escala, Clevedon

So we got back from our break in Cannes, and it was still my big birthday week, and we both had another day off… so we went for a day out in Clevedon, where I used to live many, many years ago, and where we knew for sure that the sun would be shining… well, on the food front, at least.

If you’re not familiar with what and where Clevedon is, it’s a traditional Victorian seaside town around 1-hour’s (super-pretty) drive roughly east of Bath. But many folk make a much longer journey than that to specifically visit escala: the closest thing to a ‘tapas on the beach’ experience that you’ll find in Somerset, featuring a gorgeous terrace and conservatory overlooking Clevedon’s seafront and iconic, Grade-i listed Victorian pier.

What started off as a pop-up venture circa 2021/22 is now a permanent fixture on Clevedon’s step-back-in-time seafront, one of a little family of three for proprietors Dom and Alex Lamy, the hospitality supremos responsible for the magic of the Vintage and Vine Bottle Shop and Bar just up t’road and Puro, a subtly contempo-glam affair with a kitchen headed up by MasterChef The Professionals 2023 finalist Tommy Thorn.

Blimey! Clevedon’s got its foodie act together since I lived there, back in the days when scrambled eggs on toast at Scarlett’s kickstarted my weekend, the prospect of fish and chips before quiz night at The Little Harp was the highlight of my Clevedon social life and Junior Poon was the closest I could get to a fine dining experience. Little did I know, back then, that almost 30 years hence I’d be sitting on the terrace of the former safe-bet-but-a-bit-dated Italian trattoria Il Giardino Ristorante (which went under during the pandemic) arguing the case for Octopus Salad with Saffron Potatoes over Camembeso Cheese with Sourdough Cracker (his cheese choice won, but only because the octopus had sold out). But back then, I didn’t know really know my croquettas from my chorizo; both Clevedon and I, it seems, have come a long way.

Salaciously plump Pork Croquettas with a gently kickin’ Gochujang Aioli; a meltingly soft slab of Spinach and Goats’ Cheese Tortilla – two dishes into our feast, I suspected that escala was gonna be good… and I wasn’t wrong.

A dish of Aubergine con Miel, the aubergine slivers doing an expert job of that tricksy little tango twixt crisp and yieldingly soft with proper, almost molasses-like Miel de Caña reminded me what this deceptively simple dish should be all about. A dinky little dish of hake with peas, samphire, edamame (which I always think should, as was the case in this dish, act as the elevated version of prosaic broad beans), tarragon, deeply umami morel butter and silky, vibrant Mojo Verde kicked and teased in all the right tastebud zones without taking away from the clean, sweet taste of the fresh fish. A pearlescent slab of meaty monkfish held its own even against a powerful supporting cast of bold red pepper and chorizo relish, artichokes and courgettes. Like, wow? Like, honestly – wow.

By the time we got around to my winning dish of the day (and trust me when I tell you this was tough to call) of Muslo de Pollo – a seriously, utterly divine combo involving chicken thigh, Romesco sauce, sticky sherry glaze, pickled cabbage, hazelnut and fennel – even my by then sky-high expectations were exceeded. And the Camembeso Cheese (think, Camembert’s Spanish cousin) with Sourdough Cracker? Those salty sourdough shards looked like they could have been part of the Sagrada Familia; the cheese made me smug with the kind of satisfaction that only comes from indulging in a neat little slab of rich, decadent luxury.

The chefs at the helm here clearly know all there is to know about balance, contrast and harmony; this is supremely thoughtful, beautifully-presented food curated with the utmost care and attention to detail. Service is friendly and efficient, the drinks menu flaunts some fab finds (the Pez De Rio Macabeo is an absolute steal at £24), the view from the terrace is wonderful.

If you get to escala before I go back (which I’m planning to do already, ‘cos I’m dreaming about the Barriga De Cerdo, which we stupidly overlooked this time around), make me jealous and let me know if you got there in time to grab the Octopus Salad.