16 April 2026
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It says a lot that, as a fellow Inspector and I approached CORE by Clare Smyth on a typically elegant Notting Hill street, I felt myself fill with anticipation. We had eaten here before and had been looking forward to returning, as what the eponymous chef and her team have created at CORE is a seamless and satisfying experience from beginning to end, anchored in Three-MICHELIN-Star cooking and an attention to detail in every aspect.
Raising the Bar
One of the biggest changes since my last visit was the renovation of the Whiskey & Seaweed cocktail bar. The gorgeous space instantly makes your meal feel like a real event and, as the name suggests, one wall is filled with a cabinet displaying a truly special global whiskey collection. If you’re struggling to choose a cocktail, go for the titular ‘Whiskey & Seaweed’, which was inspired by Smyth’s signature ‘Potato & Roe’ dish and uses similar flavour combinations.
After passing the bar, we were shown to our table and, as with all the guests that night, were greeted by Smyth’s head chef Jonathan Bone. The pristine dining room had a warm, comforting feel courtesy of the plush furnishings and floral interior design. It’s the kind of restaurant where you feel fully at ease.
Where Personality Meets Professionalism
For any restaurant at this luxury level, people expect top-drawer service to go with the Three-MICHELIN-Star cooking – and the team at CORE did not disappoint. What pleased me most during our dinner was how relaxed the service felt. The team are undeniably well-drilled and know exactly where to be at every moment, but thankfully this didn’t feel robotic. Each team member's own personality shone through, as they cheerily discussed their favourite dishes and engaged with us on an individual level.
Most dishes were finished at the table with a light flourish, while the pace of the meal was perfectly judged, which requires the kitchen and front-of-house teams to work in total harmony. We saw the chefs at the beginning of the meal, as they introduced themselves and served the exemplary snacks. The wine service was just as impressive as the rest, with knowledgeable advice from the sommelier on what to choose from a weighty wine list packed with top-quality vintages.
A Masterclass in Menu Construction
We were offered three menus to choose from: a fixed-price, three-course menu with a choice at each course; the ‘Core Classics’ tasting menu, featuring some of the restaurant’s most famous dishes; and the ‘Core Seasons’ tasting menu that changes more regularly. I chose the ‘Seasons’ menu, which in fact also featured some classics.
The way the menu unfolded was superb, showing the extent to which Smyth has meticulously constructed her cooking for maximum impact. This was not a collection of dishes but a proper, cohesive menu where the flavours of each dish followed on perfectly from the last. The savoury dishes built to a satisfying crescendo, before the desserts provided a fitting finale.
Modern Classics to Remember
For all the thought and technical skill that goes into every dish, there’s something disarmingly simple about Clare Smyth’s food. Each dish I ate allowed its central ingredient to be the star; if the menu said ‘beef’ then I got one of the purest tastes of beef I’d had. There’s nowhere to hide with cooking like this, which is what made it all the more impressive.The sauces were another element that stood out from my dinner: each one had such depth of flavour and intensity, but with far more lightness than a classical French example would provide. Through this lightness, Smyth and her team bring a subtle modernity to their dishes, without needing to introduce anything experimental.
The consistency of the menu was tremendous, but these were a few of my favourite dishes.
Langoustine and English Saffron, Sweet Cicely, Carrot and Coriander
Visually, this was one of the most memorable dishes of my meal, and it tasted just as good. The star of the show was a plump, beautifully fresh Scottish langoustine that would have been delicious alone, but here was elevated even further. A rich cream at the base of the dish was perfumed with delicate saffron from Saffron Walden and topped with an intense langoustine-flavoured jelly, studded with carrot and fresh coriander.
Cornish Turbot, Smoked Mussels, Red Apple, Cabbage and Cider
Another standout dish built around exceptional seafood, this showcased glisteningly fresh turbot that had been seasoned well and cooked to the perfect texture. This was topped with juicy mussels that had a light smoked edge, while cabbage added a vegetal tone and apple brought freshness. A light, well-balanced broth with apple cider finished the dish, but the turbot was the star here.'Beef and Oyster': Highland Wagyu Beef, Porthilly Oysters
This signature dish provided exactly what it promised: a thick piece of wagyu beef with magnificent natural flavour, topped with a lightly cooked oyster and finished with oyster cream. What stuck in my mind most was the side dish served in an oyster shell. Reminiscent of a cottage pie, it combined mashed potato with a fine mince of umami-packed wagyu and more oyster, topped with a deep-fried oyster leaf for contrasting texture.
'CORE-Teser': Chocolate, Malt and Hazelnut
Another signature, and possibly the chef’s best-known dish, this playful dessert offers all the flavours of the classic Malteser in refined form. The combination of a light chocolate sponge, smooth hazelnut ice cream and aerated malt, which melted in the mouth, was a surefire winner, executed here with technical mastery. A perfect end to an exceptional meal.Inspector’s Tips
- If you’re a whiskey lover, then this is the restaurant for you. Make sure you allow plenty of time for a drink in the bar before dinner and consider browsing the exceptional range of whiskies online before visiting to ease your indecision.
- If you enjoyed your visit to CORE or are looking for a more accessibly priced taste of Clare Smyth’s cooking, consider her ‘luxury bistro’ Corenucopia in Belgravia, which was awarded its own MICHELIN Star in February 2026.
- Feeling indecisive? The kitchen allows diners on the same table to choose different tasting menus, so if you’re a couple one of you can have the ‘CORE Seasons’ and the other the ‘CORE Classics’ – then you can share each dish between you.
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Hero Image: The florally designed dining room at Three-MICHELIN-Star restaurant CORE by Clare Smyth in London. © WeTheFoodSnobs/CORE by Clare Smyth
