Core by Clare Smyth offers exquisite British fine dining in a bright, airy space where passionate chefs craft artfully presented, seasonal dishes.
"Core By Clare Smyth is the place to get involved in fine dining if you’re someone who, shockingly, actually wants a proper meal. Headed up by a chef whose CV reads like The Michelin Guide To Planet Earth, this converted townhouse in Notting Hill feels like your quietly fancy friend’s living room. The food is a tour of excellent but familiar British produce, tweaked and combined with the occasional unusual ingredient. Make full use of the ‘show next available’ button on OpenTable because you’re never going to be able to book the specific date you want. Even then it’s a torturous game of playing around with dates until something close enough to what you’ve chosen triggers a hit. And then, take it. Take it even if it’s for 9:45pm in three months' time." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak
"A lot of fine dining places leave you feeling like the foam you’ve just been served—very fancy but rapidly deflating, and, eventually, completely flat. But not Core. The cooking at Clare Smyth’s British Notting Hill restaurant is flawless, the presentation of dishes make us feel like we’ve stepped on to the set of a live-action fairy tale, and the service is slick but never stuffy. The easiest booking to nab is at 9:45pm, but don’t be put off. The late night only adds to the feeling that you're at an exclusive midnight feast, one with thimble-sized lobster rolls and mini caviar sandwiches. It’s a special meal worth confusing your circadian rhythm for. Make full use of the ‘show next available’ button on OpenTable because you’re never going to be able to book the specific date you want. Even then it’s a torturous game of playing around with dates until something close enough to what you’ve chosen triggers a hit. And then, take it. Take it even if it’s for 9:45pm in three months' time." - jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, heidi lauth beasley
"Verdict: Core is a fine dining British restaurant inside a Notting Hill townhouse. It’s where we’ve eaten the best carrot of our lives and tested our phone’s storage capacity by going full stage mom over a perfect scallop tartare. Every course is excellent, and the experience is formal without feeling stuffy. Make full use of the ‘show next available’ button on OpenTable because you’re never going to be able to book the specific date you want. Even then it’s a torturous game of playing around with dates until something close enough to what you’ve chosen triggers a hit. And then, take it. Take it even if it’s for 9:45pm in three months' time." - jake missing, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak, heidi lauth beasley
"A refined restaurant known for meticulously sourced ingredients and Three-MICHELIN-Star food, perfect for romantic dates." - Andrew Young
"CORE by Clare Smyth uses the finest British ingredients, sourced from all regions of the UK to create a beautiful cuisine full of emotion. Hélène is full of praise for the brilliant Clare Smyth." - The MICHELIN Guide UK Editorial Team
