North London Food & Culture

Chef Oliver Rowe joins the Windsor Castle

The local boy made a splash with his King's Cross venture Konstam a few years back. Now he's at the helm of a reinvented Clapton boozer that's well worth the fifteen minute hop on the Overground

Sausage roll and a pint. Photo: Elena Heatherwick
Sausage roll and a pint. Photo: Elena Heatherwick

You might remember K-Town chef Oliver Rowe. He’s often seen cooking up a storm at Flaxon Ptootch‘s pop-up dinners, but most famously had a BBC2 crew following him around before the 2006 opening of his King’s Cross gaff, Konstam at the Prince Albert.

Way ahead of its time – its USP being that 85% of the menu was sourced from within the M25 – Konstam unfairly closed a couple of years back, just before Grain Store, Karpo and Caravan et al all took the area by storm.

Anyway, now he’s been snapped up at newly refurbed Lower Clapton Road boozer the Windsor Castle. So if you enjoyed our Clapton guide a few weeks back, we reckon you should add this to your list of must-visits.

Chickpea fritters
Moreish: fritters
Once one of Clapton’s edgiest boozers – a real magnet for wrong’uns, so we hear – it reopened earlier this year after being taken over by a collective which includes some of the folk behind east London faves the Spurstowe, Old Blue Last and Birthdays.


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Now? The mixed clientele, unpretentious interior and good food reminds us of – you guessed it – The Grafton.

There are plenty of populist, easygoing items you could nibble at the bar (Scotch eggs, fried potatoes with mayo, crispy pork belly) but generally Rowe’s menu, which hinges around sharing plates, is satisfyingly uncompromising: expect things like a very tender animal heart salad, cavolo nero with white beans, moreish chickpea fritters, seared pigeon breast with cabbage and bacon, and explodingly soft quail’s eggs with mace salt. Phew.

As you’d expect, there are all sorts of beers from east London breweries – like Five Points, ELB and Trumans – to wash it down with. Or just go for the decent house red, as we did, before a wander through leafy Clapton Square and atmospheric St John-at-Hackney churchyard back to the overground.

Oh, and by the way aren’t these images lovely? All shot by talented K-Towner Elena Heatherwick.

Sharing plates prices £4.50 upwards. The Windsor Castle, 135 Lower Clapton Road, E5 8EQ

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