the modern pantry

this is fusion food that really works. we had a very enjoyable meal in a venue i would be happy to return too.

i started with the the new caledonian prawn omelette with green chilli, spring onion and smoked chilli sambal, the combination of the sweet prawns and chilli was stunning, making it the best tasting and interesting omelette i have ever had, a dish that if i made a return visit i would struggle not to order again.

my companion ordered the king scallops with jerusalem artichoke mash, a tasty dish that was unfortunately spoilt by some grit in the scallops.

for main course i had the lamb rump with curry leaf besam chips and curly kale. the chips were great, less so the curly kale which rather dominated the plate. this dish though was served with a quite lovely 1999 urbina rioja.

my companion had the roast cod with chorizo and squid ink mash, a terrific dish that successfully combined some very strong flavours without overpowering the cod.

with themodernpantry and bruno loubets at the zetter, st johns square, clerkenwell is a developing into quite a foodie enclave, which can only be a good thing.

natural wine finds itself a happy home atmodernpantry where for the month of may, it is all about minimal intervention. for a food fanatic like me, there really is no better way of exploring wines than with great food.

visiting themodernpantry  is like visiting your favourite aunt’s place who loves to feed you  with unusual and tasty food combinations. the kind of aunt that loves taking care of you (much to the envy of your own mum) and who always makes you feel right at home by creating some great tasting dishes.   the modernpantry  is located on the very quaint st. john’s square near some other very good dining venues such as  sushi tetsu  and  bistrot bruno loubet . we’d been to the modernpantry  once before and were surprised at how good it was. we were therefore very excited to pay them another visit and try out some more of their dishes. smoothies   anna hansen is at the helm at the modernpantry  (previously providores) and during our previous visit we noticed that one of her distinctive cooking styles is that she likes to create surprising, but delicious food combinations that are best described as ‘eclectic comfort food’. the interior of modernpantry  is rather neutral, but also ver

themodernpantry is the best place to hang out with friends and family its a perfect place with great ambience and sorrounding is mind blowing

themodernpantry is a british casual dining restaurant in clerkenwell.

menu variety was delicious and we had a hard time choosing our meal. best items - quail eggs, greek yoghurt, lamb, tea, prawns

booked a special £​27.50 pp afternoon tea treat with bubbles at themodernpantry, for our anniversary. they insist when booking on a cc ​because it’s all created especially for you and ​they ​will charge £10 pp for no shows.

on arrival they said we had no booking, the manager came and said it had been booked on the wrong day. have a seat by the bar ​with​ a glass of bubbles while i sort this out. your in luck the chef can knock something up for you. whops no sorry, no bubbles​ just water​, no ​making us feel special or cared about. we said we did not feel the love and would not stay. oh of-course i’m sorry​ came too late - really​?​ them why didn’t you say that from the start.

poor service, badly handled, if you are booking insist they email a confirmation or risk them getting it wrong and telling you it’s your fault.

we know when our anniversary is thank you​,modernpantry got it wrong and did not really take responsibility​! been before nice place but not this time..

themodernpantry is indeed modern. very clean, white and minimalist. you could say that of the clientelle too. it's a bit of the clerkenwell clique here.modernlate 30's types with a good income wanting ecclectic cuisine. i say that because there is no set formula in the menu. no common thread aside from it offering up a mix of incohesive ingredients for its dishes. that is not necessarily a bad thing, as if you take the risk and its a win, the bravo. but somehow i can also see where this could go wrong as you just dont know what to expect. i, not so dirty, black and the opposite of minimalist enjoyed my visit. it was certainly an education.

it doesn’t look it at first instance but themodernpantry lives up its “modern” moniker. it offers an inventive menu with worldly flavours and contrasting influences. however, i didn’t quite enjoy my experience at themodernpantry as much as i was expecting. that’s not to say it was an unpleasant one. the very interesting menu didn’t deliver the wow in the food, and the service was rather slow. i booked in for a weekday dinner catchup, and themodernpanty is in a nice spot in a quieter part of clerkenwell. the space is light and airy, perfect for brunch (and that’s where they may shine). the evening menu is seasonal and ever-evolving. i had a sort of vegetarian quinoa risotto with silverbeet, vegetables and a fried shell. it sounded fine on paper, but seems a little wacky in retrospect. it’s a fusion that ended up feeling like it had muddied flavours, without any single element being memorable. service was warm and friendly over our time but there was a delay between starter and main that mildly irked. it’s a nice, relaxed setting at themodernpantry but i wouldn’t mind the fusion flavours calming down a bit.

