Eat, Play, Shop – A local’s guide to Angel Islington

18-05-2017 Local Black Bookarea guide, Islington, local guide, London, Restaurant, Shopping4 Comments

You don’t know what to have until it’s gone.

That’s true for pretty much anything in life. But especially my moving out of Islington.

Not that I’m complaining (having moved to Clerkenwell, I don’t exactly get to do that…).

But with fanstatic brunch places, more independant pubs and restaurants than you can shake a stick at, a booming coffee scene, adorable knick-knack stores that definitely are conspiring to make you spend all your money (…) Angel Islington really has it all.

Perfect destination for a weekend stroll you think? You don’t say!! So put on your nicest striped top (the N1 sure-fire camouflage) and follow the guide to Angel Islington’s very best bits!

EAT

First things first – cakes & sweet treats!

There’s plenty of choice on Upper Street, from gluten-free delights at Romeo’s GF Bakery and Bread & Beyond, to ice cream, traditional French pastries and more.

The very best of the bunch at to be found at Ottolenghi (287 Upper St, N1 2TZ), whose window display is very difficult to resist. But then again, so is their ever-changing buffet of fresh salads…

Also good: Udderlicious’ ice cream (187 Upper St, N1 1RQ – the seasonal flavours are always especially good)

If you’re after a good pub, The Old Queen’s Head (44 Essex Rd, N1 8LN) is the one. Not only do they have a good selection of beer & wine, but they also make very good cocktails at quite okay prices for the area.

Also, they’re home to this baby:

Because you see, The Old Queen’s Head is also home to Lucky Chip. And their burgers are far, far better than your usual pub grub…

That said, Angel Islington is also home to some of London’s best gastropubs and The Pig & Butcher (80 Liverpool Rd, N1 0QD) is at the very top of my list.

Serving up beautiful seasonal plates, it’s a great place to take guests and friends along for a leisurely lunch or a casual dinner.

…and their Sunday roasts aren’t half bad either, in case you were wondering!

Also good: sister-restaurant The Smokehouse (63–69 Canonbury Rd, N1 2DG), forever-on my to-visit-list Drapers Arms (44 Barnsbury St, Islington, N1 1ER)

For a quick pick-me-up, nothing beats mini juice bar Ginger & Lime (191 Upper Street).

Boasting a 50-something strong juice & smoothie menu & lovely, personable service every single time, it’s the perfect way to stay hydrated / treat yourself without blowing up the calorie counter / work towards your 5-a-day all at once!

Another one on my always-a-good-idea list is Oldroyd (344 Upper Street, N1 0PD).

It’s a great place for a nice lunch (they serve up an excellent value set lunch menu), a small bite (their croquetas are always on point), dinner, pudding and even brunch (when they serve up the above, to-die-for carbonara-like pasta).

I could happily dine there once a week, though I can be challenging to get a table in the evening, so make sure you book ahead or go late!

While we’re on the topic of brunch, let’s make something really clear. There is absolutely no reason why you should queue up at The Breakfast Club when there is Radicals & Victuallers (59 Upper St, Islington, N1 0NY) down the street.

A favourite with the afterwork drink & weekend party crowds (they have live music & cocktails ’til late), they also have a great brunch menu and always plenty of room for you to seat! And also a small courtyard, board games & sports on the telly if you ever wanted to make a day of it…

Also good: Kipferl (20 Camden Passage, N1 8ED – for an Austrian take on your traditional brunch), The CoffeeWorks Project (96-98 Islington High St, N1 8EG – for coffee & cake)

Last but not least, quite possibly my favourite place in Angel: The Afghan Kitchen (35 Islington Green, N1 8DU).

A tiny, always packed gem of a restaurant, where husband-and-wife team dish up traditional Afghan dishes. Think India-meets-the-Middle-East stews, homemade bread, rice dishes and baklawa.

It tastes like food my grandma would cook (if my grandma was Afghan, that is) and makes for the best takeaway you’ll ever have. Perfect for a picnic at nearby Islington Green or a Netflix-and-chill sesh’.

