HERE’S AN A-Z OF GLOBAL EATING
You can eat around the world in Islington’s cafes and restaurants. If you’d like to send in a short review for this A-Z of cuisines, please contact Islington Faces. Ideally 
please include a pic of you (your friends) at the restaurant or a scene from your eating odyssey. 

  • During 2017 the eateries tried include: French, Lebanese, Moroccan, Scandi-Russian
  • In 2018 restaurants/cafes visited included: Thai
  • In 2019 places I ate included: vegetarian, vegan

PLANT BASED DELICIOUSNESS at Wild Food Cafe @wildfoodcafe_islington
269-270 Upper Street, N1 (closed Mondays)
Review following a free lunch for Islington Faces (January 2019).

Wild Food Café is a restaurant, so not the place to pop into with your laptop for a working coffee while nearby Euphorium is shut. (c) islington faces

Since mid December Supper Street, as Upper Street is known by foodies, now boasts the second branch of the Wild Food CafĂ©. Wild Food CafĂ©, famous with both vegans and instagrammers in Covent Garden (Neal’s Yard) specialises in plant-based food. I’d thought it might be an over-priced gimmick until I went for lunch at @wildfoodcafe_islington opposite Udderlicious. It is now my absolute favourite – a restaurant with great-looking, great tasting food, beautifully styled decor and real thought about sustainability. This review details my lunch. I hope you’ll go there, try it and let Islington Faces know.

Inside the Wild Food Cafe’s dark green tiled theatre kitchen looks beautiful with its wood fired pizza oven (for gluten free pizza) and countertop hang outs for the guests who just want to try the seven-layered, lemony raw rainbow cheesecake, again. (c) islington faces

It was Michael Pollan’s food books which taught me the three rules of healthy eating: eat food, mostly plants, not too much. Recently it’s been made very clear that we all need to eat far more vegetables, less sugar and next-to no meat if we want to share a sustainable world. Until my first lunch trip to the Wild Food CafĂ© I thought I was acing these guidelines. But it turns out that there are many more ways to create amazing dishes from sustainably sourced ingredients if you have an imaginative chef. In the case of the Wild Food CafĂ© (which is a restaurant), even one lunch could be seen as a tutorial in how to eat better. It’s also a perfect place to take your friends who are gluten free, your daughter who is vegan, your new baby (so you can benefit from the health-giving juices) or a full-on celebration enjoyed with a seaweed gin. It would be a fabulous place for a date too as there’s so much to talk about. Or maybe you’ll be one of the many on a repeat visit, quite possibly forced to return just to have another piece of their heavenly seven-layered, lemony raw rainbow cheesecake.

Bowl food looking great at the Wild Food Cafe islington, this is Queen of the Forest. (c) islington faces

Once I’ve been seated at a table in the cosy back section of the Wild Food CafĂ© the super-knowledgeable waitress, Alia arrived to explain the “plant based” menu carefully. Many things are raw, all the flatbreads and 10″pizzas are gluten free while some items are served cold, like the patty in the Wild Green Burger. Given that it was Thursday lunchtime on a bitter January day I wanted warming food and definitely not pizza, although this is a hugely popular choice (approx ÂŁ13).

Nothing on the menu is meant to arrive steaming, instead it’s all about taste and certainly the distinctive sea tang from my starter, Scallops of King Oyster – a combo of mushroom, seaweed and tartare sauce was intriguing. One dish down and all I wanted was more ways to eat mostly raw plants.  My favourite dish was my main, Queen of the Forest, served in an earthenware bowl with a gorgeous blue glaze. Alia recommended eating this with a dippable flat bread (gluten free and spread with pesto) and she was right. The combination of coconut, fried plantain, tiny Romanesco (which look like mini trees) with crunchy seeds and nuts was so good. I loved the way the wild rice was in the centre of the bowl too, lapped by a mouth-watering sauce.

The shades of the raw rainbow cheesecake are a delight. (c) islington faces

I had lunch with a hard working colleague, Val, who arrived super-stressed and late. Despite this the Wild Food Cafe staff were unphased at helping her order (while I was already eating) and also suggested we share our choices. With so many things on her mind Val just glanced at the menu picking a starter of White polenta with sweet potato foam and then a dessert. I’m not sure Val felt the polenta was a huge success, but real magic happened when the raw rainbow cheesecake appeared in shades that will surely soon beat Islingtonian home owners’ love of Farrow & Ball. Before Val was half way through this amazing pudding (made I think from almond or other ground nuts) it was clear she’d relaxed so much that she suddenly noticed the playlist had been hijacked by songbirds. She still had to leave in a hurry for her next meeting, but after that cheesecake she left with a replenished spirit. That left me enjoying another raw dessert choice, the Matcha Moss cheesecake topped with a truffle sized collection of toasted seeds. Delicious – and a real treat to have cheesecake which was my teenage self’s favourite food but as I don’t really eat dairy has been off menu for me for some years.

