I went in August 2025.
Core is a stunning restaurant with great service and a super polished team. The chefs actually greeted us when we walked in, and we even got to meet Clare before she left for the night. She and the staff all signed my menu, which was such a cool touch. They also gave us a cute little cake with a candle for our anniversary celebration. The service at Core is impeccable and the atmosphere wasn’t stuffy at all.
Every dish was beautifully presented, but not every bite was memorable. The butter was nicely salted, but the bread was cold. The cocktails were good. I went with the seasonal menu, which turned out to be way too heavy on vegetables (it didn’t really wow me). My partner went with the classic menu. The only dish I genuinely loved was the potato and roe (classic) – it was simple but really good. The leek and potato dish (seasonal), even with a big spoon of caviar, just didn’t land. And getting served basically raw stuffed tomato (seasonal) definitely threw me off, though I tried to appreciate it for the “experience.”
Desserts were much better. The Hertford cherries dessert (classic) was great, but the Core apple (classic) was kind of underwhelming and just really sour. The Core-teaser was really nice and I enjoyed all the different textures, the ice cream, and the cool puff thing. Honestly, the amuse bouches at “the beginning” were probably my favorite part of the whole meal, especially the gougere. The chocolate tarts they give at “the end” are delicious! As someone who does not drink wine, the wine gummies have a very strong flavor (I couldn’t eat more than one).
Core nails the presentation and hospitality, but for me, the food didn’t fully live up to the hype (or the price tag). Still, meeting Clare and seeing how much pride her team takes in their work made the night feel special.
Food pictured:
1. The beginning
2. Scallop tartare
3. Potato and roe
4. Herdwick lamb
5. Hertford cherries
6. Leek and potato
7. Cornish turbot
8. Merrifield farm duck
9. Core-teser
by ukiina
2 Comments
We went in July. Shame it didn’t fully land for you. It was so good we bought the cookbook!
I feel like this is the first like warm review i have read of this place. Almost everyone gushes. I lived practically next door when it first opened but have never been.