Cloth Cornhill, the City chophouse formerly known as Simpson's Tavern, has reopened at 38½ Cornhill after closing in 2022 due to a rent-fuelled landlord dispute. The restaurant, which operated under its previous name for 265 years, has been revived by the trio behind Cloth near Smithfield Market, with the same dark wood, flickering light and Dickensian atmosphere intact.
A Historic Revival
The building, two decades older than the United States and more than a century older than Italy, retains its historic character. The landlord remains the same, but a "virtual freehold" was negotiated on the 15-year lease, offering the operators greater security. The review notes that the restoration has been carried out with care, preserving the enchanting atmosphere that countless Londoners mourned when the original closed.
Visitors can still enter through Ball Court or via St Michael's Alley, where the Jamaica Wine House round the corner offers a pint before dining. The sausages, a longstanding tradition served in steel trays, remain a focal point, now priced at £8 for a sausage-and-a-half.
Classic Dishes and New Offerings
The menu features a coronation crab rosti, pollock with a crispy breadcrumb topping and tartare sauce, and a potato dumpling filled with taleggio in a saffron sauce with girolles. The review notes that the mushrooms and broccoli were overcooked, but describes the pork chop with sauce Robert, a mustard and onion-laden espagnole derivative dating back to the 1600s, as "heaven." A sausage pie served as pudding.
Not everything has returned. The Stewed Cheese Challenge, where the person who consumed the most cheese on toast won a magnum of champagne, has not been revived, and courtyard duels are no longer held.
Mixed Customer Reactions
Customer reviews are divided. Mariko praised the experience: "Food, wine, service, everything is absolutely amazing. We had such a great experience here. Highly recommended." Edward called it "A wonderfully nostalgic reaffirmation of how good the original Simpson's was and how good the reincarnation as Cloth is." Tom, however, said: "It's now a distinctly average chop house with too many staff."
The average spend is about £120 per head, and the review concludes with a hope that the place "lives on for ever," calling it "the best of what eating is: communal, sentimental, munificent."
