The Modern Pantry

Enjoyed a winter afternoon tea here. My wife and I split the afternoon tea.
Highlights were the mini turkey sandwich (for me) and the sweet scone (for baby girl). We also enjoyed the goats curd scone. Other things were also very good, except the marshmallow thing which was a bit funky.
We would highly recommend this afternoon tea for a couple reasons:
1. It is splittable (no one really ever needs a full afternoon tea)
2. It is cozy and not stuffy
3. It is a slightly different than normal tea at a hotel– really tasty and non traditional bites
3. It is less than half of the price of tea at some of the west end establishments.
Overall looking forward to returning for a spring or summer version.

Had a particularly memorable brunch here. The lemon ricotta blueberry pancakes were to die for. Very pleasant ambiance. I consistently recommend this restaurant to friends and colleagues!

Great cocktails. Creative menu. It’s not for picky eaters but for those who like bright and fresh flavours, Modern Pantry meets up to the hype. It’s good for couples or larger groups, with the upstairs being significantly quieter than the downstairs. The service was also great and they are always quick to seat a reservation (worth noting because it’s so rare in London!).

I have been waiting to come here for ages but never in the area. Their brunch menu was top of my list so after a Sunday visit to Museum of London we wandered over. It was about 12pm and fully booked inside! Luckily the weather was lovely and the queue wasn’t too long for a seat outside. We waited about 20 minutes and were seated. The building itself is lovely from the outside with a cute area of tables and chairs surrounded by plants with a view over the square. The inside also looked nice with big windows, spacious seating and snazzy toilets! They also have a private dinning area that I peaked at which looked lovely.
On to the food! I had the espresso martini which was nice and bf had a coffee which was also tasty. Bf got a croissant to start (we were starving) and I got some toast and home made jams. Rose and cherry and the apricot jam were awesome!
Next we both ordered a large main — I went blueberry waffles with yoghurt honey and nuts (YUM) and bf got chorizo eggs etc.
It was delicious, a little pricey but I can’t wait to go back for dinner!

Excellent place for brunch, latte, & tea; really pretty inside with a classy décor. There were groups of fashionable ladies having brunch affairs.
Their eggs benedict with bacon was really tasty, except the muffin bottom was very tough. The top half of the muffin was much better. Maybe I’m not used to real English muffins but I had a difficult time cutting through the bottom and chewing it as well. Waffle with bacon was very good as well. Then we shared a strange grapefruit confit dessert with roasted wild/​black rice crunchies. It looked WEIRD like sprinkled bugs, but it turned out to be a very refreshing dessert, and the crunchies were delicious!

Sadly, I was a bit disappointed with my first visit to Modern pantry, after much hype and excitement.
Two friends and I made a Sunday booking for brunch at the new-​ish Finsbury square location. The restaurant itself is lovely, very bright and clean, with a friendly welcome from the staff.
We did sit around for what felt like a bit too long before anyone approached to take our drink order, but the waitress was friendly and helpful when she did arrive. Menu has some very intriguing dishes, twists on classic brunch favourites, like a veal mince omelette, and poached eggs with tea smoked salmon and hollandaise. I opted for the waffle of sweet corn, spinach, feta and medjool dates with bacon. My portion felt a bit small for the price (around £13) and I wasn’t wowed with the flavours overall. Also, my plate was cold so the food cooled quite rapidly. My friend had one of the egg dishes, and her side of halloumi was very unappealing, having been deep fried within an inch of its life and served up greasy and unseasoned.
I ordered a soya cappuccino– sadly the first was delivered in a cup with a very clear lipstick mark in it! I asked for a replacement, and was brought a fresh one, but I always find dirty crockery a bit worrying, especially with how obvious it was!
Very limited engagement from the staff, and we had to ask a few times for the bill. Overall, the experience was pleasant, but don’t feel the service or the food really warranted the high prices.

This place seemed over hyped to me. A bit expensive for what you got and the service was all over the shop. We were brought an incorrect main and 2 orange juices (when we only ordered one). Not a big deal but I felt the waitress wasn’t paying attention from the start.