Also good: Little Viet Kitchen (2 Chapel Market, N1 9EZ – for the best spring rolls in London, amongst other wonders!)

PLAY

One of the oldest running cinemas in the country, Screen on the Green (83 Upper St, N1 0NP) will ruin you for ‘regular’ cinemas.

Not only is the selection, mixing new blockbusters and old favourites, absolutely brilliant, but you get to enjoy your movie from the comfort of plush red velvet armchairs & sofas, with a perfectly crafted cocktails from the cine-bar in hand and delicious snacks from the cine-kitchen served at your seat.

Not going back to Odeon any time soon, are you?

SHOP

Whether you love vintage finds, hipster trinkets or quality kids’ toys, After Noah (121 Upper St, N1 1QP) is an absolute Aladdin’s cave. No lamp-rubbing needed, just a bit of patience (and the self-control required not to buy half the store)!

Also good: Gill Wing Cookshop (190 Upper St, N1 1RQ – great selection of quality equipment for all your kitchen needs)

SMUG (13 Camden Passage, N1 8EA) is another store in the don’t-need-any-but-want-it-all category.

Specialising in stationary & homeware, it’s also the perfect spot if you’re after the perfect birthday gift for you best/girl friend(s).

A touch less glamour but far more useful is Upper Street DIY (204 Upper St, N1 1RQ).

True to their motto, they have everything you could possibly need, from lightbulbs to glitter tape and much more. They also offer DIY services, should you need help with any of your home upper-fixer projects…

Anyone else living in/loving Angel Islington? Would love to hear about your favourite bits!

Asian Small Plates at Tootoomoo

05-10-2016 Local Black BookAsian, cocktail, cocktails, dumplings, gyoza, highbury, Islington, London, pan-asian, recommendation, Restaurant, review, salad, tempura, tootoomoo, wontonLeave a comment

It’s only been about a month since my last holiday.

Until last Monday, all was going well. Then the travel bug struck again and before I knew it I was browsing Pinterest and day-dreaming of road trips across Asia.

Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen any time soon, so instead of plane-hoping, I went for the ‘travel with your taste buds’ alternative.

Serving an ‘Asian tapas’ menu inspired by the street market flavours of Japan, China and Southeast Asia, Tootoomoo brings the tastes and atmosphere of an Asian shophouse to London, and was therefore the perfect destination to satiate my hunger (both literally and figuratively).

The restaurant itself feels like something you could discover on holiday.

Colourful furniture, filament lightbulbs, cracked-paint effect, low lighting… it has that charming beach-shack-at-sunset vibe that’ll make cocktails an absolute necessity.

Of course we obliged with a couple of Cinderella mocktails (because, well, Monday).

Absolutely no regret whatsoever though, as the combination of orange, pinneaple, cranberry, grenadine & soda water was absolutely spot on!

Quickly followed by a smorgasboard of small plates crafted to invoke a tour of the best of Asia.

We started our journey in China with a steaming bowl of Wanton Soup.

Our culinary journey then took use to Japan for a plateful of plump & crispy Chicken Gyoza with black rice vinaigrette.

Followed by the most succulent Tiger Prawn Tempura. Sprinkled with nori dust & served with fiery spicy mayo on the side, it was a refreshing twist on the classic and a really good one indeed!

We liked it so much we decided to stay around for a little longer… Just enough time for a taste of the sashimi-inspired Salmon salad with yuzu vinaigrette & Kizami wasabi!

Then, back to China for a modern take on the traditional aromatic duck.

Tootoomoo does serve the original, complete with hoisin sauce and pancakes, but we went for the salad version instead. Served with watermelon, cashew & hoisin.

Pan Asian tapas at Tootoomoo | Cake + Whisky

It was definitely quite different from the original, but really ducking good!

Last stop: Thailand for Pad Thai (of course).

If you didn’t see that one coming, you udon know me very well! #PastaLover

There’s much more on the menu to discover, including sushi, Thai curries, noodles, Rendang… So book a table here and go on your own little foodie adventure!

