Le Mercury - Restaurant Review

Cuisine:  French

Cost:  

Rating:

Where?:  140A, Upper Street, Islington. London. N1 1QY.

Closest station(s): Angel , Highbury & Islington.   

Telephone: 0207 354 4088

Website: www.lemercury.co.uk

If you were to see the prices as you walked past Le Mercury on the corner of Upper Street and Almeida Street you would be forgiven for assuming that it is was a fast food restaurant - a fixed £3.95 for starters and £7.95 for mains. Rather than fast food however they offer dishes such as roast saddle of lamb with courgettes & rosemary jus and sea bass with crushed new potatoes and minted pesto.

The portion sizes are substantial, I recall having half a cow placed in front of me having ordered carpaccio of beef to start; however the rest of the dishes weren’t so absurdly sized. The cooking throughout is reliable however certainly not exceptional. The building is deceptively large, going up 3 or 4 stories. Le Mercury is a great option when looking for a restaurant meal without restaurant prices, the house wine being around £12 means that the bill doesn’t surge too far with the addition of a glass of wine or 2. The service is ok, though not first rate – however at these prices it is difficult to moan.

Le Mercury is seconds from the Almeida Theatre, making it perfect for pre or post-theatre dining when looking for a good meal that won’t break the bank or take an age to get through. 

Almeida - Restaurant Review

Cuisine:  French

Cost:  

Rating:

Where?:  30, Almeida Street, London. N1 1AD

Closest station(s): Angel, Highbury & Islington.    

Telephone: 0207 354 4777

Website: www.almeida-restaurant.co.uk 

The Almeida is yet another of the D&D Group (formally Conran restaurants) ventures. The large dining room is light and airy; however a recent revamp has failed to add much character. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is that fails décor-wise, however the room simply has a slightly clinical feel – a little like a Debenham’s showroom; perhaps the Conran connection permits them a discount.

The food is French, brought together from carefully selected British produce. Having eaten at the Almeida a number of times the food is certainly reliable. The menu stalwarts are the charcuterie trolley and the slow braised suckling pig; the charcuterie trolley can be excellent however at times it seems that they have put in more effort than at others. The suckling pig is a delicious spit roast piece of meat that delivers what it should.

There is certainly nothing wrong with the cooking at the Almeida, it simply fails to inspire. The menu is remarkably static, it rarely (if ever) wows the customers and service is rather hit and miss. I have regularly had to re-order side dishes and drinks and on one occasion the reception staff were incredibly rude.

That said the prices have remained static for a number of years – at £25 for 2 courses a la carte. The best reason for a visit to the Almeida is for the pre or post-theatre menu, with the excellent Almeida Theatre sitting opposite. At £16 for 2 courses it is good value; however once you have added a side dish or two and with house wine starting at around £23, the bill soon starts to rise.

I certainly wouldn’t travel across London to go to the Almeida, it is however reliable French food – just don’t go expecting any wow factor.