Trinity - Restaurant Review

Cuisine: French

Cost:  

Rating:

Where?:  4 The Polygon, Clapham Old Town, London. SW4 0JG.

Closest station(s): Clapham Common, Clapham South.   

Telephone:  0207 622 1199

Website: http://www.trinityrestaurant.co.uk

I can’t quite put my finger on it, however there is something that I just don’t like about Trinity. Knowing the restaurants in South West London quite well, it stuns me that so few people ever seem to speak about it, despite after Chez Bruce it being one of the more upmarket restaurants in the area.

I don’t really understand what Trinity is trying to achieve, it has a look which reminds me of a Swedish log cabin (I haven’t actually been to Sweden, so perhaps that is no resemblance at all) and is tucked away in Clapham Old Town in a little street that gets relatively little footfall. Having entered we were greeted warmly and shown to our table in this clean, smart and minimalist dining room. One of the first things that struck me was the large number of staff – surely far more than a small restaurant needs. At no point during my meal could I say that I relaxed, the quantity of staff meant that there is an almost endless procession of people coming to the table each with some form of rather pointless role.

The pig’s trotter on sourdough to start was excellent, the crackling with which it comes was crunched through with glee. The mains however did not live up to this, my pigeon was pleasant however not particularly exciting and a little tough. The squid and risotto nero with which my dining partner followed again was so-so, however far too large and lacking delicacy or subtlety. The wine list allows you to find bottles from the £25 mark.

Trinity is certainly not terrible and it does an awful lot right, it just failed to prove a particularly enjoyable meal. I certainly found the service overly rigid and formal. I imagine that it would be a good destination for a business lunch and the chef’s table that overlooks the kitchen might also add that little something extra to improve the experience.  

There is often a three course lunch menu for around £25 which allows a taste of Trinity at a slightly more reasonable price, though for the same money you could go to Chez Bruce which to my mind provides better food and an infinitely more relaxed environment. 

El Rincon Latino - Restaurant Review

Cuisine:  Tapas

Cost: 

Rating: 

Where?:  148, Clapham manor Street, Clapham Common, London. SW4 6BX.

Closest station(s):  Clapham Common, Clapham High Street Rail, Clapham North.

Telephone: 0207 622 0599

Website: www.rinconlatino.co.uk   

I’m not quite sure why but the front of El Rincon Latino made me think of an S&M club – having never been to an S&M club I don’t know what they look like, however if I had to hazard a guess I would guess a brooding black frontage with spikey metal railings might be about right.  

Despite knowing Clapham well I had never come across El Rincon previously and as soon as I stepped inside I thought that I was going to enjoy my evening. The place was heaving; when I asked for a table I was informed that we would have to wait at the bar until one became free but that it shouldn’t be more than 15 minutes.

The bar was already packed with people eating, though we managed to find a small gap where we could wait with a glass or two of bubbles to while away the waiting time. Looking through the restaurant it is much bigger than one would first image upon entry and there were lots of large groups. The atmosphere had a real buzz to it, without it being deafening or oppressive.  

Having been seated we started tucking into the perfectly acceptable house Rioja (£15.95) and awaited our mammoth selection of dishes. To my surprise rather just this being a buzzy restaurant with average food; this turned out to be a buzzy restaurant with good food – there was not a dud in our selection. The highlights were the calamares, Higado encebollado (calves liver) and the garlic prawns. Not usually being one for eating greenery in Tapas restaurants I was expecting to leave much of the Ensalada Rincon to my dining partner; it was however excellent – an odd mixture of salad leaves, asparagus, cheese and olives that accompanied the fish and meat dishes very well and made me feel slightly better about an otherwise unhealthy meal.  

El Rincon Latino is a great restaurant for the price, it isn’t out of this world food; however at around £6 a plate (surprisingly large portions) it was well worth it. It would be a great place to go with a large group or just when you feel like going somewhere with a decent whack of atmosphere.