And no matter what you’ll choose, I think you’ll agree: Tootoomoo is tootoogood!

Tootoomoo Islington, 278 St Paul’s Rd, Islington N1 2LH

*I dined at Tootoomoo as a guest, but all opinions, pictures and wanderlust my own.

Brunch at Oldroyd

03-10-2016 Local Black Bookangel, British, brunch, carbonara, croquetas, European, Islington, italian, London, Oldroyd, pasta, recommendation, Restaurant, review, small plates1 Comment

I don’t believe Oldroyd needs any introduction.

I have already written about it several times, and yet here I am again, writing about it once more.

You might want to call this a bad blogger syndrom, and you wouldn’t be wrong.

But then again, what’s a girl to do when one of her absolute favourite locals starts doing brunch eh?

With about 30 seats and simple yet tasteful decoration, Oldroyd is a dream no matter when you visit.

But if you asked, I’d say Sunday is probably the best day.

Because it’s Oldroyd’s brunch day and they serve up their signature fettucine carbonara.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, so first things first.

And by that I mean Bloody Mary, obviously.

As a matter of fact, the very best one I’ve ever had in London (and trust me when I say beating The Smokehouse‘s Chicken Salt delight was no easy task)!

Spicy and very pickle-y, it’s not one for the faint-hearted but still the very best way to get the brunch party started.

Though a tall, icy glass of Earl Grey iced tea does rather nicely as well!

Croquetas have been a feature on Oldroyd’s menu since the restaurant opened and they’re an absolute must-order.

This time, they were filled with mushroom, served with a generous dollop of truffle mayonnaise and as delightful as ever.

Zucchini fries are always a good idea too.

Feather-light, thin & crispy, they’re utterly irresistible.

But if you’re there for brunch, you might as well make the most of it.

The Bacon & egg fettucine, with confit garlic & berkswell, is out-of-this-world good.

It has eggs and bacon and carbs, it’s rich and creamy and comforting and basically all of your brunch dreams come true.

And if you want more, the Braised ox cheek with polenta & gremolata is an excellent choice.

Melt-in-the-mouth meat never goes out of fashion as far as I’m concerned. Warming, comforting and satisfying, it’s winter food at it’s finest.

The only issue is that it might well rule dessert out. Don’t worry chocolate mousse with raspberries & salted pistachio praline, I’ll be back for you!

I can never stay away for very long anyway (and if you want to make sure you don’t have to fight me for the last table, you better book here)!

Oldroyd, 344 Upper Street, London N1 0PD

PIN FOR LATER:

The Pig & Butcher, Islington

03-06-2016 Local Black Bookangel, British, gastropub, Highbury & Islington, Islington, London, pub, Restaurant, review, roast, Sunday Roast, The Pig & Butcher3 Comments

There are so many restaurants in London that, even if you tried hard and ate out for every single meal for the rest of your life, you wouldn’t manage to taste it all. (Fact, we did the maths!)

I for sure never will at least. For one, I certainly don’t have the endurance to eat out for breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day. And then, repeat visits are killing the game.

And the fact is, there are places I love and simply can’t keep out of. Top of my list is The Pig & Butcher.

Located at the heart of buzzy Islington, with a homely, farm-meets-flee-market atmosphere, good food and good people, The Pig & Butcher is pretty much the perfect local.

The Pig & Butcher, Islington | Cake + Whisky

All the markers of a good gastropub are there, starting with a brilliant wine list.

There are candles in jam jar, beautiful fabric napkins, raw wood tables…

And a daily-changing menu highlighting the best of what’s in season!

At the moment, that means the first aubergines of the year, slightly smoked, then shredded and served with melt-in-the-mouth piperade, bocconcini (baby mozza balls!) and wild garlic pesto.

Summer on a plate and an absolute triumph!

Whole grilled sole is a regular feature on The Pig & Butcher’s menu and a dish I can never resist.

