Claro Restaurant London Review: Mediterranean Dining With Real St James’s Confidence

June 7, 2026

Claro restaurant in London is the kind of place that could have easily felt too polished for its own good. St James’s address. Grand listed building. Tel Aviv pedigree. Open kitchen. Big flavours. It has all the ingredients of a restaurant that wants to impress. What makes it more interesting is that it also knows how to relax.

Set at 12 Waterloo Place, Claro London is the first international outpost of the original Claro in Tel Aviv, opened by chef Ran Shmueli in 2014. The London restaurant brings that same Mediterranean-meets-Middle-Eastern spirit to St James’s, with Head Chef Shadi Issawy running the day-to-day kitchen. The restaurant describes itself as modern Mediterranean with Middle Eastern influences, built around seasonal British produce, a curated wine list and an open kitchen that anchors the room.

The space helps. A lot. Claro occupies a former bank, with much of the building’s original character still intact. The main dining room sits in what was once the banking hall, with a double-height ceiling, chequered stone floor, warm wood, and a sweeping kitchen-bar where you can watch the chefs work. It feels grand, but not stiff. There is movement and color. There is enough noise to make dinner feel alive.

Claro also has Michelin recognition, which feels right for a restaurant that is ambitious without being uptight. The Michelin Guide describes it as a bright, airy former bank in St James’s serving elegant Mediterranean cooking. That is accurate, though perhaps a little restrained. The food has more punch than that. It is generous, spiced, textured, and clearly designed for sharing.

Claro Restaurant London Menu

The menu is where Claro really comes into its own. Start with bread. Not as an afterthought, but as a statement. The frena bread comes with matbucha, labneh, and harissa, while the kubaneh is served with fresh grated tomato, zhoug, and sour cream. Better still, order A Taste of Claro: frena bread or kubaneh with green tahini and aubergine, tzatziki and turmeric cucumber, labneh and harissa, fresh pickles, pickled chili, and matbucha. It sets the tone immediately. Messy in the best way.

The smaller plates are sharp and clever. Fresh cured sardines arrive with pickled chili, cured blue radish, and Jerusalem artichoke cream. Tuna tartare gets Greek yogurt, pickled onion, mint oil, and a za’atar cracker. Yellowtail crudo comes with freekeh tabbouleh, yogurt, pistachios, and tomato salsa. These are not quiet dishes. They have acidity, crunch, and confidence.

Vegetables get serious attention too. The delica pumpkin with pumpkin and citrus purée and pickled pumpkin is a smart order, while the Jerusalem pappardelle with smokey aubergine, tahini sauce, za’atar and dry tomato relish feels like one of those dishes that quietly outshines the meat. The Guardian also praised Claro’s plant-led cooking, highlighting its complex, delicious approach to vegetables.

For mains, there is more weight. Seared octopus with ratte potato, chicken stock, and paprika sauce. Halibut steak with Greek-style puff pastry, red peppers, and yogurt sauce. Braised short rib with freekeh risotto and asparagus. The whole butterflied seabass with fennel, celery, and fish stock is probably the most elegant choice, while the Claro lamb platter with tzatziki, matbucha, pickled vegetables, and pita bread is the one for a table that actually wants to eat.

Claro works because it has a point of view. It is not just another pretty Mediterranean restaurant in London. It understands heat, herbs, smoke, sourness and generosity. Come for dinner. Bring people who like to share. Order more bread than you think you need.