LDNReview
Included In
Looks may not be everything, but Sessions Arts Club continues to prove that they go a very long way. The Clerkenwell restaurant is made for those who aspire to a Dorian Gray kind of lifestyle; because beauty is certainly seen as genius in this dilapidated boudoir of a dining room, and the pleasant (but passable) modern European food generally needs no explanation. Still, even though it only opened in 2021, it continues to feel like a modern London classic.
From the moment you buzz into its hazy Diptyque-ish reception and enter a brass-detailed lift, Sessions Arts Club seduces you. It caresses your arm and whispers in your ear, then leads you to a room of throbbing candlelight telling you that this is your life now. The walls are purposefully distressed, art hangs from all of them, and a literary feel permeates every dancing candelabra. Modern-day Miss Havishams and Jay Gatsbys will hold martinis at the bar with ease and, if you need a venue for an illicit affair, an upstairs booth at Sessions will do the trick.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Sessions Arts Club
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Of course, this is a restaurant. Therefore there is food. But it can be easy to forget this when you’re deep into a bottle of Michel Gonet Blanc de Blanc and everything is so shiny and pretty. The always-evolving menu of ‘modern European sharing plates’ is vague and noncommittal—like anything truly beautiful should be—and things are described in the most unhelpful way you could imagine: ‘Lamb, turnip, and watercress'. That said, there is a genuinely excellent dish every now and again.
Those looking for a well-rounded restaurant experience will likely be disappointed by Sessions Arts Club. Nothing this good-looking can deliver on every front—just look at David Beckham’s England career. But here, it doesn’t really matter. You’ll have a scallop, a few spoons of risotto, and several glasses of riesling before you even consider the damage to your bank account. It’s seductive like that. And that’s what the Sessions Arts Club experience is all about.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Sessions Arts Club
The Menu
Everything at Sessions Arts Club changes seasonally but the menu usually comprises about 20 or so dishes, ranging from snacks, to small plates, to bigger plates that you’ll probably feel are still quite small. Generally, you’ll want to lean on the smaller options and the puddings. Although we’ve eaten some decent bigger plates of seafood here in the past. Where there is a carb—bread, risotto, pasta—order it. This is a gorgeous restaurant for people who like to play with their food, and we’ve had no regrets about double-ordering what sounds like the most substantial dish. Meat here is variable in memorability, but it’s never really lived up to the price tag. That said, dessert is always a joy—whether it be a chocolate tart or ricotta ice cream—and you should probably order all of them.