At Wild Food Cafe Matcha moss cheesecake was a perfect green dessert, loved the green dots of sauce too. It was all so tasty that by the last crumbs I was using my finger to clean the plate. I also enjoyed a Vibrant Green juice. Both so good. (c) islington faces

Plus points? That raw rainbow cheesecake, but there are many other things to love about the Wild Food CafĂ© including the fact that vegetarians and vegans (and those trying Veganuary) can have anything on the menu. It serves seasonal food and shows diners what that is via the first page of the menu. Where possible everything is local, organic or dehydrated. And there are the party pieces: the micro herbs from dandelions to nettles, the tasty foams and the ingredients you simply haven’t yet heard about (camu camu) or have no idea where to buy (mooli, cacao nibs).

Drawbacks? ÂŁÂŁÂŁ because this is where you treat yourself! The starters were about ÂŁ9, mains around ÂŁ14 and the desserts approx ÂŁ8 (thought the doughnuts are ÂŁ5). You probably should book beforehand too, especially for the end of week brunch. It’s probably a bit pricier than Islington’s oldest veggie restaurant, the Gate, and a bit more relaxed than Niche, one of our gluten free fine dining options near Sadler’s Wells – but it might also be introducing you to a new cuisine world. Back home it was time to make dinner for the family and I looked at my stolid cooking created from a veggie box but with less enthusiasm than usual, because once you have tried this deliciousness at the Wild Food Cafe you will understand Edmund from The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe’s compulsion to do anything for another taste… His downfall was Turkish delight, whereas I’m ready to sell my soul for another dish of raw rainbow cheesecake. Oh yes!

Anything to change? Well it would be nice if there was at least one English wine on the menu (even though perhaps certified organic would be hard to source). I like to keep my food miles down and know that there are plenty of fantastic English vineyards. But if English grown is your thing too, then there’s plenty of choices for gin and craft beer.

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French cafe – Belle Epoque at Newington Green. (c) islington faces

FRENCH
Belle Epoque, 37 Newington Green, N16 http://belleepoque.co.uk

THE FOOD: Classic French cafĂ© but
 with friendly staff (sorry for even making out that French waiters can be a tad unfriendly). Belle Epoque is a wonderful place to go, especially if you want to feel as if you’ve hopped on to the Eurostar and are now in France without having had to queue at passport control. The food always looks gorgeous, especially the range of cakes. Serves London’s most delicious almond croissants, 10/10.

THE ATMOSPHERE: You order at the counter but usually the staff bring your dish over. It’s a place where people meet and also sit with laptops.

DID YOU KNOW: They create foodie hampers at Christmas time. Always worth popping in around holidays to buy chocolate treats, eg, Easter eggs and Halloween skulls. Go after the big day has passed and you may be able to buy something cheaper.

VERDICT: Feels expensive but is definitely memorable, and far cheaper than going to France. I especially like going there on a late winter afternoon when it’s dark outside – there’s something very cosy about Belle Epoque in the rain too.

COST: I paid ÂŁ12 for a hot chocolate, pot of plum/cinnamon tea (nice!) and an almond croissant (all to eat in) plus a take away chicken and leek tart that is designed for one but we quartered back home.

LEBANESE

Lebanese – Gadz at Finsbury Park. (c) islington faces

1) Gadz, 44 Clifton Terrace, N4.

It’s where the buses stop to let passengers out on the Wells Terrace side of Finsbury Park tube station.

THE FOOD: Gadz serves reviving drinks (coffee/tea) and great food – falafel and a huge, colourful dish of Lebanese salad with tabbouleh, rice, hummus and more decorated with some jewel bright pomegranate seeds. You can order a spicy or non-spicy version. I shared mine with an Iranian friend, washed down with fresh mint tea. We both really liked our meal.

THE ATMOSPHERE: It’s a place where you can meet anyone, although there’s definitely more Jeremy Corbyn supporters here than in other cafes. Gadz is the original JC fanboy. There are pix of Jeremy Corbyn in various poses displayed unironically. While I was eating there, a group around a nearby table were talking politics in a very assured way.

DID YOU KNOW: Gadz is also all about kindness. On an earlier visit he urged me to come back on Friday for the fundraiser he was holding for the Grenfell Tower survivors.

VERDICT: delicious home cooked food. Lots of vegetarian choices.

COST: I spent ÂŁ8 on two mint teas and a large Lebanese salad which two of us shared.

L-R: Working lunch at My Cottage Cafe: James West from West Creative with film maker Andy Davies and genius photographer Chris Stokes. (c) islington faces

2) MYCOTTAGE CAFE, 10a Clifton Terrace, N4
Appropriately – given that this is right by Finsbury Park bus station – Clifton Terrace doesn’t just have one fantastic Lebanese restaurant, it has two. MyCottage has a very particular look, lots of wooden tables, cushioned benches and rustically decorated walls. You can eat in or use the take away option tel, 020 7272 6343.

