Esca (Clapham)

• The atmosphere is nice and if you go here for lunch you would feel that everything is fresh
• I would not recommend the casseroles here but I have to say the carrot soup was delicious and fresh
• Or at least the vibe you get from the place is of fresh and organic
• The food is so tasty and their are different choices everyday
• My lasy venture out to ECCA was for breakfast
• The place can get quite busy though they deal with it well without making you feel like you're being rushed or pushed out the door
• Making reservations in London is more futile than climbing the whole flight of stairs at the Covent Garden tube station
• After sneakily hovering around a table with a family on (exploiting the fact that kids can't sit around for too long)
• We then split an insanely rich brownie and jumbo praline cookie well we can only assume that was the flavour
• Because the waitress informatively told us that it was cookie flavoured
• My highlight however was the general vibe of the cafe
• The service was top notch at the counter and despite it being mega busy we never felt hurried to leave we actually sat in the same position from 2 5.30
• You have admit is a pretty impressive achievement in London perhaps on par with those damn Covent Garden stairs
• Starring well sourced food made with passion in a smart casual eaterie
• Whilst 4 may seem a high rating for a restaurant with what seems at first glance to be a fairly simple menu
• The team behind Esca are the same knowledgeable and passionate restaurateurs behind neighbouring pizzeria Eco
• I was invited along to the relaunch party of Esca in August which was a full on who's who of Clapham glitterati
• It was when I went back with my blogger hat on to chow down through the new restaurant menu that the concept really began to make sense
• To anybody not familiar with this neck of the woods
• It should be said that Clapham is a gem for those who like their eateries to be chain free
• Many of which are worth a visit
• So what on earth is Esca when it's at home
• It was a taste explosion and although I was sceptical about the salt rim
• I then opted for sourdough toast with a selection of dips which were all delicious
• Classic ingredients assembled with due care and attention will never fail
• The fact the sourdough was baked in a wood oven made it all the better
• Apparently each batch of sourdough is left to rise and ferment for a minimum of 21 hours
• I'm gluten intolerant but was informed that sourdough can be consumed by those with gluten intolerance and in fact I didn't have a strong reaction
• A skewer of haggis was served with pearl barley salad and had middle eastern flavours reminiscent of tabbouleh
• It was a nice enough dish and one I would encourage people to try if just for the novelty factor of eating what is essentially a Mediterranean haggis kebab
• Tenderized and charred tentacle fused together perfectly with bean and garlic puree
• Smokeyness is a definite theme here (they even serve smoked beans as a side)
• So the grilled eel was an obvious choice and it certainly didn't disappoint
• So I finished the whole portion even though I was close to bursting point by this time
• Fluffy pancakes doused with maple syrup
• A delicious floral Earl Grey to go with them all &ndash
• The reality is that most breakfast menus will contain the classical dishes and little more
• Like muffins or eggs Benedict (not that this is necessarily a bad thing)

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