The Clink HMP Brixton

Michelin star style food. In a prison? Yep that pretty much sums up The Clink.
Everything about The Clink from the cooks, waiters, furniture to paintings helps in the rehabilitation of inmates.
Food was comparable to any uk celeb chef restaurant and particularly reminded me of food from Jason Atherton’s city social but cheaper and well. in a prison.
Our waiter Jamal was super sweet and made sure to make eye contact with both of us. He was happy to answer any questions about his life and even gave us a tour of the kitchen after our meal!
Bookings must be made 72 hours in advance with a £30 deposit (for 2 people). Passport ID is required and all electronic devices must be left in a locker before entering the prison/​restaurant.
On the website it says that you’re only allowed to pay by cheque but we couldn’t find our cheque books so they agreed to let us pay by cash instead. Two 3 course meals + drinks came up to ~£60 which was reasonable for the quality of food served.
It really sucks that there’s a no photos allowed policy as the food and restaurant were both stunning.
It also super sucks that it’s only open mon-​fri for lunch as most people have to work then :(

Had lunch here a couple of weeks ago. V friendly staff who were very attentive and the food delicious. Not too expensive, although not cheap. Would recommend to others, only problem was the wait for food, about 45 minutes. Great charity doing great things.

Woah! A fancy restaurant IN a prison? An awesome social enterprise that aims to reduce re offending rates by training inmates to cook and serve in a fancy restaurant setting. You don’t feel like you’re inside a prison, rather a high end restaurant instead. The service was superb and the meal was delicious (albeit, like a high end restaurant, the dishes were somewhat small). Make reservations online and you’ll be back checked first and allow yourself at least 10 minutes to both get in and out of the prison due o security procedures. You won’t be able to take any pictures for your Unilocal review as you’ll have tot leave your phone (and other items) in a locker. Love this concept.

Fine dining where you wouldn’t expect it, unless you believe what the Daily Mail has to say about the lifestyle of a prisoner. Whatever your opinion of the food it’s unlikely you will be able to leave without paying here. The «dine and dash» difficulty rating is set to hard.
The Clink is a charity funded restaurant initiative set within the prison walls and staffed by inmates for both front and back of house. The prisoners employed here are working towards attaining qualifications in the hospitality industry which can hopefully offer them a route into gainful employment upon their release.
The menu and the presentation of the food is of the calibre you would expect from a high end eatery. Our waiter Craig assured me it was considerably better than what they serve on the wings! All the food I had was good, plated well and with distinct flavours which combined amicably to create very enjoyable dishes.
I started with pressed game terrine, ciabatta croûte, fruit chutney and baby cress. I followed this with Three Little Pigs: caramelised pork belly, pancetta wrapped pork fillet, black pudding bon bon, mini fondants, shallot purée and apple jus. For dessert I chose spiced poached pear with hot chocolate sauce and vanilla bean ice cream.
I’m normally a sucker for photographing my food at restaurants, not here though. Upon arrival you have to leave your phone, camera, keys, chewing gum, aerosols, cash above £50 and anything else they deem inappropriate in a locker outside the prison. You can try sneaking a camera in if you like, but you might end up working here if you do. Craig told me the rate of pay is £10 a week, and they only accept payment by cheque so no tips to top your wages up with. It’s probably better just to leave the camera outside.
The Clink really creates a bizarre juxtaposition. If you overlook the fact there is no alcohol and you have plastic cutlery you could almost be forgiven for thinking you are eating in a Michelin starred restaurant, until you look through the barred windows at the high walls topped with tight coils of razor wire snaking out of view in every direction.
It was great though, unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced at a restaurant. Our bill was about £25/​head including drinks which for the quality of the food was a bargain. I would definitely go again and recommend it to others.
Things to note:
No under 18s.
You must book at least 72 hours in advance.
When you apply to book they will ask you for various background information to carry out security checks before clearing you to book, for me this process took a couple of days.
You can only pay by cheque (or invoice by prior arrangement).
Reservations are Monday to Friday only for breakfast or lunch.