A few months ago our Jack had the chance to check out a very popular (and turns out, very boozy) popup by Clapham North station – The Lodge. Brainchild of Jimmy Garcia, who seems well on his way to becoming everybody’s new favourite young chef, the food is alpine, the prices are high and the reception is warm. Is it worth the trip? If you’re adventurous and can actually get a seat here, then yes!
Rating
Cuisine
‘Alpine’ / Modern European
Appeals To
Adventure-foodies and people who don’t know about (but want to know about) Alpine or Swiss cuisine. Groups of party people with a budget and the compulsion to try/relive fondue sharing. Pop up chasers and the kind of people who go (and return to) hip restaurants (though not necessarily ‘hipsters’). Anyone who’s never enjoyed hot cocktails, or multiple hot cocktails in rapid succession.
In A Word
Whimsical
The Pop Up King Takes On Switzerland Again And This Happens
The Sunday Telegraph once described 20something chef-virtuoso Jimmy Garcia as ‘London’s popup king’ and for one reason or another, the name seems to have stuck. Jimmy is (amongst other things) the man behind The Lodge, which currently lives in Clapham North; on top of the Clapham North pub – right next to Clapham North tube station, former site of Jimmy’s ’Secret Garden’ popup.
The Lodge is back for another few months after an amazing run in Balham last year. Jimmy’s a busy guy – now the author of a book called Social Eats, he also arranges various private dining experiences all over the shop (and by ‘shop’ I mean ‘a large geographic area’ ). Everything from warehouses in East London to chateaus in France.
The Lodge will soon be transforming into something a little more summery; Jimmy’s BBQ Club. I think it’ll be something similar to the Nantucket Beach Club that the guys at the Hilton Doubletree Tower Hill have got going on (think ‘coast not mountain’ more seafood choices, and an environment designed to amplify those delicious summer vibes…)
But let us talk remember The Lodge. Let us relive its gooey fondue-y glory…
(and prepare for its hopeful return next year…)
The Ambiance
First impression: ‘convivial’. With the rain battering the windows outside the place feels warm and cosy. i guess the similar affect worked be achieved staying in a lodge if you replaced the rain with snow…
It possess a cozy wooden interior I suspect very much inspired by a ski chalet that you might find two thirds of the way up a mountain somewhere in Graubünden. The Lodge is relatively empty when we show at 7pm on a Monday, as the season is winding down.
Two large groups of friends show up about 830pm. One, a group of girlfriends in their early 30s, who remind me of a scene from Sex In The City. They’re having plenty of fun and eating fondue which I can absolutely smell from the other side of the restaurant.
A barman is on his way out to New Zealand for an unspecified time and, as we’re leaving, we catch the bar staff (who are young, hip and beautiful) having a little send off.
Another thing worth mentioning: The Lodge’s private dining room (AKA ‘The Snug’). This, amongst other things, possesses a private patio overlooking Clapham North (completely covered in fake snow and greenery). I am told that it also has burners for roasting your own marshmallows (omgwtfbbq).
The Food
The approach appears to be casual ‘Alpine’ dining, leaning heavily on the Swiss and Modern European styles – with a few French influences. Swiss food isn’t a thing you see all that much of – so many may be unfamiliar of it (asides from Swiss cheese, I suppose…?).
I guess I’d sum up what they’re doing here as ‘hearty’…perhaps ‘warming’ (at the risk of sounding a little maudlin). An entire menu of warm/hot cocktails, and steaming bowls of fondue (courtesy of Neal’s Yard Dairy).
There are also a few things on the menu you might never have seen before; rare (and expensive) Swiss wines, a type of super premium fondue made entirely from Swiss cheeses, and a type of schnapps called Genepi (which appears magically in shot form, usually around the same time as your dessert arrives).
As a rule of thumb, it’s large portions without sides (i.e there aren’t really sides on the menu). They’e also big on fondue here, fkn Premium Swiss fondue – don’t you know! Many have remarked upon how expensive said fondue is, but the fondue here is an entire meal in itself, served up with potatoes and bread.
The Starters
Shetland Mussels
Wild Boar Ragu
More generous on the portion size than I expected (though for this price it should be!). The wild boar chunks are substantial and beautifully gamey.
The Mains
Venison Haunch
Pan Fried Hake
White fish can sometimes be a challenge – not naturally possessed of the more prominent flavour of its more oily cousins. This is not the case here. The fish is rich in a way that white fish should be and falls apart on the fork. It is served on a bed of cockles, chorizo and what I think are cubed tomatoes.
The Desserts
Banana & Coffee Millefeuille
Jivara Chocolate Mousse
Just look at that; what beautiful presentation. I feel that it underdelivers on flavour, but this is quite possibly down to me having consumed a strange combination of sweet cocktails, which may have thrown off what little sweet tooth I have left…
The Drinks
DRINKS. They have some Swiss wines on the menu but you can only buy them by the bottle and if we’re honest the prices are ridiculous.
You can apparently buy a thermos of mulled wine (in lieu of a flask) but I don’t have enough liver surface area to try that.
Idea: go for all hot cocktails because when was the last place you had the chance to do that?
Earl Grey Martini Cup / Pot
Gotta watch it with earl grey, as if you’re not careful you can end up carpet bombing your sensory faculties with bergamot. This doesn’t happen here: the bergamot is noticeable but toned down to the right level. You can’t really taste the booze, though it does have a bit of a… alcoholic kick as I soon discover. No milk required.
This is slightly too sweet for my liking but pretty legit. What’s the cocktail version of ‘off dry’? They serve this warm, not piping hot. I quite like this one but reckon the effect would have been better in a porcelain cup.
Buttered Rum
Not too sweet, the familiar rum flavours are balanced out by something thick and creamy. It’s not what I expect – not buttery, per se. Eventually the top layer of merengue melts down into the bottom.
If you sip it through the straw at the right speed, you can eventually drink all the way down to the bottom, and drink the semi melted merengue. So bad…yet so good. After drinking this I feel as if I’ve done a bad thing (and I probably have). It’s so bad, but so good. So dirty…
Some kind of Irish coffee that does not appear to be on the menu… £???
I am not entirely sure what sets this aside, tastewise, from an Irish coffee…though they have added what I think is allspice on the top. So, if you like an Irish coffee, and you don’t dislike allspice, you might like this! Also, I will later regret such a choice of cocktail, as sleep becomes an illusive beast…
Genepi £4
So basically this is a schnapps, and a little goes a long way. Such a long way that I can’t even finish mine.
The Verdict
In a nutshell: it’s more the food than the overall experience that sets this one aside. But it does set it aside – at least in terms of ‘novelty value’ (but with no tradeoff on quality). Even me (a guy who probably spends too much time in restaurants), discovered some new and delicious things here. And isn’t that what life is all about?
So yes, the Lodge is pricey, and short lived – but, if this is a preview of Jimmy’s coming attractions then we’ll definitely be keeping our eyes open for the next thing he does. And the next thing after that…
And what is this ‘next thing’, you ask? Jimmy’s BBQ Club (May 18th – end of August 2016, same location). If you’re an adventurous foodie with some money to spend – then I’d recommend you take a look at the menu. This could be for you. Yes you!
The Details
http://www.jimmyspopup.com/#home
409 Clapham Rd, London SW9 9BT