This time, it came with steamed wild asparagus, sweet Jersey Royals, crispy peas and a brown butter sauce.

Simplicity at its very, very best.

But the roasts are what took The Pig & Butcher to the rank of legend amongst Islington residents.

The slow roasted pulled pork shoulder is the perfect example of everything a beautiful Sunday roast should be.

The Pig & Butcher, Islington | Cake + Whisky

Moist, succulent meat, tangy apple sauce, tender vegetables, stunning roasties, silky-smooth gravy and a Yorkshire pudding as big as my head… And crackling!

This face means it’s a winner!

Difficult as it might be, try to save some room for pudding…

Lemon posset, Earl Grey jelly & blackberries.

Silky smooth, super light and tart, it’s one of those puddings you simply cannot stop eating.

Absolutely irresistible.

Crispy raspberry pancake & dark chocolate mousse.

Simple yet decadent, it’s the perfect illustration of the sort of food The Pig & Butcher excels at.

Beautiful, ingredient-driven dishes, that let carefully-sourced ingredients shine through and through.

I’ve been so many time I stopped counting. I went with friends, I went with family, and I highly recommend you do the same.

It’s really popular amongst locals, which means you definitely want to book beforehands (if you hurry, you might even be able to make it for this weekend!).

Happy Sundays ahead!

The Pig & Butcher, 80 Liverpool Road, Islington, London N1 0QD

The joys of a good local at Oldroyd

10-05-2016 Local Black Bookangel, British, European, Islington, London, Oldroyd, recommendation, Restaurant, review, small plates1 Comment

There are the restaurants you go to for the novelty of it.

Be it a potato-focused café or that place everyone loves for reasons you simply don’t see, the probability of you re-visiting them is actually quite low, because there’s always going to be something newer and more exciting to try instead.

But then there is a handful of true gems that you keep going back to times and times again.

Restaurants you’d pick over the excitement of trying something new.

The places you’d rather not bring your camera to so you can truly enjoy the experience.

The ones that make you commit every #BloggerCardinalSin under the sun but you leave with a big smile of your face and a renewed faith in the restaurant world.

Truth being told, there are not so many such restaurants on my list.

A couple of places in France, Morito, The Smokehouse… and Oldroyd.

Oldroyd, London | Cake + Whisky

Oldroyd, the first solo restaurant from former Chef Director of the Polpo Group Tom Oldroyd, opened its doors about a year ago and it’s been a favourite ever since.

It basically ticks all the boxes when it comes to a good local restaurant: quick to get to, excellent value, stunning service and food that’s not just good but also varied and interesting, so every visit brings some element of surprise.

Rabbit & dijon rillettes w/ pickled carrots is the perfect example of Oldroyd’s playful take on a classic.

All the elements of the French Lapin à la moutarde, and yet something completely different and absolutely brilliant in its simplicity.

Smoked haddock croquetas aka crunchy/melty heaven in a mouthful.

Nettle & ricotta malfatti, broad beans, berkswell & crispy sage.

Delicate gnocchi/ravioli hybrid parcels and proof if there ever needed one that vegetarian food can be truly stunning.

Oldroy’d menu is rather light on the meaty side, but the few meaty dishes are well worth ordering.

Proof is in the Lamb sweetbreads with peas and bacon; a great example of bistro food at its finest.

Finally, my favourite of all dishes: Norfolk asparagus, brown crab rouille, Cornish white crab & chervil.

Basically Spring on a plate.

After chatting with the staff for a little while (and a few spoonfuls of the homemade tiramisu…), we said our goodbyes and headed home already dreaming of the next time we’d be heading to Oldroyd.

Want to make them your local? Find them here

And if you ever need somebody to go splitsies on any of Oldroyd’s crab dishes, give me a ring!

Oldroyd, 344 Upper Street, London N1 0PD

Brunch at Chinese Laundry

24-03-2016 Local Black Bookbrunch, Chinese, Chinese Laundry, Islington, London, London restaurant, recommendation, Restaurant, review, where to eat in london4 Comments

There are so many things to like about the Easter weekend.

