Chef Isaac McHale (left in photo), co-founder of Shoreditch gastronomic powerhouse the Clove Clove, is to open a more informal offshoot just around the corner called Bar Valette, serving simple dishes inspired by French and Spanish coastal cuisine.

Scheduled to open next month in the former premises of Two Lights (also backed by the team behind Clove Club), Bar Valette will be operated by ex-Clove Club chef Erin Jackson Yates (middle in photo) with restaurant manager and sommelier Wilem Powell (right). 

Isaac said Bar Valette would take a “considered yet informal” approach where “comfort is king” – and would be ideal for “interminable dinners fuelled by wine and sherry”.

“It’s inspired by a simple love of Spanish cooking, with French influences. It will be about amazing seafood and game, meat and dairy. We’ll be using the same producers as we do at the Clove Club and there will be some crossover.

“We’re not going for a star here, we’re going for good times. We want to capture all that beautiful food from holidays and travel — fritters, venison meatballs, mousse and clafoutis. It gets me so excited. I got loose inspiration from La Marenda in Nice. I’ve built a superstar team to do it.” 

Isaac launched the Clove Club as supper club with friends Daniel Willis and Johnny Smith, developing it over a decade into a fixture on the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The partnership split up last month, with Isaac retaining the Clove Club while Daniel and Johnny took on Luca, their Italian restaurant in Farringdon.