The Most Romantic Restaurant in the world – Clos Maggiore at Christmas
Clos Maggiore….at Christmas
Why all this fuss you ask? Clos Maggiore has been voted the most romantic restaurant in the world for a number of years. I have done my googles and can confirm that it still holds the spot! Some websites name it amongst the top 10 in the world, others name it as the no 1 romantic restaurant in London (the most romantic restaurant in London). Others are very convinced and boldly acclaim that it definitely takes the number 1 spot for Romantic restaurants in the world!
Still doubtful? Go on, type into your browser The most romantic restaurant in the world or World’s Most Romantic restaurant and see what pops up!
However unbelievable this sounded to me, it piqued my senses and I knew I HAD to check it out.
There is always that one place you have at the back of your mind to go for a fancy meal but you never get around to actually going there; it’s usually because one could never get a reservation or for some reason, one just never came around to dining there. For me, Clos Maggiore was that one that I finally was excited about visiting but could never get a reservation.
- Have you seen Christmas at Claridge’s yet?
- Thinking of going to Winter Wonderland? click A day at Winter Wonderland.
Reservation
You are advised to book online via their book a table portal.
For enquiries, their telephone number is +44 (0)20 7379 9696 and you can email them at enquiries@closmaggiore.com (I recommend you call instead)
Fast forward my birthday this year (in August), Mr E somehow managed to get a Friday night booking to celebrate my birthday. However, we could not make it so we cancelled. This is where I come in. I telephoned them and asked if I could have a random Sunday in November, they had a few time slots available; however I wanted to be seated in THE conservatory, which narrowed the time slots even further.
Anyway long story short, we had a 5pm, Sunday in November booking! woohoo!
They are open Monday to Saturday; 12pm to 2.30pm for Lunch and 5pm to 11pm for Dinner. Sunday; 12pm to 2.30pm for Lunch and 5pm to 10.30pm for Dinner.
Looking for more Romance?
- See review on Our romantic staycation at The Marriott Grosvenor Square
- See also : Romantic Things to do in Cappadocia
Getting There
Address – 33 King St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8JD
Now, Clos Maggiore is in Covent Garden so it is in one of the prime London locations and what this means is that, off the road parking is non-existent. You are better off taking the tube and getting off at Covent Garden station. It is about 3 minutes walk from the station to the restaurant. Taxi is definitely another option as it drops you right off the restaurant’s main street. However, Mr E decided to drive :/ and we ended up parking in one of those underground, over priced central London car parks. It cost 14 of Her Royal Majesty, the Queen’s pounds sterling for just 2 hours. How is it normal to park your car for 2hrs for £14? If you stayed longer and into the 4th hour, £23! So you better time yourself or better still, get a taxi!
Ambiance
Ooh so beautiful!
We went just after they had put up the festive decorations and oh gosh, it was so pretty and sparkly. I had seen the summer setting online and was really hoping it would still be up when we went to dinner so I was a little disappointed. However, I’m glad I was able to see their Christmas decoration nonetheless. I will say that the summer interior is most likely what has earned Clos Maggiore the most beautiful restaurant in the world.
With the Christmas decorations, this is where I will admit that it probably did not stand out too differently from any other fancy restaurant at Christmas. I am sure that the romantic vibes are more prominent with their normal interior decorations. It gives me a reason to go back next summer!
Clos Maggiore is actually a small restaurant, which made sense why it was always fully booked. What this means is that it is cosy AF. It is very romantic and intimate and if you get the table in the Conservatory, there is a special feeling that comes with it. There have been a lot of proposals there and I could see why. The entire time we were sat there, we felt like we were the only two in the space.
Menu
Cuisine is very French and fancy. I would say that the menu is a little limited and I expected more options; however, it does cover the main dishes that you would want to see in a 5 star restaurant.
We decided to order off the Sunday Dinner Menu which came with a glass of prosecco each and Mr E also ordered a Berry Stinger from the drinks menu as a little extra.
For Starters, I had the Windsor Royal Park & Iberico Pork Terrine and Mr E had the Yellow Fin Tuna Tartare & Lightly Spiced Crushed Avocado.
My main was Slow Cooked Limousin Veal Belly and Mr E had the Pan Roasted Scottish Halibut.
Dessert was to share, which was an assortment of homemade ice creams with 3 flavours – coffee, salted caramel and hazelnut. They were kind enough to give us some birthday treats for Mr E’s birthday which was very kind gesture from them!