lunch at themodernpantry was nice but not special. we were sat at the bar and were completely forgotten about by the waiter so service was patchy at best. the bread selection came without one of items mentioned and without a substitution. the corn fritters were the best part of the meal yet a bit on the undercooked side. the taleggio arancini had barely any rice in them and were very greasy and their sauce was cold. both salads were nice. overall lunch was enjoyable but we won't rush back.

one of the best brunches i've had in london. i've only been mid-week and i can imagine it's more cramped at the weekend, but the food is both an interesting change (i had the sugar-cured prawn omelette with sambal) and completely delicious. the space is lovely with lots of natural light and very airy, and the service was both efficient and friendly. i recommendmodernpantry to friends a lot, and just wish it was easier to get a table at the weekends. sadly i'm not the only one who loves it.

modern pantry exemplifies my most chronic case of 'foodie inertia' till date. what is 'foodie inertia' you ask? it is a phenomenon that usually occurs in large cities with thousands of restaurants. one says "oh i really want to eat at that place!" months go by - sometimes years - and you still haven't eaten at 'that place'.modernpantry has been on my restaurant list since i started this blog about three years ago (yeah i know). for some reason, there was never the right time, the right weather, or the right crowd to pay a visit. but finally, one glorious sunday afternoon after a fun night out, the opportunity to eat here finally presented itself. i had the pleasure of dining here with the usual suspects, mrg and valentino, in addition to a mr han.

eight of us went here on a busy saturday morning to celebrate our friends 30th with a birthday brunch. themodernpantry is beautiful, set in a scenic square in clerkenwell, all white washed walls and stylish staff. the service here is impeccable, they couldn't do enough and we even arranged for a cake to me made for our friends birthday, which was amazing (though more of a dessert then a cake!). everyone enjoyed their brunch, i opted for the eggs royale with tea smoked salmon and yuzu hollandaise, it was very nice, in particular i loved the macadamia and pistachio crumbs which added a nice crunch but the muffin was a bit too dense and chewy for my likely. it was a lovely, pretty plate of food which i would happily eat again but i was not wowed. the food isn't badly priced but the drinks are pricey, a bottle of procecco was £32 which even by londons standards is pricey. a great place for a special occasion and a lovely brunch spot but not the best i've had!

what: brunch at a british restaurant and bar

where: clerkenwell, farringdon

value: £25pp

food review: to eat: poached eggs, smoked salmon on a muffin, shakshuka, cassava waffles with pineapple and cream. to drink: jasmine and apple iced tea, orange juice. the drinks came first, freshly squeezed orange juice and cold apple tea (jasmine was perhaps too delicate a flavour and was missed out). next the poached eggs, smoked salmon on a muffin, which was simple and tasty although could be done with more sauce?! the shakshuka, however, was a let down as the eggs had been overcooked and ruined the whole dish (although the flavours were great). the star of the show were the cassava waffles, never would have thought of this combo with a sweet yet cream topping - delicious!

settings: set of busy old street, in a pretty square,modernpantry almost has a countryside feel to it with its old school charm set in a little quaint english town. the inside is simple and represents the style of the name of the restaurant,modernpantry.

halal: no

drinks: apple iced tea/flat white

positives: great service, nice surroundings

negatives: slightly overcooked eggs, not wow!

word review: simplistic,moderntwist

a highlight in farringdon, tucked between bistrot bruno loubet and granger & co is themodernpantry; a well-known brunch destination. however, themodernpantry isn’t just for the daytime. it offers good quality cooking throughout the day. behind the “fourneau”.....

i had one of their signature dishes: sugar cured prawn omelette with chilli sambal.  a good omelette is hard to come by.  as much as i love cooking, it's a dish i reserve for restaurant chefs to make.  and just a good plain omelette is delicious in its simplicity as it's all about the texture and the richness of the eggs and butter.  themodernpantry's upgraded version was actually mind-blowing.

it was beautiful in sight -- evenly bronzed and puffed with greens and prawns poking out, a small dollop of chilli on top and two pieces of buttered sourdough on its side.  it was still a bit runny on the inside and it was generously filled with fresh and spicy spring onions along with ever so perfectly cooked prawns that were sweet and succulent.   they're cured for 24 hours in an abundance of south east asian spices and condiments like fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass.  the sambal was smoky with the heat on the mild side as to not cover any of the other elements.