Sunday Lunch / ££££ / 6/10

Family – We arrived with a pram and a 3 month old to be told the restaurant didn’t allow children under 11, this is on the website but I had missed it when booking. They graciously waived this policy and seated us at a different table so we had room for the sleeping baby in the pram. Cleaver and Wake is perfect for those seeking a sophisticated atmosphere undisturbed by children.

Cleaver & Wake has been a dominant building in the cities skyline since it opened on the Island Quarter in October 2022. Led by Chef Laurence Henry, winner of MasterChef: The Professionals in 2018, the restaurant boasts modern, British cuisine and an elevated dining experience.

I booked on the website and received a courtesy call on the friday asking if I wanted to pre order the Beef Wellington as it was a popular dish. It immediately appealed so I agreed (somewhat naively with hindsight). Upon arrival the restaurant was busy and buzzing without being too loud or cavernous. It is a lovely room designed to put the diner at ease (comfy chairs, ability to view the whole space, open kitchen) and screams “This is going to be a lovely meal (but it’ll cost you)”

Sunday lunch comprised of a fixed price offer for 2 or 3 courses and this is when it became clear my earlier order of beef wellington was somewhat naive. Cleaver and Wake offer 2 courses for £40 or 3 courses for £50, however the beef wellington carries a £15 pp supplement. When I realised I felt a little foolish for not even querying the price over the phone but pushed this to one side as I was looking forward to my meal. Bread arrived (1 slice each which I felt was a little mean however was impressed they offer complimentary still or sparkling water) but the miso butter that accompanied it didn’t taste of miso, at a push maybe unsalted butter – a crying shame. Me and my dining partner shared a starter of butternut squash veloute with parmesan toast which was delicious, so smooth and perfectly seasoned. The parmesan toast adding the perfect element of salt alongside the sweet soup and pickled squash pieces. This starter was the highlight of the meal for me, it was perfect.

The main courses arrived quickly after the starters, with an extra gravy jug that we didn’t need to ask for (but everyone wants ….. unless they don’t like gravy and then they’re not ‘my people’), horseradish (we both had beef) and a side of cauliflower cheese. The good – the meat was cooked perfectly, pink, succulent, so tender and it tasted of beef. It was clearly high quality meat cooked well. The vegetables and gravy were good in that they were perfectly cooked and not faffed about with too much (a pet peeve of mine is too much going on, what are you trying to hide?). The bad – the roast potatoes had fallen foul of being faffed about with too much, there were some herbs but not enough of the crinkly, crispy roast potato-ness that everyone loves, they were a little aneamic. The cauliflower cheese side tasted of nothing, I couldn’t find any full pieces of cauliflower or the taste of any cheese to confirm it was in fact what we had ordered. It was left to spoil while we enjoyed the good.

We shared a sticky toffee pudding for dessert that came with a roasted vanilla ice cream – it was fine. My dining partner said ‘It’s ok, not worth a tenner’. The pudding lacked the salt edge that makes the sweetness sing and the ice cream tasted like frozen milk – there was no hint of vanilla unfortunately. As a pudding lover I think it is the kitchens final chance to impress and leave the diner with a fond memory and unfortunately this fell short.

Overall – For all the above I would defintely go back to Cleaver and Wake, maybe not for a sunday lunch but I am keen to try their evening offering and the dining room is a wonderful relaxing place to be. The service was to the level you would expect given the cost of the meal, it felt more relaxed than some michelin restaurants and better for it. Between our wine glasses being refilled and the courtesy call for the pre order of wellington this restaurant knows how to make money but that is not a criticism – this is a business and not a charity and I applaud their clever approach.

Next time I might ask if my pre order request comes with any supplement though.