The Clink is a restaurant concept from Alberto Crisci MBE, who was a catering manager at HMP High Down in Surrey. When working in the prison, Crisci recognised that those working in the kitchens had a real talent, and formed the charity which opened the first public restaurant within the walls of a working prison. There are now several restaurants and cafes across the UK, including Clink Restaurant at HMP Brixton, which opened back in 2014 as the charity's third restaurant.
When visiting The Clink Restaurant at HMP Brixton, you will enjoy food that is cooked and served by students in training, who are all working towards gaining their City & Guilds NVQs. The Brixton restaurant is located in the old governor's house, which dates back to 1819, and features leather upholstery and boardroom tables, that are made by people in prison at HMP Frankland. The poetry you'll notice throughout the restaurant is written by Clink graduates.
The gourmet dinner menu begins with an amuse bouche of Clink Bakery bread with salted butter and salsa verde. Starters include a roasted pumpkin tartlet with pine nuts, confit onion and preserved lemon, and roast crispy duck with edamame, pickled kohlrabi and damson. Your main is just as tasty, with options of pan seared chicken thighs with white miso, chicken siu mai and black cabbage and gnocchi Parisienne with delica pumpkin, maitake and pecorino.
For dessert there is a caramelised white chocolate semifreddo with poached pear caramel and yoghurt tuile, and a lemon curd choux bun with meringue, fig leaf cream and marigold. On a Sunday, most of the starters are the same, followed by roast options of sirloin of beef, pan roasted chicken and a lemon and tarragon porchetta. All roasts are served with roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables and gravy. For pudding, we'd choose the pear and blackberry crumble with crème anglaise.