Restaurant Spy - North

Grand Union Bar and Grill, 153 Upper St, Islington, London N1 1RA

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 01:52:38 +0000

Address:
153 Upper St, Islington, London N1 1RA

Review:

From the road it looks like a fairly ordinary pub but once you go in it is very different indeed. The long single room is like a cross between a carriage on the Orient Express and the Tea House of the August Moon. Lighting is fairly low. There is a mixture of sofas, armchairs and banquettes with a well stocked bar on one side and tall chairs and tables on the other. There are palm fronds, Chinese lanterns, fans and mirrors. The floor is of dark wood with the occasional deep red rug.

500 Restaurant, 782 Holloway Rd, London N19 3JH

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:23:18 +0000

Address:
782 Holloway Rd, London N19 3JH

Review:

We’ve eaten here twice, and I’m booked to go again tomorrow. The first time was the day before we left for a month in Alaska, and no time to write a review, although I did quickly email all my neighbours that there was a terrific new Italian restaurant in the Holloway Rd. About six of them replied saying the same thing: “thanks – it’s great, but what a shame there were only about five people there when I went.” As soon as we got back to London, we returned, and it was even better, but (spooky this) only five people. We were welcomed with a basket of hot, home made breads, and settled down with the menu. My bresaola, rocket and parmesan salad starter was an extremely generous plate, and fresh as you like, while L’s asparagus risotto was exactly right, with the asparagus flavour right up front. Asparagus is very easy to overcook, and ruin by destroying the flavour, only chefs who know what they’re doing get it right.

Shish, 2-6 Station Parade, London NW2 4NH

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:46:05 +0000

Address:
2-6 Station Parade, London NW2 4NH

Review:

It's kebabs gone posh. Shish in Willesden Green, adjacent to the Tube station, is one of 3 Shish outlets that have garnered popularity amongst locals and critics alike. At £20 per head, it's not a cheap meal, but it's definitely worth the pounds. The spinach borek was crisp and fresh, although a little oily but the mains are definitely the highlight of the menu. Skewers of meat and haloumi cheese with potatoes, roasted capsicum and onions, next to a bed of salad and fries is done to perfection. And for dessert, don't go past the halva ice-cream with baklava.

Night Star-Mangal Ockabasi, 149 Holloway Road London N7 8LX

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 10:08:34 +0000

Address:
149,Holloway Road London N7 8LX

Review:

Another pre- Arsenal match, feeding and watering stop on the greasy Holloway Road. Why does it always look as if the pavements need a good hosing down and a steam clean? The restaurant is the usual set-up of revolving kebabs in the front takeaway part and long queues of punters on match days who prefer the sidewalk eating experience. The inside is fairly basic-tiled floors and formica tables. However the star of the show is the charcoal grill man (there must be a name in Turkish) who sits at the barbecue, expertly rotating the kebabs, and chops, and chicken fillets, like he's playing an instrument, and shouting at the staff.

Pasha, 301 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 2TU

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:50:21 +0000

Address:
301 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 2TU

Review:

It doesn't look like your stereotypical Turkish Restaurant - the recent refurbishment is all clean lines, dark wood and white napery. I'd booked through Time Out, who are currently offering 50% off all food, so the value-for-money-but-not-cheap prices became absolute bargains. Although Pasha's Turkish background is evident, it's modern and international with far more fish than you'd expect. Starters included a generous bowl of good lentil soup; a plate of five huge prawns in chilli and coriander; freshly prepared fried calamari (not from a freezer pack in other words) and Sucuk, a spicy, sausage dish.

