A new fixed evening menu has launched at Cleaver & Wake, offering you a taste of fine dining at a more affordable price. The canalside restaurant also welcomes guests to its new champagne terrace, just in time to enjoy the lighter summer evenings.
If you haven’t heard of Cleaver & Wake before, this upmarket restaurant first opened in 2022 and has been attracting fine dining enthusiasts from across Nottingham and the UK since. It’s the jewel of the Island Quarter, a burgeoning development project on the outskirts of the city centre, just off London Road, with ambitious regeneration plans ahead for its 36-acre site. Housed in an industrial-style, three-storey building, Cleaver & Wake strikes a dramatic figure against the skyline – a suitably impressive venue for a dining experience intended to wow.
As a local food blogger, I’ve had Cleaver & Wake on my list of places to visit since it opened but, just like many foodies in this city, my monthly budget doesn’t stretch far enough to justify the costs of fine dining.
While ‘you get what you pay for’ is a mantra I swear by when it comes to eating out, the truth is fine dining has simply become unaffordable for many people in the current economic climate. So, it’s great to see high-end establishments like Cleaver & Wake recognising the need to present lower cost options without compromising on the luxurious experience fans of fine dining are accustomed to.
With the restaurant’s new fixed evening offer, you can choose between two courses for £42 and three courses for £50. The menu incorporates some of the finest produce and ingredients, sourced from across the British Isles; from dry-aged steaks to freshly caught fish of the day, there’s a strong selection of dishes to suit a range of palates.
The focal point of the room is the open kitchen, which adds a theatrical flair to your meal, giving you a glimpse of the culinary magic happening behind the scenes
I walked into Cleaver & Wake’s grand, open plan dining room with my expectations high. Large windows lined the walls, flooding the space with natural light and, later that evening, providing an atmospheric backdrop of the night sky. Simplicity and sophistication are at the heart of the restaurant’s decor, with nods to art deco in the royal blue velvet furnishings and symmetrical details. The focal point of the room is the open kitchen, which adds a theatrical flair to your meal, giving you a glimpse of the culinary magic happening behind the scenes as the talented chef team – led by Head Chef Hira Thakur – conjures up course after course of show-stopping food.
Our meal began with complimentary snacks: dijon gougères (a cheesy choux pastry) with black olive emulsion. This was followed by bread rolls, warm from the oven, with miso & gochujang butter. We polished off these pre-starter bites quickly, as appetising aromas from the kitchen lingered in the air, teasing us of the courses still to come.
The arrival of our starters brought a burst of colour to the table. My ‘Isle of Wight Tomatoes’ was a vibrant mixture of yellow, green and red tomatoes, perched atop a delicate whirl of whipped goat’s cheese in a pool of basil pesto. My feelings towards tomatoes are lukewarm at best usually but the whipped cheese won me over when ordering and I’m so glad it did because this was a highlight of our meal. A quick Google search revealed that the Isle of Wight is famed for its tomatoes, which explains why they were extra juicy and far sweeter than those found in supermarkets.
My boyfriend’s courgette & leek soup was served with a flourish, our waitress pouring the soup around an island of cracked pepper croutons and crème fraiche. I snuck a taste (food blogger perks!) and was impressed by the depth of flavour achieved in a vegetable soup.
For the main event, I chose the slow-cooked Cornish lamb shoulder with potato & seaweed terrine and feta-topped gem lettuce. The dish was finished with a tapenade jus. The flavours worked well together and the lamb fell apart at the lightest touch of a knife.
My boyfriend’s fillet medallions were crafted from dry-aged British beef. Like all three of the steak options, the medallions came with a supplement charge. Personally I’ve never understood the fuss over steak, but my boyfriend really enjoyed this one and another stolen taste from me confirmed it was extremely tender. The horseradish gel also gave this dish a satisfying kick.
Dessert was my favourite course, as it provided us with the most interesting flavour combinations of the whole meal. After struggling to pick a dessert, we decided to share two and end the evening in decadent style. The first was a white chocolate cannoli crema encased in a pistachio crumb, alongside a perfectly tart raspberry & lime sorbet. The second (and another for the chocoholics) was a dark chocolate delice, served with the added crunch of honeycomb – the addition of tonka bean cream, rather than a more typical flavour like vanilla, was a genius touch.
With Cleaver & Wake finally ticked off my list of local places to visit, I can confirm this Island Quarter restaurant is worth the hype. Whether you’re a seasoned foodie or completely new to fine dining, the new evening menu has made this dinner destination more accessible and it’s a must-visit for your next special occasion.
The Veuve Clicquot Champagne Terrace
Cleaver & Wake has recently opened a brand new champagne terrace in collaboration with prestigious champagne house Veuve Clicquot.
Situated at the front of the restaurant, the area is a real sun trap on a summer’s day. We timed our visit with one of the hottest days of the year and enjoyed a chilled glass of bubbly in the shade of a parasol.
If you’re looking for a stylish spot to make the most of the rare British sunshine, Cleaver & Wake’s champagne terrace is an ideal place to toast the weekend.
Follow Lucy on Instagram at @luceinnotts for regular reviews on where to eat, drink and have fun in Nottingham.
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