THE FOOD: Plenty of Lebanese favourites. I went for a falafel (possibly the dullest choice, but very delicious) and an excellent mint tea, served at just the right temperature and packed with fresh mint leaves. In the end three of us picked falafel wraps while Chris went for a lamb wrap. Also ordered by my colleagues, thick lentil soup. I tried a spoonful and found it so tasty that I’ll definitely pick it next time. Also batata harra – spice cubes of roast potatoes. Plus there was an extra basket of warm triangles of pitta and a basket of toasted Lebanese bread (basically deep fried pitta). Everything was delicious.

ATMOSPHERE: What a treat – this was part of a working lunch hosted by James West from West Creative and he kindly paid the whole bill. Even better we’d done all the brainstorming in the Park Theatre next door so this was all foodie chit chat, what to look forward to in 2018 and app swapping. I was introduced to Ditty – a fab way of putting a catchphrase to music, and a gif, with minimal effort. My family are going to love my newly learnt skills. James also recommended ITTT, If This Then That, which helps give you Twitter replies etc. Other app suggestions from my lunching companions included Receipt Bank, Excel and Kashflow.

COST: Four people, ÂŁ43.95 without a tip, seems good value. Especially if you aren’t paying for it yourself. Big thanks to James. When’s the next lunch meeting?

MOROCCAN

Tea ceremony and Moroccan treats at HOM – House of Morocco. (c) Islington Faces

HOM – House of Morocco, 82 Caledonian Road, N1 (the King’s Cross end, approx. opposite Housman’s Bookshop). https://www.houseofmorocco.co.uk

THE FOOD: You have to try the harissa haloumi, and it’s probably best in the flat bread/wrap served with salad. It’s a good place for coffee, a healthy juice or a range of sandwiches/cakes.

THE ATMOSPHERE: This little family-run cafĂ© is so welcoming. There’s a definite Moroccan vibe – not just the food, but most of the staff know Morocco well. Plus this is the place to see – and maybe buy – some beautiful coloured Moroccan pottery including couscous and salad bowls. There are also rugs and bags on sale. It’s not a souk but it’s definitely a good place to go shopping. Expect to find plenty of uni students in here too.

VERDICT: I loved my trip here and lingered over proper Moroccan mint tea eaten with a very delicious cinnamon biscuit.

COST: Good value for a King’s Cross venue.

Scandi Russian pop up at Greenhouse, Newington Green. (c) islington faces

SCANDI-RUSSIAN
Feest at Greenhouse,
49 Green Lanes, N16  https://worldfeest.wordpress.com http://www.thegreenhouselondon.com

Mishki was a Saturday pop-up at the interesting Greenhouse cafĂ© (Feest) and workspace off Newington Green where you’ll find the cafĂ©, work spaces and rooms for yoga etc. It’s just by Tesco.

THE FOOD: On the menu: borscht (beef or vegan), a fish platter of cured salmon, pickled herring, smoked mackerel – unusual food that wanted to be tried. My 16-year-old chose the fluffy mini pancakes which you dip into cinnamon sugar and crùme fraiche. She was wowed. Like her I wasn’t actually that hungry – we were hiding from the rain and lucked out by finding this pop up. So, I went for hot mulled wine, with cinnamon stick, and was frankly stunned to find a piece of beetroot in my drink. I’m not sure if a Scandi-Russian would eat the fruit in their glass, but I did and it was delicious. I’d definitely try using beetroot at home instead of a piece of orange.

THE ATMOSPHERE: The Greenhouse is a really lovely space – it’s very light and filled with greenery. All the walls have unique painted motifs and there are lots of options for cosy, deep chats. In the winter, it can be a bit cold but there are rugs on some of the chairs/sofas so you can wrap them around you to stay toasty.

VERDICT: I always think it’s easier to spend money on food that looks hard to make at home – pickled fish and pelmeni are not things I’ve tried creating. This pop-up reminded me to be spontaneous.

COST: Mains from ÂŁ4.50 (soup) to ÂŁ7.50 (pelmeni dumplings).

FIND: Facebook.com/mishkifood   insta/twitter @mishki_food

Nan True Thai at Nag’s Head Market, open daily from 11am-9pm (c) islington faces

THAI
NAN True Thai
at Nag’s Head Market, Unit 16-17, 22 Seven Sisters Road, N7 6AG http://nantruethai.co.uk

Nag’s Head Market has food stalls open every night until 9pm. You knew that? Lucky you. There are loads of stalls selling delicious street food, and of course pizza. You can sit inside some of the stalls but Nan has two table benches outside its kitchen. Expect plenty of Deliveroo rushing for pick ups.