Mainly chocolate, I’ll admit to that.

But also, 4-day weekend!

Which means twice as many days for brunch!

But there’s only that many Eggs Benny even a brunch lover like me can eat in a row…

Luckily, I know just the place to mix things up a little!

Brunch at Chinese Laundry | Cake + Whisky

Chinese Laundry is a casual dinning room inspired by 80s Chinese family life and food.

Brunch at Chinese Laundry | Cake + Whisky

Which you can clearly see as soon as you pass the door.

So very kitsh yet totally Pinterest-worthy.

The menu focuses on the fewer known delicacies from Northern Mainland China, with a couple of clever Anglo-Chinese fusion dishes thrown in as well.

We started off with some Jasmine tea (when in China…)

And a tall glass of salty lemonade.

Yes, salty. Apparently, salty drinks are a big thing around Asia.

And quite a nice one, I must admit!

The menu is short and sweet and pretty much impossible to choose from.

So we just went with ‘one of each’. Almost.

Starting with the Laundry Full.

Looks like a British brekkie, but sure doesn’t taste like one!

With braised beef loumei, tea egg, king oyster mushroom, peanut loumei, pickles, crispy bacon and milky little buns, it’s so much lighter than the traditional breakfast and the perfect trompe l’oeil!

Dumplings had to be ordered (they are one the traditional dish for brunch in China after all), so Dumplings Stir Fry it was!

With heaps of garlic, crispy bacon, peanuts, fresh herbs and a creamy sweet pepper sauce, Chinese Laundry’s dumplings certainly didn’t disappoint.

But the star of the brunch was the Egg Cong You Bing (Crispy scallion pancake).

Flaky pancakes, oozy egg and a bit more of that lovely homemade sweet pepper sauce, that’s all my brunch dreams on a plate.

Oh, and they give you the cutest milk-flavoured bunny-stamped sweets as well.

Just one more reason to make sure you hop by Chinese Laundry this weekend!
Chinese Laundry, 107 Upper St, Islington, N1 1QN

The Smokehouse, Islington

23-02-2016 Local Black Bookgastropub, Islington, London, pub, recommendation, Restaurant, review, SmokehouseLeave a comment

I must admit that when it comes to eating out, I’m a pretty lucky girl.

I live in the most exciting city in the world in terms of food, in one of the best neighbourhood as far as small, independent restaurants are concerned, and with the best restaurant buddy I could have hoped for. (#blessed, exactly)

I am more than willing to admit than London in general and Islington in particular have spoiled me, and possibly have ruined me for any other restaurant out there.

But then when there’s a gem like The Smokehouse less than 5 min. away from mine, can you really blame me?

The Smokehouse opened its doors in August 2013 to much critical acclaim. Evening Standard’s Fay Maschler and Grace Dent, Guardian’s Marina O’Loughtin… They all love it.

The Smokehouse, Islington | Cake + Whisky

And with good reason. The Smokehouse is an absolute neighbourhood gem.

Complete with wooden tables, blue-and-white old-fashioned tea towels for napkins and just the right dose of blackboards and hunting trophies.

Rustic-chic at its very best.

The Smokehouse, Islington | Cake + Whisky

You can either book ahead, or grab a seat (and a few nibbles) at the bar while you wait for a table.

And if they happen to serve Bloody Marys on the day you visit, make sure you get one of those as well.

They come with a bit of a twist (pickle juice on my last visit, chicken roast distillate another time we went…) and are the best I’ve ever tried.

The menu is of the short variety.

Which is just as well as we can never decide and usually settle for one of each.

The Lamb neck tacos, chipotle aioli and green sauce are soft, juicy and incredibly more-ish.

Little nibbles of perfection.

Promise me you’ll get them? (then we can spend hours raving about how good they are on Twitter?)

The Chopped brisket roll, served alongside some gochujang mayo is equally splendid.

A giant, golten croquette…

Hidden the softest, moistest meat in its centre.

