So Islington’s Upper Street really is on the up food wise; you’ve got Oldroyd, Bellanger, Galley, MEATliquor. And now there’s Chinese Laundry. Everything about the place feels cool but not in a try hard way. There are two small “dining rooms” at the front and out the back with a small bar in the middle. It felt like we were perching on stalls in the … Continue reading Chinese Laundry, Islington
Islington’s Upper Street is slowly starting to become more than just a giant stretch of chains. Thanks to Oldroyd and Corbin and King’s Bellanger, it’s actually difficult choosing where to eat. That choice is now likely to get trickier with the addition of Galley. It’s a beautifully kitted out space; the open kitchen with a counter (that’s the best place to sit) is reminiscent of … Continue reading Galley, Islington
Bellanger is the new neighbourhood restaurant for the lucky folk of Islington from Corbin & King (the duo behind the Wolseley, Delaunay and Brasserie Zédel among others). It’s based in a former Browns, but what a transformation… It’s all dark wood panelled walls, white tablecloths and rattan chairs; glamorous yet not at all imposing. The bar area was reminiscent of a train carriage, the rest … Continue reading Bellanger, Islington
Oldroyd is the first solo restaurant from Tom Oldroyd (ex chef director for the Polpo group) and it’s based on Islington’s Upper Street – not a road exactly known for its culinary delights. It’s a super cute restaurant; downstairs has an open kitchen and a cafe-vibe (available for walk ins) and upstairs the cosy dining room takes bookings – hoorah! It might be small (and … Continue reading Oldroyd, Islington
I’d never heard of Le Mercury (a French restaurant in Islington) until a friend suggested it for a cheap and cheerful dinner. It’s been going strong for nearly thirty years and it’s so popular they’ve even opened a second restaurant down the road, Le Mercury Deuxieme, which serves exactly the same menu. It was packed when we arrived so we were seated in the upstairs … Continue reading Le Mercury, Islington
The Drapers Arms is a pub situated in a quiet residential street in Islington. As we pulled up outside it looked beautiful; the the sort of quintessentially British pub that you could only dream about having as your local. As I’d heard many a good thing about the food I decided to take my parents along for a spot of dinner. Inside was equally as … Continue reading The Drapers Arms, Islington
I first tasted Neil Rankin’s food during his residency at John Salt in Islington and it was easy to fall in love with. He’s since opened up nearby Smokehouse which, as you might imagine from someone who used to be the head chef at Pitt Cue Co, specialises in roasting, grilling, smoking and barbecuing. The six of us thought it would be the perfect place … Continue reading Smokehouse, Islington
After visiting Le Coq in Islington we fell in love with the area; it’s so busy and FULL of restaurants. We returned to try Trullo, an Italian restaurant which offers a simple and seasonal daily changing menu. Sadly we weren’t seated in the ground floor dining room which had a great atmosphere, instead we were seated downstairs which didn’t have quite the same buzz; it … Continue reading Trullo, Islington
