with tomato basil sauce and Parmesan were also melt in the mouth and the tomato sauce fused with basil
sealed the deal. To wash all the glorious food down we shared a bottle of the velvety smooth 2012 Rioja Crianza, which was recommended by our friendly waiter Dom. Passionate and informative about the food and the wine,
Dom’s also a talented musician who gets involved and performs on WC music nights.
One never wants good wine to go to waste, so to finish the night we shared some Tomme de Chevre, a soft goat’s cheese served with artisan crackers. And finally, it just wouldn’t be correct etiquette to go to a WC for
dinner and not check out the real WC, I can safely say it didn’t disappoint!
