Saltoun Supper Club

The Saltoun Supper Club is home of Arno Maasdorp.
Every Wednesday and Thursday, he graciously shares his evening with strangers and takes them on a culinary and philosophical journey.
Situated on the top floor of a Brixton terrace, we clambered up some steep steps, which yield and sing a comforting note of well used timber, and lead us into a dining room containing an eclectic collection of artefacts. An array of traditional African woven baskets lined the wall. The room has a French provincial feel, intercepted by modern art; and amongst this, is a fabulous black and white still portrait of Arno, regaling a fantastically thick, velvety moustache.
We were served a scrumptious basket of sour dough bread, and a salad with jamon to start. Gnocchi with truffle and cauliflower was served next; followed by a Welsh lamb dish and dessert of roasted pineapple and mint ice cream.
None of these were as visually spectacular as I had hoped, given that Arno is a food photographer and caterer by day and all the amazing reviews we had read about this Supper Club. But nonetheless, the dishes were satisfying and the flavours were most definitely delicious.
Following an interlude and a wander around the gorgeous Brixton flat, Arno and his assistant John, pulled up some chairs and joined us for a drink at our table, accompanied with an endless supply of a chocolaty assortment of petit fours, and as the evening came to a close (at 1am on a Wednesday night), my most vivid recollections were not of the food, because simply it was not about the food; but more the sense of spirit and camaraderie the evening exuded.
Arno prefers to refer to SSC as a club as opposed to a restaurant. His simple philosophy is about good food, sourced sustainably, and good company in a genuinely hospitable space.
For a very different night out with decent food and great company, I would definitely recommend that you get in touch with Arno and secure a table at the Saltoun Supper Club

For the full review and pictures from our evening, please refer to

x

One of the best supper clubs in London. With so many out there to try out, it’s not often I go back to one, but SSC was so good, I’m booked to return. Hosted by Arno, he’s an artistic wizard and a King in the Kitchen. His flat is cosy and full of interesting arty bits and bobs. The food was so tasty and made with top quality ingredients, I enjoyed every morsel. One of my favourite things was the petit fours — art on a plate! He’s hard to get hold of, but persevere and hopefully you’ll get a booking.

Saltoun Supper Club
I had nearly given up hope of ever going to the Saltoun Supper Club (SSC) when I unexpectedly heard from them at the beginning of last week. After numerous e-​mails, I was very pleased to have finally secured a table, and so Dr G and I drove with much anticipation to the elegant and rather quirky flat of Arno Maasdorp in Brixton.
One of the things that first struck me about SSC was the intimate setting created in Arno’s living room with its bare brick and the open plan kitchen. From the choice of glasses and cutlery to the careful use of indirect light, the room expressed an understated elegance and refinement of taste.
The artwork was intriguing; I loved his wall installation made up of many different miniature items, as well as the beautiful antique pieces like the South American baskets dotted around the room.
I had the feeling of entering a private gallery; wherever I looked there was something intriguing to catch the eye. There were 10 diners in the room (Arno can sit up to 16); an interesting mix of people of different ages and backgrounds.
Smoked sea-​salt had been sprinkled over the butter and it went very well with the excellent sourdough bread purchased that morning from Franco Manca.
We were soon served our first course, a «Winter Vegetable Salad with Mandarin Oil». I was very impressed by this dish and the complexity of flavours that Arno managed to create out of broccoli, beetroot and cauliflower. To make a delicious dish out of such humble ingredients is the sign of a talented palate.
The vegetables were perfectly al dente, but the secret was definitely in the sauce — a sweet and sour and highly aromatic dressing made of mandarin and chervil. It complemented the vegetables perfectly and started the evening on a very good note.
Our next course was «Leek and Pecorino Gnocchi». This was also good and very well executed — the gnocchi had been cooked and then flash-​fried with the potato and leek sauce. I could also taste truffle oil, and the addition of generous shavings of pecorino cheese made for a very delicious dish.
We had a short break between the first two courses and the main, so we all decided to take a tour of Arno’s amazing flat and examine the quirky art pieces more closely. I soon got chatting to fellow guests which for me is one the nicest aspects of dining at supper clubs.
We were soon called back into the living room as our main dish was being served — «Roasted Duck Breast» accompanied by a medley of root vegetables, mushrooms, spinach and fresh green olives.
This was nothing short of sensational — the meat had been perfectly cooked, the duck skin was crisp and delicious, and the vegetables were faultless. I was struck by the effect of the fresh green olives — a slight salty tartness that provided a nice balance against the rich and fatty meat.
For dessert, Arno served what he described as a «Pear and Bramley Apple Fine Tart». This was an intriguing and fun dish, and had very interesting flavours at play — it was served with a quenelle of vanilla cream, very fine homemade tuiles biscuits, and sea-​salted caramel. I loved this dish and despite being very full, I wish I could have had seconds!
«Petit Fours» and coffee/​mint tea were served — these were delightful and I think a very nice touch to end a perfect meal.
I was impressed by Arno’s attention to detail in everything that he did — from the chic and quirky décor to the high standard of the food and the time and trouble he took to engage in conversation with each diner.
Verdict — Excellent food to match some of the top restaurants in London in intimate and quirky surroundings, and at a very reasonable price. Arno was an excellent host and I would certainly like to return. Highly recommended.