Everything was DELICIOUS. I’m very particular about food and would most likely always order seafood. I actually always go to seafood restaurants because that’s my comfort zone but I was so blown away by how tasty my pork terrine was and how sumptuously satisfying my slow cooked veal made my taste buds feel. I give them a 10/10 here. Perfection at its finest!!
Service
Top Notch! I wanted to get some pictures before anyone was seated; you know, as a blogger lol. We got there about 10 minutes to 5pm and I asked if I could go in to get some quick pictures of the Conservatory before the guests poured in and they let me in. I thought that was super sweet because as you can imagine, it can be disrespectful snapping away when people are sat there having their own romantic dinner experience.
The staff was lovely and did not do that hover thing that you get in some small restaurants. You know the one where staff hover and ask you every 5 minutes if your food is ok? Yup, that one! I even put in a last request for a birthday treat for Mr E and they came through with a plate of treats and candle for him to blow out.
Service was lovely! And I have zero complaints!
Value for Money
For a restaurant coined as the most romantic in the world, Clos Maggiore is worth every single penny. The Sunday Dinner Menu is £37.50, which includes a 3-course menu and a glass of bubbly. The 3-courses are quite filling so you would not need to order anything more. You get charged the usual discretionary gratuity of 12.5% so that is always something to consider while dining in London. This means that a Sunday dinner 3-course meal for 2 with a glass of bubbly for each person would still come just under £100! Most alcoholic cocktails are around the £13.50 mark, which is pretty decent. I think the price point is fantastic and not over priced, thankfully!
To Note
- Dress code is Smart Casual like most fancy restaurants in London. I would say this one is a little fancier so I would say to go fancy casual.
- I would recommend you telephone them to make and confirm your reservation and for the ultimate experience, make sure you ask to be seated in the Conservatory. There really is no point going if you don’t get the Conservatory space.
- The Conservatory decoration changes with seasons so what you see online might differ from what you meet there when you attend.
That mix of French subtle glamour, the classic simplicity and it almost feels effortless. Like the focus is on the food and service but watch out for its beauty too. I would 100% recommend a visit there at least one time in your life as it is worth all your coins. It is also not super expensive; probably cheaper than most fancy dining restaurants in London. The difference is that the food actually tastes nice!
Hopefully, you are able to get a reservation so you can see all the magic for yourself!
So did I think Clos Maggiore is the most romantic restaurant in the world? I must admit that I have been to a few romantic restaurants in London most especially and even though, Clos Maggiore is up there with them, it is not my most romantic restaurant in London.
However, I will be back there in the summer to see the magic I see online!
Bisous, ‘Bugo x
For More Festive Posts
- Winter Wonderland for everything to do at Hyde Park’s winter wonderland.
- For a festive brunch spot, Bills in Covent Garden gives you all that Christmas cheer and more.
- The ultimate festive lunch at Claridge’s Hotel.
4 Comments
Melissa
This restaurant look so small and cosy, I love all the Christmas decor which makes it look even cuter! I hadn’t even thought to go here really but reading your review and seeing the pictures I think it’s somewhere I’ll definitely have to try with the hubby- especially as I’m a big fan of romance! The Sunday menu is a really good deal aswell for such a fancy restaurant! I’ll aim to visit definitely in 2020!! X
Bugo
You’ll love it!
I know, £37.50, quite a steal for a 3 course and even prosecco! I was well surprised when I saw it.
I really want to go back in the summer when they have a different setting, i think that is the more romantic setting so I’ll be telephoning next summer for a spot in the conservatory. Such a cute little find!
Thank you Mel. Let me know if you do go x
Melissa
This restaurant look so small and cosy, I love all the Christmas decor which makes it look even cuter! I hadn’t even thought to go here really but reading your review and seeing the pictures I think it’s somewhere I’ll definitely have to try with the hubby- especially as I’m a big fan of romance! The Sunday menu is a really good deal aswell for such a fancy restaurant! I’ll aim to visit definitely in 2020!! X
Bugo
You’ll love it!
I know, £37.50, quite a steal for a 3 course and even prosecco! I was well surprised when I saw it.
I really want to go back in the summer when they have a different setting, i think that is the more romantic setting so I’ll be telephoning next summer for a spot in the conservatory. Such a cute little find!
Thank you Mel. Let me know if you do go x