The Manor

148 Clapham Manor St, London

The boys behind The Manor manifest everything that is good about the London dining scene right now. After launching The Dairy in Clapham’s Old Town in 2013, this is their follow-up but it shows no signs of second-album syndrome. With similar industrial chic interiors – exposed brickwork, brushed wood, mismatched furniture – it’s a good-looking, bright and airy restaurant that feels as suited to lunch as it does dinner. Chef Robin Gill’s tasting menu comes in at a reasonable £45 and starts in a similar guise whichever time of year you visit, taking you through excellent cured meats that are hung in the cellar. Paired with the homemade sourdough and the restaurant’s iconic chicken butter, there are few better starts to a meal in the capital. Chestnut mushrooms, chanterelles and mushroom broth blends textures and temperatures beautifully, served in varying states of cooking. Dish of the day for us was smoked cod, cultured cream and sorrel – a ridiculously generous portion lifted with lemon and sea vegetables. Damson parfait, almond and yoghurt snow is a perfect finish.