Phoenix Bar, Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, Wood Green, London, N22 7AY

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:08:54 +0000

Address:
Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, Wood Green, London, N22 7AY

Review:

I went here for lunch. This bar, which is at the western end of the palace, must have one of the best dining views in London. Through the large windows you look out across the terrace, with its wrought iron lamps and wooden tables and the whole city is spread out before you, the Gherkin and Canary Wharf clearly visible, until it all vanishes into the mists of North Kent. The inside is almost as good. It is spacy and wooden with a high ceiling and a central bar with mirrored pillars. Tables are marble with metal chairs or wooden. The music is terrible. Sort of sub techno garbage when I was there. Next door there is a huge (and silent!) palm court with sphynxes, fountains and full size palm trees towering into a vaulted sky-lit roof. There are about a dozen tables, maybe less. I had a coffee here the other afternoon and had the whole palm court completely to myself. Talk about a hidden gem. It was wonderful.

Il Bacio 178-184 Blackstock Road Highbury N5 1HA

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:14:45 +0000

Address:
178-184 Blackstock Road Highbury N5 1HA

Review:

Pre match Arsenal v Blackburn on Monday last, I was determined to steer clear of my usual Haddock 'n Chips or a Fat Harry's Hot Dog standing up in the street. So I opted for this rather swish and surprisingly genuine Italian 10 minutes from the Emirates Stadium. I got there about 6.45 and the place was heaving. Had I booked?''No.'' Oh dear ,not sure if we can fit you in'' said the waitress. Anyway I was seated within five minutes and was pleasantly surprised.

Le Mercury, 140a Upper Street, Islington, London N1 1QY

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 17:20:01 +0000

Address:
140a Upper Street Islington N1 1QY

Review:

I've reviewed Le Mercury before, but restaurants can change quite quickly, and it is our duty to keep them on their toes. It's a filthy job, but somebody's got to do it. I started with a rich and delicious slice of foie gras, and E had smoked chicken. It was lunchtime, we were hungry and they brought a basket of lovely fresh bread, while we waited for our starters - well, what were we supposed to do with it ? Knit a cardigan ? By the time my lamb and E's fishcakes arrived, along with a selection of vegetables for me and a big salad for her, there wasn't much bread left. Something I regretted as soon as I saw the size of the serving - three great chunks of lean lamb, and a healthy side serving of vegetables, which included some excellent roasted carrots.

Olive, 10 Hornsey High St, London N8 7PB

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 20:12:15 +0000

Address:
10 Hornsey High St, London N8 7PB

Review:

Finding ourselves in Hornsey High St at around lunchtime today, we chose this place at random. As we walked in I overheard a conversation between a customer and a waiter.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, are you a vegetarian?" she asked.
"Well, I'm not now" he replied happily, so I don't know what was going on there, except he went on to say its was great food, but he would never finish it all. Three frocked priests in the centre of the room were also struggling.

The Sea Cow, 67 Stoke Newington Church Street, London N16 0AR

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 09:48:30 +0000

Address:
67 Stoke Newington Church Street, London N16 0AR

Review:

I commute, and on the nights when I drive I need some time to eat or have a drink until rush hour traffic clears enough to allow me out of the city. So I look for inexpensive places with decent wine that aren't packed in the early evening. (In the same situation? Post some reviews - there must be lots of us who need ideas for quiet places in N/E/S London to wait out the evening rush hour.) I read or write until the food comes so I pick restaurants with enough light to see by. Being single I avoid places packed with couples (so's I don't feel too envious) and it's cool if there are a few attractive fellow diners to glance at occasionally.

Alisan, The Junction, Engineers Way, Wembley HA9 0EG

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:58:20 +0000

Address:
Alisan, The Junction, Engineers Way, Wembley HA9 0EG

Review:

Had some fantastic cocktails and a delicious meal at the new Alisan chinese restaurant near the new Wembley stadium. On arrival the place is a little daunting and characterless due to it's size but it has a lively atmosphere (probably due to the 2 for 1 cocktails we had with the Dim Sum snacks!)

A good tip is to go for the set menus - it's saves a lot of reading of the extensive menu!! The veggies amongst us can highly recommend the veg set menu - a big thumbs up!

Pera, 411a Holloway Road London N7 6HJ

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 21:04:06 +0000

Address:
411a Holloway Road London N7 6HJ

Review:

This was our sixth or seventh visit to Pera, and I thought it was time to review it for you. My last visit, with my friend E, on Saturday lunch time, was fine. Not cheap, but the room is nice, the service pleasant and the food - of the shish kebab and salad type - was acceptable.

