Clare Smyth opens Corenucopia in SW1 serving comfort-food plates

Clare Smyth, known for her three Michelin-starred Core, has opened Corenucopia just off Sloane Square in London SW1, where a reviewer ate a £52 plate of dover sole and chips in a room described as packed with fancy types. The new project is pitched as a less pricey, more comfort-food–focused menu featuring dishes such as seafood vol-au-vent, chicken kiev, Barnsley chop and trifle, and a separate potato menu presented in its own frame offering pommes anna, dauphinoise, croquettes, fondant and hasselback.

The dover sole is battered and stuffed with lobster mousse and arrives with a gilt-framed vinegar menu; starters include a crispy veal sweetbread for £32, turbot for £64 and a single profiterole for £22, while hasselback potatoes were noted at £8.50 plus service for three. The reviewer said the decor is determinedly posh but the soundtrack is emphatically British dad rock, from Status Quo to Oasis to Clapton and the Stones, and that the restaurant is currently jam-packed with what the piece terms “Michelin-chasing” diners keen to try Smyth’s more relaxed outpost.

The review contrasts Corenucopia’s à la carte offering — from about £80 a head, plus drinks and service — with Core’s seven-course “Seasons” tasting menu, cited at £265 per person before wine and service.

Key Topics

Culture, Clare Smyth, Corenucopia, Core, Sloane Square, Dover Sole