Ldnn1

It got a lot of press last year when a newspaper did a survey of it. The term is 'cakeage' apparently. Definitely worth checking with Clos Maggiore.

See article here.

London_traveller

Clos Maggiore is a really lovely restaurant and top marks in the romantic stakes. The one thing I would check with the restaurant is that you have a table in the 'conservatory' at the back - it's the best place to be.

As for bringing your own dessert and/or wine. To a restaurant like that? Don't do it. Really. It is a very decent restaurant and a) bringing your own food will hardly endear you to the staff (especially for something mainstream like cheesecake), and b) the food is great - including the desserts - so there really is no need.

If you want a meal experience where you bring your own food and your own drink, go for a picnic!

bensyd

I agree. It's really pushing the friendship to turn up at a fine dining restaurant with your own food.

Ldnn1

Don't quite know what you mean by 'pushing the friendship'. It's not like bringing your own main course - it's quite normal for people to bring their own celebration cakes to restaurants. Just make sure to check what the restaurant policy is.

I agree Clos Maggiore do nice desserts and are probably a good bet here but depends what OP's after - if he wants a fancy bespoke number then a specialist shop may be better.

lhrsfo

The elephant in the room here is the idea of having cake for pudding at a restaurant. I know this happens in the USA, but, in the UK, cake is traditionally served at tea: the British style of cake is designed for that purpose so perhaps what the OP is after is a French patisserie rather than a British cake.

Ldnn1

More a mouse than an elephant. I think we modern folk are quite comfortable with cake of all nationalities.

Also OP mentioned cheesecake which is extremely common on dessert menus on these shores.

London_traveller

Not in Clos Maggiore! Seriously, the food is fab, especially the desserts. But not cheesecake (I don't think they're a French thing).

Maybe it's a cultural thing but I wouldn't dream of turning up at a top restaurant with my own food. I think it's a bit insulting to the restaurant. That's just my view.

bibbju

Completely agree. I would be absolutely mortified if someone turned up a restaurant with their own food. It's just not the done thing, especially not in London. If you have a specific requirement, it would be better to discuss it with the restaurant in advance. If they can't meet your needs, agree with them if it's acceptable to bring your own cake (they may or may not agree). But you most definitely don't just turn up on the night clutching a cake you've bought elsewhere. (I realise this is quite acceptable behaviour in some cultures - I know it was quite normal when I was living in Hong Kong).

Ldnn1

Please stop saying 'with their own food'. We're talking specifically about brithday/celebration cakes, not general food. There is clearly a distinction and I can assure you it is not unusual within our (London) culture to bring own birthday cakes. That's why the 'cakeage' fee got so much press last year!

The question is simply, what is the restaurant's policy? And as you say, could the restaurant provide what you want themselves anyway. Clos Maggiore may well be able to.

There is no moralising required here.

BobbySteel

Beas of Bloomsbury is wonderful and you can preorder all online and prob have it delivered to the restaurant directly

Swanhunter

The OP should contact the restaurant to explain what their requirement is and take it from there.

London_traveller

London's my home and I eat out frequently. I've never once been to a restaurant, with friends, family or whoever, bringing along other food. It certainly is unusual, particularly so in top restaurants like the one in question. Bear in mind the OP said, about his girlfriend, "she likes cheesecake, but anything will do". Therefore not really a specific/unique requirement that couldn't be met by the restaurant itself.

Best advice is to contact the restaurant, tell them it's a special birthday and ask them to produce a special dessert - cake or otherwise - for it. Perhaps something with her name written on it (I certainly have seen those in restaurants). The pastry chef in the restaurant will most likely lap up the challenge.

But 'bringing your own', whether bought from a fancy shop or wherever, is not normal practice in the UK. Which is why it could be construed as a bit insulting to some restaurants, especially the good ones. As to other cultures doing it, I wouldn't know.

stut

I've seen birthday cakes brought along on several occasions - but not to more upscale restaurants.

(On my 40th, MrsStut treated me to a particularly nice meal out in London. She'd obviously told them it was a birthday, and they spent about 5 minutes trying to persuade me to have the cake for dessert - but I had my eye on something else - something that was rather a challenge to put candles and 'happy birthday' in chocolate on - but they did it...)

Scots_Al

Indeed. It is absolutely not some unheard of uncouth practice. It is most normally seen, however, at big group birthdays, and at fairly middle-of-the-road establishments. In any event, it is certainly good manners (at the very least) to ask in advance.

alphaod

In my opinion, I do not find bringing celebratory cakes to be any insult to a restaurant. Though, I never really had a discussion with anyone on this and did not realize it is considered faux pas for a lot of folks.

That said I have contacted the restaurant. They have a "cake form" so I assume know what I'm talking about. On the form are only two choices, which I specified a cheesecake option in the special requests. The pastry chef has okayed this, but otherwise I do not know what it'll be like. They wish to have everything on their form even though I explained everything on the phone, though I trust the competency of their chef so I am not too worried on this matter.

I apologize if anyone feels insulted that I considered bringing cake to an upscale restaurant. I will not go into detail about my misadventures of bringing multitudes of alcohol and homemade food to a many Michellin 3-starred restaurants and other upscale establishments around the world.