Freshly cooked Pad Thai at Nan True Thai. (c) islington faces

THE FOOD: I wanted Pad Thai (tofu version was ÂŁ6.50). It was completely delicious, and cooked freshly in front of me (well I heard the sizzling and busy chatter in the kitchen), served up with garnish and a smattering of crushed peanuts on the side on a blue china plate. Perfect meal. Really glad to celebrate my birthday there.

THE ATMOSPHERE: Nag’s Head Market is special anyway, but these food stalls really make it a go-to foodie destination. Or go if you’re a hipster. The blue and white tiling and paint work in the market looks good and Nan itself is spotless.

VERDICT: Best Thai I’ve eaten!

COST: Good value, see prices in the menu here. Open daily 11am-9pm.

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PLEASE NOTE: Reviews below are about food or services available in Islington, London. Any entry below will have been sponsored by the company. This means the company will have approached Islington Faces for a review. Any cost will have been met entirely by the company. Do let me know if this is a helpful page. You might also enjoy the suggestions on Go Out Locally (see top).

RESTAURANT REVIEWS 2015-16
Below you will find reviews by Nicola Baird
*Jamie’s Italian Angel, *Brewhouse & Kitchen Highbury, 2015
*ASK Italian, *Zia Lucia, 2016
*Highbury Arts Club (reviewed by Isabel VanderGert – Wilson) 2015

ASK Italian, Upper Street, N1 (c) islington faces

ASK Italian, Upper Street, N1 which is trialling tasty, Italian-style breakfasts during summer 2016 (c) islington faces

ASK ITALIAN – pop up breakfast
Website: https://www.askitalian.co.uk/restaurant/london-islington
Address: 52 Upper Street, N1
Open: for breakfast July-September 2016 from 8am-12 noon. Also open for lunch and dinner. Mon- and Sun until 10pm, and on Sat closing at 11pm.
Location: spacious one floor restaurant and when the weather is right, at a sunny terrace away from Upper Street’s traffic just by the Business Design Centre.
Review by Nicola Baird: visited 19 July (tuesday with 3 guests) from 10am-12 noon. Published July 2016

An Italian breakfast feast at ASK Italian.

An Italian breakfast feast at ASK Italian. The frittata was my breakfast and it was magnificent. (c) islington faces

Read all about it: Throughout July, August and September just 10 branches of ASK Italian are serving breakfast from 8am-12 noon. Fortunately for Islington our branch is part of the pop up trial.

20160719_101904 (1)Breakfast with an Italian twist – eg, blueberry jam, nutella and banana pancakes and smoked prosciutto – is a lovely way to feel that you are on holiday in laid back Italy, especially with the temperature at 28 degrees in Upper Street.

I was very happy with my black coffee, sour dough toast (ÂŁ2.75) and a spinach and mushroom frittata with spicy tomato dip (ÂŁ5.95). I also loved the way our conversation flowed around eating, the joys of Europe and tales of the times when Islington builders used to add a mummified cat between floors rather than a bresummer beam (see why in this Islington Faces interview with Marco Wouters from Angel Flowers which is just behind the Business Design Centre). Because ASK is just off traffic-choked Upper Street and has a generous-sized terrace overlooking flowerbeds, and our table was under a huge sun/rain shade the four of us spent two hours dawdling over a tasty breakfast. And by the way my frittata looked better than the other choices – always nice to pick exactly what you want to eat…

So what did my guests think of their breakfast?

Snapchat then eat at ASK Italian with Yasmin and Nell (just out of the picture)

La Dolce Vita: snapchat your envy-making breakfast of pancake and croissant, and only then eat at ASK Italian with Yasmin and Nell. (c) Islington Faces

Yasmin, 18 (family friend)
“I’ve not come across restaurants doing breakfast before. I used to live in Essex Road so I’ve been here before as I prefer ASK to the other Italian chains nearby because it is good value and good food. I’m so full now, not sure when I’ll next need to eat! My breakfast – the Full Vegetarian Italian (ÂŁ6.95) was really good, except my roast potatoes which were cold whereas Nell’s were hot. I liked the raspberry lemonade very much. I’ll definitely do breakfast here again with my friends, perhaps instead of dinner.”

Selfie after a huge, delicious breakfast at the start of the school holidays. Nell is on the right. (c) islington faces

Selfie after a huge, delicious ASK Italian breakfast at the start of the school holidays. Nell is on the right. (c) islington faces

Nell, 15 (daughter)
“It feels like the summer holidays! I thought the nutella and banana pancakes (ÂŁ4.95) were delicious. If you have a sweet tooth it’s the one to go for. The raspberry lemonade was so nice and refreshing!

