Lunch at The Arts Club was a lively experience, filled with a buzzing, international art crowd. The setting was stylish and energetic, but the food, while mostly fresh, had its ups and downs.
We started with bread and butter — a basic baguette, bordering on dull, though the butter was at a perfect temperature. The lentil salad was simple and well-seasoned. The sweetcorn salad was the highlight: fresh, vibrant, and full of flavour. The raw tuna and bass were very fresh but lacked imagination in presentation. The crab salad with vanilla was a pleasant surprise — subtle and well-balanced.
The baby chicken with mash was disappointing. I’ve never liked baby chicken on a menu and this was no exception: too many bones, not enough meat, and it looked rather sad next to cold mash. The beetroot salad was okay but needed acidity — it tasted flat and uninspired.
Pudding was a nice finish and rounded off the meal on a positive note.
Overall, The Arts Club offers a great atmosphere and some well-executed dishes, but not everything lives up to the setting. Worth a visit, but not without caveats.