A meat lover’s dream come true.

The Smokehouse, Islington | Cake + Whisky

Plates after plates of delicious, smokey creations filled the table.

Prawn toast, smoked bone marrow, kimchi onions is a rich and unexpected combination, lifted by the perfectly balanced, sweet and sour kimchi.

The Smokehouse, Islington | Cake + Whisky

But the dish I could have time and time again? This little brunch number.

Pulled pork & smoked nduja hash, fried egg & BBQ sauce.

Smoky and spicy and meaty all at once: the absolute brunch dream dish.

And with some serious #yolkporn thrown in on top.

The Smokehouse, Islington | Cake + Whisky

Even better with a bowl full of caramel roast potatoes on the side.

And yes, in case you are wondering, it IS salted caramel coated potato roasties. #gamechanger

Sticky toffee pudding is my favourite traditional British dessert.

Even better if it comes with some bourbon caramel & milk ice cream.

Traditional dishes with just a little bit of a modern twist and a touch of multicultural spice here and there, in a cosy, family-friendly atmosphere, what more could I possibly ask for?

The fact that the Smokehouse is right next door is just added bonus for me, but if I were to move away, I’m pretty sure those tacos alone would bring me back to Islington every other weekend.

Smokehouse, 63-69 Canonbury Rd, London N1 2DG

Radicals and Victuallers

04-09-2015 Local Black BookAmerican, Angel station, breakfast, British, brownies, brunch, hotdog, Islington, London, mac & cheese, pub, Radical & Victuallers, Restaurant, review3 Comments

Four-day weeks are always so confusing to me. I’m not sure what exactly my brain is so confused about, but I seem to never know which day it is, and for some reason, they seem longer than regular weeks (#nonsense).

But there definitely are silver linings to them. First of all, you get an extra day of weekend. Also, the next weekend is one day closer to the beginning than it is on regular weeks.

Which in my (admittedly food-obsessed) brain only means one thing: I’m one day closer to brunch day yay!

Obviously, the discovery of the little gem that is Radicals and Victuallers makes things even more exciting on that point…

Continue reading “Radicals and Victuallers” →

Oldroyd | Islington, London

30-07-201530-07-2015 Local Black BookBritish, Islington, London, Oldroyd, Restaurants, review, small plates10 Comments

This whole “small plate” concept is one I can definitely get behind.

For people like me who struggle to pick only a few items out of a menu, it’s a godsend as it allows us to try a bit of everything, all in the name of sharing and being social.

Not that you need to be a big group to justify ordering the entire menu at Oldroyd…Which is rather a good thing as I wanted to order every single dish.

In my book, this is the sign of a really good restaurant indeed. Not that I was expecting anything else from Tom Oldroyd, formerly of the Polpo fame.
We started off the meal on a high indeed with Summer radishes, smoked cod’s roe & celery salt.

Crunchy, peppery, smoky… So good it got the BF reaching for more (and he doesn’t even like cod roe!).
But the best was still to come. More specifically in the form of the Crab tagliarini provençal with brown crab rouille.

A stellar dish and one of the best things I’ve ever eaten (and you know me, I do not say that lightly!)Lamb & almond meatballs with salsa romesco was the ultimate comfort food and the pickled garlic slices made for an interesting, refreshing twist on the old classic. Last (but not least) of the savoury dishes was the Grilled pork ribeye with borlotti beans, chard and hazelnut pistou.

The meat was cooked to perfection and the sweetness of the hazelnut pesto complemented it very well indeed! And so did the zucchini fries! Cake + Whisky | Oldroyd We moved onto pudding with the Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse with salted pistacchio praline and fresh raspberries. But most importantly, we finally got our (admitidely greedy) hands on the Stone fruit & brioche pain perdu, which I’d had my eyes on since the beginning of the meal. And there’s only one word to describe this dish: GLORIOUS!

That dessert alone could easily convince me to pass the doors for another meal at Oldroyd.