“I chose the full Italian breakfast (ÂŁ7.95) and there was a lot of food. I liked the sausage, which had a different flavour to English sausages, and my egg was so sunny with it’s delectable runny yolk. It’s expensive for me and my friends to come here, but I liked this trip with my mum.”

Priti at ASK Italia (c) islington faces

Priti breakfasting at ASK Italian (c) islington faces

Priti, 59 (book group friend)
“I really wanted to try the truffle-flavoured hollandaise with two poached eggs on sour dough toast (ÂŁ5.95) and it was yummy. The blueberry jam which came with the croissant (ÂŁ2.50) was delicious and runny, not hard, so you can dip in bits of croissant. The raspberry lemonade was tasty and refreshing; the service from Sebastian excellent and I was impressed that I got an Americano with the cold milk that I wanted – the staff pay attention.

“If I wanted to impress someone over breakfast I’d gladly take them here. It feels more like a treat than a cafĂ©, even though it’s not more expensive.”

SHOULD YOU GO?
Yes! Breakfast is my favourite meal so no surprise that I thought this offer from ASK Italian was great. The prices would fit my budget (in this case the restaurant kindly paid); the food was really tasty with a nice Italian twist and there was a good selection of dishes – I still haven’t seen the ASK Italian granola but I bet that was lovely. However it’s the location that is so good at ASK Italian, as it is just off busy Upper Street between the Business Design Centre and the side entrance of Angel Central so handy if you are on a shopping mission, but also neatly tucked away from the traffic.

ZIA LUCIA
website: http://zialucia.com
address: 157 Holloway Road, N7
open: Tues-Sun 11.30am-11.30pm.
location: opposite Ronald’s Road
review by Nicola Baird: visited 30 June, 8-10.15pm (thursday). Published July 2016

20160630_202203 (1)Read all about it: The striped awning outside Zia Lucia on Holloway Road are yet another signal that this bit of Islington (sometimes known as LoHo is gentrifying fast). This pizza place opened in June – a decent space of polished old bricks and a wooden floor. A nice local touch is that the wooden tables are made by Gathering Moss, which is based on Blackstock Road.

Zia Lucia is a pizza place and being a serious lover of all things bread (and especially pizza) I of course loved it.

The pizzas are delicious – and inspired by the real life Italian Lucia, who seems to be the three business partners’ honorary aunt (at least that’s how one of the trio, Claudio explained it to me). Lovely Lucia has even got a starring role on their website, which adds a homely touch, see http://zialucia.com/. It’s also nice that the pizzas are cooked in a vast red and white tiled pizza oven, nicknamed Dante, which dominates the theatre kitchen. Zia Lucia specialises in offering a choice of 48-hour slow fermented doughs, so you can have traditional, wholemeal, or gluten-free or even charcoal.

My meal was for review purposes. I arrived by bike hungry after a day of commuting and work (which involved two hours of cycling, one hour of walking and another of riding a horse – yes, this is work!) and so it was easy to eat three pizza based courses.

20160630_202131STARTER
A dish of roast vegetables and a generous amount of achingly fresh mozzarella was served with toasted pizza (forgive my lack of Italian food knowledge). You’ll find it listed as burrata. A lovely dish to get the conversation flowing.

20160630_210641MAINS
The vegetable charcoal pizza base is very black but it tastes just like any pizza base and it’s allegedly a superfood. I didn’t feel that it was the most instagrammable item on the table, but I enjoyed it with both a vegetable topping and an original vegan topping which used a pumpkin sauce instead of cheese. It was lovely! There were meat eaters with me who seemed in 7th heaven trying a wholemeal base topped with truffle oil and nduja (spicy pork sausage).

20160630_221239PUDDING
This was the star for me and I never really eat puddings. I will now, as at Zia Lucia I was offered a nutella-stuffed pizza crust with a topping of custard, strawberries and grapes drizzled with honey and served on a wooden board. To accompany this I had a tiny (that was my choice) glass of cold red (!) fizzy (!) wine that I completely adored. Almost from the first sip of the wine and taste of this fabulous dessert I was thinking I have to come back


THE WINES
I really liked the simplicity of choice at Zia Luccia. The wines I tried are from a single Italian estate known to the owners. There is a lot of prosecco (which I didn’t try), but also a white, a red and that magic sparkling red served cold.

SHOULD YOU GO?
The Italians not only invented slow food, they also helped bring much more delicious food choices to Islington. See this interview with Nina Marcangelo about Alfredo’s CafĂ© on Essex Road. The new generation of Italian food takes this a step further by offering a choice of bases (at last your gluten free friends can join you for pizza) prepared in a non-rushed way. Very good luck to this new venture, which opened in mid June 2016 – do go and try it!