OMG so good, came here for brunch, had the poached eggs with spinach on english muffin and also the blueberry waffle. DELICIOUS! Though the tea took awhile to arrive (ordered two), but it was really good. The tea party starts from 3−5pm by reservation only, darn.

I love this place! Only been here once without a reservation and we got a table after 5 minutes. Love the cozy atmosphere where you feel like you’re sitting in someone’s house. I had poached eggs — really good!

To start off, I want to commend the host yesterday who was very warm and welcoming when I asked for the miso aubergine dish for takeaway. I offered my Tupperware container but he waved it off, noting the kitchen had its own. I was pleasantly surprised– shocked really!- bc almost NO dining establishments I have ever been to in London have their own. He also added no service charge, so yet another point for Pantry.
The dish itself was disappointing only on the portion, not taste level. For about £8, it’s quite small– a hot aubergine puck really. However, the delicious miso taste and creamy texture made up for it nicely!

Ah, so good. I got the tea-​smoked salmon with poached eggs and English muffin, and matcha latte for my birthday breakfast here. The salmon was really tasty; I could definitely taste the tea, and it went well with my latte as well. The space is sleek and modern, and you can see the chefs working behind the counter in the kitchen. There are plenty of enticing-​looking beverage options on the menu as well.
The pastries, grains, and smoothies all look delicious as well. I also adore the décor of the place; it’s very clean-​feel, neat, and reminiscent of a farm-​to-​table dining venue, all complete with a chef’s tasting menu (which I do not think they actually provide). If the weather’s nice you can also opt to sit outside and soak up the nice quietude in the courtyard away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The innovative and exquisitely prepared foods along with the ambiance definitely make Modern Pantry a good spot to take your out-​of-​town friends or even a date. I couldn’t give a 5-​star review though because the server seemed less than enthusiastic, which is an attitude that’s always needed to make a fine dining experience whole.

Anna Hansen’s innovative fusion food is amazingly good and full of great quality. My favourite is the ricotta pancake. One of the best you will find in London. I also enjoy the simple décor of the restaurant.

The food was easily five stars! I see others disagree so specifically:
Pork belly! Crisped on the outside to form it’s own thick skin of fresh, mouth-​watering, pork rind but soft and juicy meat inside, paired perfectly with sweet purple cabbage! (We also ordered a side of potatoes as two people had the pork)
Hake! OMG! Tender, fall apart, pillow soft hake with a large square, (looks like a piece of lasagna!), of baked cabbage. Delicious! Also started with the carrot with crème soup, also delicious!
Two fabulous, fruit spiked iced teas, a glass of Italian wine, olive cup starter and then: toffee affogoto and a citron cheesecake with candied kumquats? (The grow the kumquat tree out front, so come on! That’s five stars). Desserts were, again, stellar!
112 pounds for all, of that. Worth it!
To be fair, I agree that service is a bit sad for such a wonderful food experience. The man up front was wonderful, but waitress indifferent. Never asked after us and we were wanting more wine half way through. Had to flag her down for a check. (This is a small place… Where is she disappearing to and how does she walk right by an empty wine glass??).
So one less star but you should risk it to try the food. Maybe she’s not working your day!
We found this by accident, having just checked into a nearby hotel and it being our 19^th anniversary, decided on a special lunch. I wouldn’t have done it differently!

On this beautiful, sunny day in London, a few friends and I had a delightful brunch here.
Food was great. I ordered a cappuccino and baked cornbread with chorizo/​avocado/​fried eggs/​sweet corn. I thoroughly enjoyed my main. It was both flavourful and filling.
Second, the ambience was phenomenal. Set in a building with large windows letting in the full sunlight, it was one of the most beautiful indoor brunch experiences I had. They have multiple floors, and I noticed larger, posher rooms for big groups as well. My friends suggested that this ambience is quite representative of Australia which is likely given that the owners are from NZ.
Finally, service was great. Prompt and kind. Also, the bill came out organised by seat, making it very convenient for us to split the bill. I wish all restaurants did this!
Would definitely go back in a heart beat.

