There are numerous private member’s clubs dotted throughout the city and one of the more popular ones is Devonshire Club in Liverpool Street. If you want to visit this stunning venue, but can’t afford the £20,000 debenture membership, then thankfully you can visit during the weekends and enjoy their bottomless extravaganza, Sushi in the City.
At £50pp this isn’t necessarily an expensive brunch offering and just the opportunity to see such a chic, well-designed member’s club is well worth the price. There are a private garden room, luxurious lounges and a boutique hotel (we were hoping for a guided tour of the whole building). The dining room is smart and elegant without being stuffy like most restaurants in the Liverpool Street area.
The bottomless Prosecco offering with a £15 supplement and bottomless Veuve Clicquot with a £30 supplement is one of the best-unlimited offerings you will find in town. Don’t most venues sell a bottle of Veuve Clicquot for way more than £30?
In terms of the food, I would suggest they put up the price slightly but increase the portion sizes. One piece of tuna and one piece of salmon for the sashimi platter per person felt more like an amuse-bouche course, even though the presentation was on the theatrical side with the use of dry ice. Thankfully the sushi course was more substantial and the quality of the raw fish was faultless. Their sushi chef Victor Klomu, who previously worked at Spice Market made sure they were all uniformly fresh and silky, smooth tasting.
Next came a welcome mixture of soft-shelled crab and mixed vegetables tempura which had a decent crunch and wasn’t overly greasy. The promised roast pork belly was missing from the chilli and coriander ramen, but nevertheless, it was heartwarming and just what’s needed on a wintry day.
The miso-blackened cod could have had more marination with the miso, as our version looked rather pale and did lack some flavouring. However, the crispy duck pomegranate salad was a show-stopper; it had a lovely variation in textures and hot spices and left us craving for more.
The meal was finished off with some delicious mochi balls to left a sweet, joyous taste in our mouths to conclude our meals. However, with a top DJ playing Ibiza style tunes and unlimited Champagne, it is unlikely you would want to leave here in a hurry.
baldwin@townfish.com