JAMIE’S ITALIAN ANGEL
website: www.jamieoliver.com/italian/restaurants/islington
address: 409-411 St John Street, North Retail, Angel Building, EC1V 4AB. 020 3435 9915
open: Every day from 12 noon. Shuts 11pm Mon-Sat and at 10.30pm on Sun.
location: 5 mins from Angel tube (depends on the lights at the Co-operative Bank – be careful, this is still a hideously unsafe pedestrian crossing). It’s right by the 19 and 4 bus stop as they come into Angel. It’s almost opposite the Red Lion pub theatre.
review by Nicola Baird: visited 1 June, 12.30pm (monday). Published June 2015

summary: My lunch companion was the talented singer Hanisha Solomon. She’s a long-time friend of Islington Faces (she’s been interviewed here, and at our 2014 celebration of the 100th interview she performed at the King’s Head). Hanisha and I spent two hours eating lunch (eating, talking and taking selfies) and paid ÂŁ42 for our meal.

Hanisha Solomon shows off the menu. Nicola Baird (reviewing) takes notes at jamie's Italian Angel.

Hanisha Solomon shows off the menu. Nicola Baird (reviewing) takes notes at jamie’s Italian Angel. (c) Hanisha Solomon for Islington Faces blog

Read all about it…
Jamie’s Italian in Angel is a vast two-floored eating emporium. It’s been open since 2000 so I’ve been to it before with my husband and daughter, Nell. It was Nell who raved about it that time – so she was put out when I told her that I’d been invited to review lunch at the restaurant, but I was going on a school day, and not with her. Jamie’s Italian is brilliant to take children – especially for weekend lunches – but it’s also a nice place to go when you’re not with kids.

My Monday lunch guest was the talented singer Hanisha Solomon. She’s a long-time friend of Islington Faces (she’s been interviewed see here, and at our 2014 celebration of the 100th interview she performed at the King’s Head). Hanisha and I spent two hours eating lunch (eating, talking and taking selfies) and paid ÂŁ42 for our meal. So what did we eat?

Sharing plank

Sharing plank balanced on two unopened tins of tomatoes. (c) Islington Faces blog

Course #1 – antipasti
I wanted to try the sharing plank. It seems so crazy putting food on a bit of wood, rather than a plate, but as we walked into the restaurant we passed a variety of planks on sale in the “shop”. You could have meat or vegetarian, so I ordered the veggie option for both of us. This meant Hanisha didn’t have to worry if pork had been served (which she doesn’t eat), and as I’m a vegetarian it was nice to be able to discuss what we were both eating.

Hanisha and I have quite different food backgrounds: she grew up in Ethiopia with the famous injera bread – which you tear off with your right hand and then mop up the tasty stew (wot) on your plate. I grew up in the 1970s when spaghetti came out of yellow Heinz tins and the tomato sauce was a distinctive orange hue (sort of Lib Dem). So we were both a bit puzzled when the waitress took our order and then came back with two unopened cans of tinned tomatoes. I got quite excited thinking they might be a gift, as it was just what I planned to buy at the corner shop on the way home in order to make my teenagers’ dinner when they got back from school.

Turns out the tins are for balancing the plank on.

I kept worrying I’d knock it over upturning everything: the cheese on a snappy homemade cracker, a dish of mozzarella, a medlee of aubergine, olives, capers in the centre of the board, an elegant dish of cabbage coleslaw. There was also another cracker with something super tasty on that I gobbled up without managing to photograph, or note down (oops).

We accompanied our plank with artisan bread (ÂŁ3.95). There were breadsticks, focaccia and at least three other breads, which Hanisha and I tore up and dipped into lovely olive oil with a swirl of balsamic in its centre.

It was living in Islington that taught me how to dip my bread. But it was Jamie’s cooking shows (eg, the Naked Chef) that showed me all I needed to make my kitchen miracles was a nice bottle of olive oil. Lovely Jubbly


Overall verdict for the sharing plank (£6.95 per person) was it was great
 except the sour style selection. I took the bits we hadn’t eaten home (the rule is always carry a Tupperware container), but my kids weren’t that impressed either. I think it might be a taste you need to develop. I could imagine practicing eating the sharing plank choices and starting to get more and more into slightly sour aubergine, capers etc. Perhaps this bit of the plank is for a sophisticated palate?

My pasta choice - Norma spaghetti with rich aubergine sauce.

My pasta choice – Norma spaghetti with rich aubergine sauce. (c) Islington Faces blog

Course #2 – main course
I never order off-menu, and rarely even look at the specials, but when our waitress explained in her lovely Italian accent that Norma – the special aubergine spaghetti – was her favourite, and probably named after the woman who first made this dish, I picked it. It was delicious, and definitely tasted like something I would have struggled to make as well at home: my pasta dishes are fuel picked because of the speed I can get them from pot to teenager.

Special fish at Jamie's Italian. "Delicious," according to Hanisha Solomon.