That is, if I’m ever organised enough to get a table… the rest of London seems to be well aware of how good a restaurant it is! So if you’re planning a visit, it might be safer to book a table…

Oldroyd, 344 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 0PD

The Gate | Creative vegetarian food | Islington

05-04-201504-04-2015 Local Black BookIslington, London, Restaurant, review, The Gate, vegetarian7 Comments

I’m on a mission to find the best vegetarian food in London. Mainly because Ophélie of Cross my Heart and Hope to Die always finds good excuses to visit London (and also because I like looking for the best restaurants and vegetarian ones are usually quite creative and therefore, inspiring).

We had been to Mildred’s last time she visited (and I’m still so so much in love with the place, its staff and its basil mayo). This time, we decided to keep exploring and went to The Gate, which is known for its international dishes and its inventiveness.

What I wasn’t prepared for though, was how beautiful the place actually is! High ceilings and well stock bar: always a winning combination!

We ordered a few starters to share. First up were the Mediterranean Peppers.Filled with an artichoke & hazelnut paste, and served with tapenade and pesto, this dish was basically the sun on a plate. The peppers themselves were melty and artichoke paste had a very delicate, slightly sweet flavour, which worked really well against the stronger flavours of the accompaniments.

Our second starter was the Three Onion Tart.The tart itself was absolutely flawless: thin, cheesey, flakey pastry covered with a smooth, creamy, leek-ey filling. I wasn’t as much of a fan of the caramelized red onion sauce, which was slightly too sweet for my taste. Much better was the pesto oil, with brought clean, fresh flavours balancing perfectly the creaminess of the tart.

For mains, we were tempted to order the whole lot, but ended up being more reasonable and got only one each! Ophélie went for the Wild Mushroom RisottoNot only did it look spectacular, but it was also delicious! The mushrooms were perfectly cooked and the risotto rich and creamy. So was the sauce, but with the rocket salad with lemon dressing, it worked fairly well all together and wasn’t overly rich. It might have been missing this little touch that made me go all “wow” though…

I got the Broccoli Flower Ravioli (which was really more of a gyoza-type thing!)Even a week after having eaten that, I’m still not entirely sure what to think about it. I really, really loved the wasabi and pumpkin puree (definitely an idea I’ll try to make my own version of as it was both delicious and surprising!), but the aubergine and water chesnut salsa was a bit too gooey and the ravioli were a bit dry since they were filled mainly with broccoli…

The winner dish though? *THAT* Aubergine Schnitzel!Silky-smooth grilled aubergines, layered with smoked cheddar, pesto, roasted red peppers and tomatoes. SO GOOD! At some point, there were as many as 7 plates of those babies on the pass, so I think it’s fair to say we weren’t the only ones thinking they were ace!We also got polenta fries with aioli, which were good, but maybe a bit too big to eat in any kind of classy way. The aioli was good (fairly garlic-ey, but you already know that’s a good thing in my (French) book…).

After that feast, we were pretty full so skipped dessert and headed for cocktails instead (keep your eyes pealed, cocktail-porn coming soon to this blog!).

What: An international menu of vegetarian dishes where everyone should find something they like (yes, yes, even the carnivorous!). Bit of a hit-or-miss in terms of dishes, but if you’re not sure what to get, just go for the Aubergine Schnitzel, you won’t regret it!

How much: It doesn’t come REALLY cheap but it’s not crazy expensive either. We ended up paying about £20 each. Without dessert or drinks though (as we were heading for cocktails…).

Where: The Gate, 370 Saint John Street, London EC1V 4NN

Cake and Whisky

Life in London and other almost-grown-up tales

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Islington

Eat, Play, Shop – A local’s guide to Angel Islington

EAT

PLAY

SHOP

Asian Small Plates at Tootoomoo

Brunch at Oldroyd

The Pig & Butcher, Islington

The joys of a good local at Oldroyd

Brunch at Chinese Laundry

The Smokehouse, Islington

Radicals and Victuallers

Oldroyd | Islington, London

The Gate | Creative vegetarian food | Islington