Recently went to The Modern Pantry for a friends birthday and had afternoon tea. Very quaint little restaurant in the heart of Clerkenwell. The atmosphere is very light country and homey. The china all eclectic and very cute. Having been to afternoon tea before I was left a bit disappointed. I found it a bit expensive for what you actually got. Finger sandwiches and desserts, but just less than what I was expecting for the price. The service was also not the best. For a tea, they didn’t come around and actually ask anyone which teas they would like, or describe the selection or really anything until prompted. After we had finished we waited for about half hour before again asking ourselves for the bill. For being such a little restaurant I just don’t know how you can miss a big table, or at least not check in once in a while.
It was a cold day and the heaters were on, however as we were sat by the kitchen it was so hot we were actually all quite flushed and sweaty.
I really wish I could have loved my experience but I just didn’t. I think perhaps if I were to go again it would be with, less people, regular menu, and a seat away from the kitchen.

We found this place doing a Unilocal search. We were told the area it is located is great for food but we made the mistake of going pretty late on a weeknight so there wasn’t much open. Then we found this place. A little gem tucked back away from the main streets. The food was tasty, modern and interesting. We had a small issue with my husbands entrée coming with sesame seeds after we told the server he was allergic but the server was very apologetic and then comped our desert and my glass of wine.
I was sad we were not able to go for brunch as people online raved about it but it was a great romantic dinner.

I think if you’re prepared to throw down a fair bit of cash on a very good (bit not mind-​blowing) meal, then you’re all set.
Went to Modern Pantry for a date, and while the environment was lovely, I was pretty underwhelmed. The service was okay, but not to the standard I would expect for somewhere this nice. We waited for a good 15 minutes before having to flag down someone else’s waiter for our bill — and that’s how the service was our entire evening.
Food-​wise, we had a seasonal special, a game bird (grouse or pheasant maybe) with an interesting mix of seasonings (vanilla and Za’atar featured), with a lovely salad. It was very good, decent portions, and cooked perfectly. Our desserts were also nice — we shared a peach melba and a chocolate fondant. They were good, but not amazing. I felt they were a bit simple and not done well enough to be exciting.
What threw me at the end was the price we paid for a bottle of wine. There wasn’t a wine list on our table, and the menu suggested pairings but only listed prices by glass. So I was a bit taken aback to find that the bottle of Malbec we ordered set us back £35. It was a decent Malbec, but it was NOT £35 good. Had we known the cost of the bottle, it never would have touched the table. It felt really deceptive to us.
All in all, we won’t be returning. The food was good, but it wasn’t £100 for dinner for two good. We were also really unimpressed with the lack of service and the bit of menu sneakiness around pricing. I don’t mind paying for quality, I just don’t feel that we got the quality to justify what we paid. There are so many great dining options in London, and they miss too many tricks for me.

Oh dear. Words cannot describe the marvelous experience I had for brunch at The Modern Pantry (but I shall try to do it justice).
Upon entering, we could see that The Modern Pantry was bustling with local Saturday brunchers. We thankfully had a reservation (highly recommended for the weekend) and were promptly seated by the window upstairs (lovely view). The interior is so simple and well-​designed. The minimalism was far from alienating though as the atmosphere was warm and welcoming (even to us non-​British guests). Our server was delightfully helpful to us in terms of choosing items she recommended.
The raspberry and ricotta pancakes were fluffy, rich and very sweet. It was a good amount of sweet for us, but some may find the amount of raspberries overwhelming. For our next item, we were intrigued to try their scrambled eggs. As vegetarians, we could not order the menu items with meat, but our server was more than happy to accommodate our unique request for eggs and their toast. Let me just say that the eggs were the most heavenly scrambled eggs I have eaten in my life. We were very seriously considering ordering another round but were pleasantly surprised by their AMAZING toast. Yes, it may sound silly that their toast is good but I’m not joking — it is actually so well done. The bread is fresh and well-​toasted with just the right amount of butter. You’ll understand my sentiment when you have also eaten this toast.
I can’t wait to hop over the pond back to London so I can come here again!