Special fish at Jamie’s Italian. “Absolutely tasty,” according to Hanisha Solomon. (c) Islington Faces blog

Hanisha opted for the pan-fried coley with agroddie peppers and focaccia crostini (ÂŁ13.50).

Having the menu half-written in Italian really slows down the choosing process. I didn’t really want to ask what all the Italian meant, so had guessed that focaccia crostini was just a posh way of saying breaded fish. It was in fact a very sophisticated, generous coley portion served with a massive slice of bread (as if you’d cut your baguette long-ways).

And it was good. After the meal had settled Hanisha sent me a note to say: “The food is truly fresh & absolutely tasty, the staff were so friendly & we had a great day.”

I love to read the dessert menu - but am usually too full to manage to choose something from it! This was the case at jamie's Italian Angel.

I love to read the dessert menu – but am usually too full to manage to choose something from it! This was the case at jamie’s Italian Angel. (c) Islington Faces

Course #3 – pudding, cheese, coffee, petits fours etc
Seriously do you think we could eat anything more after a plank, artisan bread and a main courses at Jamie’s? Hanisha may be able to belt out huge songs, but she is tiny-framed. Even my hearty appetite, boosted by cycling to the restaurant, was maxed out. So we looked at the dessert menu and both reckoned it could be the Epic Brownie, but we didn’t order. Instead we said our goodbyes and left. This meant meeting the manager – another friendly Italian, this time an AC Milan-fan (whose name I didn’t get).

The staff, loos & lifts
I like the way Jamie’s Italian Angel has recruited so many Italian staff. As our waitress Alice (you need to call her Al-e-cha) said: “I’ve worked in Turkish restaurants and I liked the food. But here I love the food, it is my home food and I can sell it. I know it.”

With about half the staff (this was Alice’s estimate) being Italian then it seems that if you want to learn Italian, or get that Tuscany feel Islington used to be so famous for promoting, then the waiters and waitresses are another reason – besides the menu – to go to Jamie’s.

Although the restaurant looks difficult to negotiate there are lifts for anyone who can’t use stairs. Contact the restaurant if you need to ask about what’s available. As for the toilets – they’re plenty of them so a whole gaggle can wee together. Another way of thinking about this is that there is plenty of space in the loos if you need to escort your children to them.

Rationale: what’s so great about Jamie’s Italian
In general I try to support the independents. Many of the interviews on Islington Faces are with business people going it alone with a real eye on the profit and loss sheet. Sometimes they can employ people, sometimes they have to work on their own and seem in danger of burning themselves out. But for me Jamie’s Italian triggers a different response. Yes, it’s a chain: the first one opened in Oxford in 2008, and there are now 30+. But:

  • It’s run by St Jamie (well his empire) – the man who learnt his skills at his family’s Essex pub, The Cricketers in Clavering. Been there for a drink thanks to my husband Pete May’s obsession with real ale and Essex, see his book The Joy of Essex.
  • He set up the amazing Fifteen at Old Street (15 Westland Place, N1, ie, in Islington) which still gives young chefs experience in the kitchen. Many go on to run their own catering outfits. Been there for a memorable lunch years ago, thanks to author/writer Bee Rowlatt (now living in New Delhi, India but with her next book In Search of Mary due out in October 2015).
  • And he’s done so much to get our kids’ school dinners up to standard. See the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation, begun in 2002 with focus on growing and cooking food in primary school; teaching people to cook via the Ministry of Food, plus the apprentice programme at Fifteen.
  • He deserves thanks for turning all these dreams into reality. Thank you Jamie!
Just before finishing up my lovely pasta dish at Jamie's Italian Angel. The bowl has a very lovely pattern and feel.

Just before finishing up my lovely pasta dish at Jamie’s Italian Angel. The bowl has a very lovely pattern and feel. (c) Islington Faces

Back to lunch, or dinner…
Back in food blogging mode I reckon Jamie’s Italian Angel is a great choice if you’re going out in Islington for a meal. Go with family and friends. Book ahead (on line) if you need to guarantee a big table. There are so many restaurants on Supper Upper Street, but nowhere with as much space as Jamie’s Italian Angel. That may not swing it for you, the food’s the thing after all. But in Islington we are often all so crowded that being able to eat out with a load of mates – or your extended family – is a proper treat.

Admittedly Hanisha and I both thought ÂŁ42 was a vast amount to spend on lunch, but the lovely food and relaxed atmosphere made it very special. Even on a Monday when we went half the first floor tables were busy. I know I’d like to take my mum there for a treat one day soon. And perhaps if my daughter Nell saves up her babysitting money she might take me?

