Anthea Gerrie Enjoys Brilliant British Ingredients Prepared Middle Eastern-Style At Michelin-Rated Claro London
When Claro earned recognition from the 2025 Michelin Guide within a year of opening in London, they were somewhat undersold by having their cuisine described with the catch-all “Mediterranean”. Claro’s USP is much more innovative – chef-patron Ran Shmueli has trawled the UK with a team led by head chef Shadi Issawy to find the best British ingredients, served up with an innovative take which goes beyond a liberal use of typical Middle Eastern condiments like tahini, labneh and fiery zhoug.
Shmueli, known as a formidable caterer before he opened his first restaurant, Claro Tel Aviv, more than a decade ago, understands that memorable restaurants are distinguished not only by imaginative food and great service but a sense of theatre. He situated his first restaurant in an old Templar’s house, so it’s not surprising he fastened on another formal structure, a listed former bank building in the heart of St James’s, for his expansion to the British capital.
Claro is warmer and buzzier inside than the austere exterior on Waterloo Place, where Lower Regent Street meets Pall Mall, suggests. The main dining room is relaxed but sumptuous, with huge picture windows looking out on promenaders wandering up to Piccadilly or crossing the road to the Sofitel St James, the Foreign Office and posh private clubs beyond.
There is a big open kitchen surrounded by a dining bar which lends a buzz to many an Israeli restaurant where chefs kibitz with customers, but this one is up a few steps, divorcing it from the main dining room, although there are a couple of tables in this area for those who want to watch the kitchen action from a regular seated perch if not a bar stool.
Bread here is a course in its own right, and the first thing to order after choosing a cocktail(my Forest Whisper was an intriguing British taste on a whisky sour, featuring a Yorkshire-distilled spirit turned prettily pink with a berry sherbet. And the individual loaf of kubaneh which arrived was a confection far more ambitious than the pita bread which more commonly accompanies Middle Eastern food. Think a fluffy brioche with a crispy, croissant-like crust – absolutely divine, though pricey at £9. The loaf serves 2-3, however, and comes with a little pile of grated tomato to temper the heat of the zhoug relish which is another accompaniment along with a tiny dish of labneh, the Middle East’s answer to Greek yogurt.
Yellowtail crudo dressed with freekeh tabouleh and tomato concasse on the side seems designed to please Americans – the Yanks love their raw fish tarted up with complementary accompaniments – but also speaks to the fact that Israelis are the greatest consumers of sushi and sashimi outside Japan. It was a pretty, delicate dish but not quite as delicious as the outstanding River Dun trout bruschetta, in which flakes of rosy fish were alternated with slices of roasted pear and copious dabs of orange trout roe on a hearty slice of sourdough.
A more robust starter epitomised the best of seasonal British produce – roast beetroot salad featuring pickled apple slices with wedges of different colours beets on a bed of creamy Wigmore cheese. For fans of Middle Eastern fare craving their favourites, there’s a “taste of Claro” sharing plate featuring frena bread(think a puffier pita), green tahini and aubergine, tzatziki and turmeric cucumber, labneh, pickles and matbucha (£21).
Although there is fish on the menu and an emphasis on vegetables as plant-based mains, it’s hard for any carnivore to resist the meaty treats fielded by Claro. Charcoal-grilled steaks are served on a cast-iron trivet with a generous, seasoned marrow bone to make an ad hoc sauce – £16 per 100g, and when we dined there was also an excellent venison chop served with glazed carrots. Not sure even the best egg sauce can be called a Bearnaise if its chief flavour is tarragon, rather than as here, fresh oregano, but it was golden, rich and good, and there is also a lamb platter for two – £88 including sides of tzatziki, matbucha, pickles and pita.
When it was time for dessert, a chocolate mousse came with its own sense of theatre, served in a generous, creamy wedge from a giant bowl. But better even was a date and caramel pudding doused in Yorkshire whisky to die for.
If the whisky comes from Yorkshire as well as Scotland, Ireland, Kentucky, Canada and Japan the wine likewise comes from all over the world, and we particularly enjoyed a Sangiovese from Emilia Romagna (at £15 -mid-range from a list priced at £13-20 for a generous glass). It was good to see orange wines from Georgia, where they originated, as well as Portugal and Austria, and with English vintages on the list it would be good to see the world’s best winemakers joined soon by some of the excellent bottles being produced in Israel and Lebanon, the best possible match for this rich and often spicy food.
Note plenty of time to digest is only one reason to book in for an early dinner at Claro; the pre-theatre menu served between 5 and 6.30pm is a real bargain for exciting food of this quality at two courses for £38, three for £46.
Tell Me More About Dining At Claro London.
Claro Restaurant, 12 Waterloo Place, London SW1Y 4AU
T:+44 204 580 1429
