Climb up the stairs of number 409 Clapham Road and if you’ve been a good boy or girl all year you might be greeted with a warming cup of mulled wine to fortify you for the Alpine themed feast ahead.
Chef Jimmy Garcia’s Winter restaurant pop up, The Lodge, is an ever so slightly tongue in cheek tour around the highlights of festive cuisine, Verbier style. Cosy up with a few friends in a booth and forget that it’s a drizzly Tuesday night in South London; the most effective way to do this is by downing some toffee flavoured Schnapps whilst perusing the menu.
The food is split into three sections; snacks, small plates and sharers. If your boss or a wealthy friend is picking up the tab go wild. Start with some deep fried oysters, a slice of toast topped with cod roe and a bacon and reblochon croquette. Consider following it with a portion of ham hock terrine, a slice of gin cured salmon and a couple of wild boar sausages. Let it settle. This part is essential. Because what is to follow will require the kind of stomach capacity bestowed upon legendary chomper, Henry VIII. Sure you can order the turbot or the Cote de Boeuf but the oozingly sticky and unctuously unforgettable cheese fondue is the big draw. It comes with cubes of bread but why not dip in some of those sausages? A slice of charcuterie? A leaf of lettuce? There is no food which does not benefit from the edition of rich, cheesy goo.
If after all of the above you still have room, finish off with a tyre-sized Paris Brest. It’s a formidable combination of pastry, cream and cherry jam and is perfect to fortify you for the walk back home through the mountains and forests of Clapham North.
Need to Know:
The Lodge, 409 Clapham Road, SW9 9BT
Friday 21st October 2016 – end of February 2017
Open from 5.30pm Tuesday – Sunday