L and I haven't been there for several months, and it is now quite different in the evening. Loud music, and lots of people sitting round drinking and smoking. Not talking much because the music is too loud. I ordered one of the special lamb kebabs and and Efes beer, L ordered falafel and a bottle of Perrier. When the food finally arrived, I got chicken - a very dry piece of grilled chicken breast, with a salad and a mound of rice. The waiter disappeared, his colleague said that what the order. I said I was hungry, so would eat it. Four bowls of sauce came on a plate, as they had on Saturday, but to my disgust, the garlicky yoghourt sauce I'd enjoyed three days ago had been finished, and the pot just topped up without being washed, so there was dried crust of old sauce round the inside. The mayonnaise had not been covered and had a dark yellow skin. I dug some from underneath because that was the driest chicken I have ever encountered.

Ottolenghi, 267 Upper Street London N1 2TZ

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 12:02:04 +0000

Address:
267 Upper Street London N1 2TZ

Review:

They’ve just opened and had a lot of press, but before you call me a foodie fashion victim, they’re also on the 43 bus route, and so am I. The shop front is a work of art in itself, with a gorgeous display of home made breads, cakes and salads on sale to take away.

In the restaurant there are just two large white melamine tables, round which everyone sits. And everyone gets the same starter, they bring it regardless unless you ask them not to. As it happens, it’s brilliant: three different kinds of home made bread, on a board with olive oil; a shot glass each of aubergine puree, a generous portion of green lentil salad and a small herb and roasted pine nut salad. One of the breads had small, sour plums in it – much better than it sounds. My Seven Hour Cooked Lamb with root vegetables was a big joint of meat, perfectly cooked and falling off the bone, with sweet potato, a roast onion, parsnips, spud and carrot - a massive plateful which I couldn’t finish, while L’s Prawns and Scallops in a Thai sauce didn’t look much but he had to struggle to finish it. The waiter (a young woman, but we don’t say actress or manageress any more, do we, so I’ve made a policy decision to drop “waitress”) was quite happy to fix me a doggy bag, she just put it in a carton from the deli counter in the front. Which left me a bit of space for pud. The chocolate brownie with crème fraiche ice cream was more than enough for two, which is just as well cos I had to fight for every spoonful. “It’s not often I think a dessert is worth six quid” he said, by way of excuse. (There’s this squid, shivering on the Ocean Bed. “What’s the matterwith you ?” asks a passing shark “I’ve got a headache and a runny nose and I feel awful” said the squid. “Don’t you worry, little squid, just jump on my back and I’ll take you home”, said the kindly shark, but instead of taking him home, he swam up to the Great Barracuda and said “Here’s that sick squid I owe you”)

New Taj Mahal, Kings Cross Road, London WC1

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 11:46:10 +0000

Address:
Kings Cross Road, London WC1

Review:
I was no where near drunk enough to choose this. It looked and sounded pretty bad but my friend insisted she had heard it was "supposed to be nice". The decor was absurd, the prices even more so (over £40 for the 2 of us and we didn't have very much). Sadly, the food also fights for a foreign power. And at the end of the meal, we were enticed to stay by the comedy horror extravaganza of the menu; The Floater Coffee (I didn't dare ask).

Nam Bistro, 326, Upper St London N1 2XQ

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 11:39:26 +0000

Address:
326, Upper St London N1 2XQ

Review:

Its always empty and the service is always slightly dreamy, but Nam Bistro serves some of the best Vietnamese food in London. Vegetarian Spring Rolls came with shards of crispy lettuce, coriander and mint and a spicy chilli dip, while main courses of chicken curry and sizzling seafood were delightful. We resisted the "palate-tickling chicken with honey and ginger" but have noted it for the next time. A huge list of one-plate meals were also available to keep the prices well within our budget. A real quiet gem. M