All you need to know is «prawn omelette!» Mmmmmmmmm. Yes.
Enjoyed a perfectly civilized mid-​morning, mid-​week breakfast with a colleague, outside in the sunshine. I did make a booking (just in case) but wouldn’t have needed one. A good idea though, especially during the weekend as it is booked through most days.
For a reason!
Besides the omelette of my dreams, I also indulged in multiple lattes and a beautiful fruit plate with lavender drizzle. Delicious.
They do it right here at Modern Pantry. I haven’t checked it out yet but the afternoon tea is said to be quite nice as well.

Lovely outdoor breakfast in a lovely outdoor spot.
I came here for an early morning meeting and it was just what I was looking for. We snagged a table on the outdoor patio (but they do have a grey indoor section too). The food is fresh and delicious. I got a take on the Eggs Royale, and it was great. The salmon was drier than I was used to but that wasn’t a bad thing. Just a different taste overall.
The service here is a little hit or miss. We had to call someone over to take our order because they never came. But beyond that, it was fine.
Food is a little pricy but not unreasonably so and right on the mark for the quality of food. Looking for a casual but quality meal. You can’t look farther than here.

On a bien faili né pas y manger mais ouf on nous a trouvé 2 places à l’étage !
Dimanche, 10h, Nous arrivons à The Modern Pantry avec l’Homme. Estomacs affamés, langues qui pendent et yeux de cockers, impossible de nous reffuser une table. Et pourtant c’était pas gagné. On a pas tout compris aux discussions des patrons devant nous («full/​free/​no/​yes» pour résumer) mais bonheur, on grimpe à l’étage et on nous installe à une table pour 4 toute mignonne. Et là, vient mon moment préféré (le cauchemard de l’Homme), la découverte de leur carte gourmande ! Et quel choix ! Vous connaissez ma faculté à hésiter entre 4 plats et à né pas savoir lequel choisir, ce moment de panique express quand le serveur arrive et que vous n’avez pas encore choisi (alors que l’Homme sait déjà ce qu’il prend depuis ¾ d’heure). Si vous êtes comme moi, j’ai une technique pour vous: poser des questions sur les plats ! (Même si vous connaissez déjà la réponse !), vous gagnerez du temps !
Trêve de blabla et direction le miam miam youpi ! Ce sera un smoothie fruit de la passion/​banane/​orange/​miel (très bon mais un peu trop acide à mon goût), rooibos, salade de fruits (kiwi, pommes, orange, pamplemousse, grenade, mûres: idem, je l’ai trouvé bonne mais un chouilla acide donc ajout de sucre en poudre obligatoire mais salade servie en quantité généreuse), assiette avec oeufs pochés (à la perfection)/bacon grillé/​tomates au four/​bananes plantains (oui oui oui !! Youpi !!) et 2 tranches de pain de mie toastées. L’Homme est resté un peu plus classique avec un croissant et des pancakes framboises et ricotta. Mais attention, ce n’est pas un pancake comme on peut si attendre, c’est plus un gâteau de pancakes fourrés à la framboise avec de la compote de mûre et de la crême fraîche, ultra bourratif, voire même écoeurant.
Pour finir, un grand merci au serveur qui s’est occupé de nous pendant tout le brunch. On aimerait en avoir des comme ça plus souvent: sourire, disponibilité et ce je né sais quoi où on sent qu’il né se force pas pour être aimable.
Bön à savoir: Côté prix, comptez en moyenne 40 £ pour 2 personnes gourmandes !

3 passages = 3 sans fautes = Un de mes endroits valeur sure
D’excellents produits, très bien préparés, super accueil et service, déco sans chichi et surtout pas très cher pour la qualité de l’ensemble.
Brunch (assiettes autour de £9):
— un très bon Bloody Mary, épicé comme il faut. Il y a aussi une version Japonaise avec du saké que je prendrai la prochaine fois!
–Raspberry & manouri (sorte de fromage comme mascarpone) pancakes, rhubarb, crème fraiche: complètement incroyable (cette texture!!)
— Sugar-​cured New Caledonian prawn omelette: un régal, agréable par sa touché sucrée
— oeufs pochés au chorizo et bananes plantains: au top
Diner:
On y avait emmené un artiste important, c’est pour dire a quel point on fait confiance au truc. Je me rappelle plus des plats mais, plus gastro que le brunch, tout était excellent.