Malmaison, Clerkenwell

Malmaison, Clerkenwell

03 November, 2011
by: Tom Jeffreys

Tom Jeffreys enjoys an evening at Malmaison, despite a number of odd little errors.

My French may be rudimentary but I thought that Malmaison meant 'bad house' – which would seem to be an odd name to give to a small chain of upmarket hotels. And the name is not the only slight oddity evident during our evening at Malmaison's London branch – rather splendidly located on Charterhouse Square in Clerkenwell. Which is not to say that the meal is not an enjoyable one; just that a little bit more attention to detail might not have gone amiss. Or maybe it's just me being pedantic...

The first thing I spot (and this really is petty) is the misspelling of pheasant on the menu; whilst the second (a little more serious) is the major overfilling of our wine glasses. This, I imagine, is a ploy to get you to buy more, but it's a shame because the wine, Dr Loosen's Blue Slate (£28.50), is utterly dreamy – peachy and aromatic with honeysuckle – and a little more delicacy on the pouring front would have demonstrated the requisite level of appreciation. It's a shame also because I hate criticising restaurant staff – particularly in this case, where our waitress is otherwise extremely friendly, efficient and knowledgeable: in short, the kind that makes a meal memorable.

The menu is a pleasantly straightforward one, with an emphasis on classic dishes and, as we're there in October, game. It's one with broad appeal – something for everyone, but in a good way. For starters, I go with the oxtail (£7.50) which is rich and tender and melty – exactly as it should be. Being difficult, my companion, Ms Lillet, orders the cod cheeks (normally a main course, but doable as a starter for £8). They taste great, but are a tad overcooked, and the pairing with a creamy white bean sauce is an odd one – I think it works, but the ever difficult Ms Lillet is not so sure.

From here it's game time. I order mallard (£18) because I've never had it before, and our waitress warns me that it might be a little dry compared to duck. I nod knowingly. And she's right – but it's delicious: dark and dense and almost livery in its richness. But it's let down a little by the accompanying oblong of mushroom toast, which tastes so intense as to seem processed. The same lack of finesse on the plate affects Ms Lillet's pheasant (£16) which again is delightfully cooked – pink and juicy and perfect. But the sauce has overdosed so heavily on tarragon as to mask all the other – undoubtedly lovely – flavours. On the plus side, the fries with tarragon aioli (£3.50) are bloody belting.

By this stage we're pretty full and opt to share a white chocolate cheesecake (£5.95), which is actually rather good. Thank god we didn't go with the cheeseboard. Though: the couple next to us do, and the amount of cheese wheeled over would finish off the more faint-hearted. It looks (and smells) mighty impressive.

All in all, despite the various little errors, the fairly unmemorable décor, and an occasional lack of finesse in the kitchen, Malmaison is an enjoyable place – but then great wine and great service can mask many a flaw. It's also worth mentioning that Malmaison are currently offering a quite ridiculous deal. Two courses, a bottle of wine and coffee for just £30. For two! Malmaison may have some issues to address, but at this price I'd forgive them a whole heap more. It's a total steal. Oh, and apparently the burgers are amazing...

www.malmaison.com

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Tom Jeffreys