 

BREWHOUSE & KITCHEN HIGHBURY
website: www.brewhouseandkitchen.com
address: 2a Calabria Road, N5
open: please check website
location: 2 mins from Highbury & Islington station/tube. Opposite the Hen & Chickens, just off Highbury Corner roundabout.
review by Nicola Baird: visited 6 June, 6.30-8.30 (sat). Published June 2015

summary: this was a pre-launch of the craft beer chain B&K (which stands for brewhouse and kitchen). I went with my husband Pete May (who loves real ale) and climate change communications expert George Marshall who was stopping off in Islington after addressing the UN in Bonn (read his great book Don’t Even Think About It: why our brains are wired to ignore climate change). Author Pete May is a long-time friend of Islington Faces (he was interviewed on stage abut his Dr Who obsession at our 2014 celebration of the 100th interview at the King’s Head).

The 19 now has a craft beer named after it. Take that 73 which has a toy shop in Stoke Newington!

The 19 now has a craft beer named after it at Brewhouse & Kitchen Highbury. Take that 73 which has a toy shop in Stoke Newington!

Read all about it…

The Brewhouse & Kitchen garden has been improved. It was always a sun trap (remember sitting outside at the Tramshed), but it's now less exposed to the Highbury Corner traffic.

The Brewhouse & Kitchen garden has been improved. It was always a sun trap (remember sitting outside at the Tramshed), but it’s now less exposed to the Highbury Corner traffic.

The three of us spent two hours at this craft beer specialist on one of its pre-opening evenings. We tried all sorts of craft beers brewed on site including 19 (after the bus); Romford Pele (ironic nickname of ex Arsenal player Ray Parlour), Tramshed (because this is the site which used to house Islington’s trams) and Goalscorer (that’s for our Arsenal FA cup winning side for two years in a row). The paddle of three beers allows you to try different craft beers and quaff a bit less than pints/half pints if there are three of you.

This is all about craft beer: you can’t miss the huge vats where the beer is brewed. Kegs for around ÂŁ30 are on sale, so you can carry your favourite local tipple home. Brewhouse & Kitchen Highbury is a chain – and the decor has a very chain look – but it is a cavernous place which now has a lovely garden.

You can take children there judging by the availability of highchairs, note that the women’s loos are downstairs but the men’s are up two flights of stairs.

I liked Brewhouse & Kitchen and I’m looking forward to interviewing the brewer and to finding out what the brewhouse experience (where you brew your own beer) is like. It serves food – think burgers and ribs. The choice for vegetarians was limited to olives and pickles, hopefully this will change else. Good luck to this new venture.

HIGHBURY ARTS CLUB
website: highbury arts club.com  facebook @highburyartsclb
address: 73 Highbury Park, N5
open: see website
location: Highbury Barn opposite St Joan of Arc church
review by Isabel VanderGert – Wilson: visited 9 June, 11:30am (Tuesday)

summary: Isabel VanderGert – Wilson was interning at Islington Faces when she wrote this review of the Highbury Arts Club. This is her first food review.

Isabel VanderGert - Wilson takes a long look at the delicious Sydney breakfast at Highbury Arts Club.

Isabel VanderGert – Wilson takes a long look at the delicious Sydney breakfast at Highbury Arts Club.

Read all about it…

The ambience of a place is always a clincher and the Highbury Arts Club has it down to a T – moody yet inviting. You can tell owner Simon Moore places great importance on having artistic influences as there is weekly live music, regular art exhibitions, and a creative atmosphere. The vibe gives the small cafĂ© depth. The music playing a notch louder than most cafĂ©s would dare, wouldn’t have been so good if it hadn’t been for the perfectly chosen songs selected by Moore’s 22-year-old son. The use of space is innovative too, a large central table saves space but also enables one to easily strike up a conversation with a fellow customer.

menu

Tapas menu. (c) Highbury Arts Club

The menu focuses more on quality than having a wide selection – often a sign that dishes are of a higher standard. This is especially the case at the Highbury Arts Club given that most of the choices on the menu were Moore’s own creation. I had the Sydney breakfast which, if I had ever been to Australia I am sure would take me straight down memory lane.

As it was the elegant twist on a fry up has ensured I’ll be straight back to the Highbury Arts Club.

(c) Highbury Arts Club

(c) Highbury Arts Club

Fresh sour dough bread topped with perfectly cooked and full-flavoured bacon with steamed spinach, grated parmesan and, to top it all off an Egg Benedict that was, expertly cooked. The egg was cooked just right so that yolk oozed out and on to the sandwich below adding flavour to the bacon and parmesan, eventually getting soaked up by the generous slice of bread – an incredible take on an open-topped sandwich. All this was prepared swiftly by the cook, and garnished with rocket with a lovely chilli dressing. I ate it with a green tea to cut the overall denseness of the breakfast.

If you’re looking for a snack over a coffee or some tapas and wine you could also pop into the Highbury Arts Club. I am sure they will not disappoint if the looks of the freshly home made blueberry cakes and the European wine that comes from sustainable viniculture, are anything to go by.

  • This is a sponsored review of Highbury Arts Club