Having walked past The Clarence Social numerous times and admired their beautiful lighting and eyed up the menu - particularly the cocktails - I was excited to finally get the chance to dine there. As I pictured an evening of delicious drinks, good company and yummy food, it turned out that my first Clarence Social dining experience was instead a Saturday lunchtime family affair with the kids in tow.

I was slightly concerned that I may be faced with tutting, eye rolling staff and diners as I bumped my buggy up the steps outside (not massively buggy friendly I’m afraid). But everyone was very smiley and accommodating. We were seated upstairs at the edge of the balcony, which did mean another staircase to navigate so we left the buggy downstairs. The view was worth it though, the best seats in the house! My two were all googly-eyed at the spectacular chandeliers on display.

Victoria was our waitress and she was lovely. There was Wifi (always a plus), and an Etch-A-Sketch for Bertie to play with which he loved, and made him feel very special in such a grown-up setting. We had a couple of wobbly moments where they had run out of kids drinks so their squash was brought over in crystal tumblers… I had a minor heart attack every time Bertie grabbed the glass!

We were there at midday so we had the pick of the kids' brunch or lunch menus with plenty to choose from – even for a fusspot. Bertie had the pancakes with fruit and vanilla ice cream and he absolutely loved it. Gobbled down the lot, and there was a lot. Paloma had the plaice goujons with minted peas and chips, another decent portion with the lovely added touch of some carrot sticks, cucumber and a little fruit and nut bar. Perfect snacks for her to munch on whilst the hot food was cooling down! Bertie liked the look of hers so much he shared half her lunch!

I had slight food envy of everyone’s meals. I had the ploughman’s and there was a bit too much apple and pickled bits and not enough cheese for my gluttonous appetite. I was relying on being able to polish off the kid’s food (standard) but no such luck. However, my husband had a nice-looking burger that he enjoyed.

I would say, if you’re looking for a low-key lunch with your NCT gang all with babies and buggies, this is not the place to come. As Paloma started to get a bit fussy toward the end of the meal (timing it exactly as it started to fill up around us) it felt uncomfortable having a moaning baby in such sophisticated surroundings. It must have been annoying for the other childfree diners, even if they didn’t show it.

However, a great meal if you’re a group of adults with perhaps just one or two children amongst you, especially if they’re a little bit older and buggies aren’t an issue. They’ll absolutely love the food.

Hannah, June 2017