London Underground Restaurants #8 — Saltoun Supper Club
Pics @ The London Foodie
(
)
I had nearly given up hope of ever going to the Saltoun Supper Club (SSC) when I unexpectedly heard from them at the beginning of last week. After numerous e-​mails, I was very pleased to have finally secured a table, and so Dr G and I drove with much anticipation to the elegant and rather quirky flat of Arno Maasdorp in Brixton.
One of the things that first struck me about SSC was the intimate setting created in Arno’s living room with its bare brick and the open plan kitchen. From the choice of glasses and cutlery to the careful use of indirect light, the room expressed an understated elegance and refinement of taste.
The artwork was intriguing; I loved his wall installation made up of many different miniature items, as well as the beautiful antique pieces like the South American baskets dotted around the room.
I had the feeling of entering a private gallery; wherever I looked there was something intriguing to catch the eye. There were 10 diners in the room (Arno can sit up to 16); an interesting mix of people of different ages and backgrounds.
Smoked sea-​salt had been sprinkled over the butter and it went very well with the excellent sourdough bread purchased that morning from Franco Manca.
We were soon served our first course, a Winter Vegetable Salad with Mandarin Oil. I was very impressed by this dish and the complexity of flavours that Arno managed to create out of broccoli, beetroot and cauliflower. To make a delicious dish out of such humble ingredients is the sign of a talented palate.
The vegetables were perfectly al dente, but the secret was definitely in the sauce a sweet and sour and highly aromatic dressing made of mandarin and chervil. It complemented the vegetables perfectly and started the evening on a very good note.
Our next course was Leek and Pecorino Gnocchi. This was also good and very well executed the gnocchi had been cooked and then flash-​fried with the potato and leek sauce. I could also taste truffle oil, and the addition of generous shavings of pecorino cheese made for a very delicious dish.
We had a short break between the first two courses and the main, so we all decided to take a tour of Arno’s amazing flat and examine the quirky art pieces more closely. I soon got chatting to fellow guests which for me is one the nicest aspects of dining at supper clubs.
We were soon called back into the living room as our main dish was being served — Roasted Duck Breast accompanied by a medley of root vegetables, mushrooms, spinach and fresh green olives.
This was nothing short of sensational the meat had been perfectly cooked, the duck skin was crisp and delicious, and the vegetables were faultless. I was struck by the effect of the fresh green olives a slight salty tartness that provided a nice balance against the rich and fatty meat.
For dessert, Arno served what he described as a Pear and Bramley Apple Fine Tart. This was an intriguing and fun dish, and had very interesting flavours at play it was served with a quenelle of vanilla cream, very fine homemade tuiles biscuits, and sea-​salted caramel. I loved this dish and despite being very full, I wish I could have had seconds!
Petit Fours and coffee/​mint tea were served these were delightful and I think a very nice touch to end a perfect meal.
I was impressed by Arno’s attention to detail in everything that he did from the chic and quirky décor to the high standard of the food and the time and trouble he took to engage in conversation with each diner.
Verdict Excellent food to match some of the top restaurants in London in intimate and quirky surroundings, and at a very reasonable price. Arno was an excellent host and I would certainly like to return. Highly recommended.