Rate My Bistro

The displays of all the fresh sourdough breads, pastries, cakes, salads and quiches in the front of this cafe are very attractive. Each corner of the display has big baskets of meringues!

But again, this is one of those cafes where all the food is not covered and it is open to all the customers walking in. It is a real shame as all of Coffee Cake’s products looks really freshly made/baked and of a very high quality. I’m not sure if the food was self service or if customers were supposed to be served by the staff. There were no signs up indicating either.

Coffee Cake does breakfast items, a big range of smoothies and the usual menu of hot drinks. The green tea was served by the pot.

The staff were friendly and were accommodating when I mentioned that it was a little cold in the cafe. They switched off the air conditioning and closed the main door. Coffee Cake has opted for white plastic chairs and tables; a contrast to the dark wooden floors and brick walls.

Coffee Cake is a nice cafe to come and have a hot or cold drink and I would definitely have had some of their food, if it had been covered. The cafe was quiet when I was there, as it was the earlier part of the day. There was a radio playing in the background but it wasn’t too loud at all.

Coffee Cake, 28 Broadway Parade, Crouch End, London, N8 9DB

Our Rating:

We went to this French restaurant for a friend’s birthday! On entering this restaurant, one of the first things that I noticed was that it was a lot more spacious than what I would have expected and the lighting was just right for an evening setting.

We started off with the goat’s cheese with walnut bread and date chutney. The goat’s cheese was of the perfect consistency and the date chutney had the right sweetness. The battered fried squid was not over cooked. The bread was really fresh too.

For the mains, we had the aubergine parmigiana and the steak frites. The aubergine and the tomato sauce went perfectly together; I could taste the sweetness of the tomatoes. The steak was Aberdeen Angus rib-eye steak and the au bleu (blue cheese) sauce worked well with the steak. The frites were really thin and great!

My friends had the sea bream and the roast rack of lamb. The dishes were all very well presented and the food was of the highest quality. The whole dinner was sublime!

We had room for dessert and so we opted for the honeycomb ice cream with white chocolate sauce. This didn’t disappoint us in any way as well.

We didn’t feel at all rushed with our meal. The service was fantastic. The staff were really friendly and efficient.

My friend’s were VIP members at Bistro Aix (this can be done for free on their website)! As we were dining at this restaurant for a birthday and we had notified the waiters about this, at the end of the meal, we were given complimentary champagne and cake.

We expected the cake just to be a slice for the birthday boy, but it was for all of us. There was even enough to be taken home! This cake was so delicious. It was a fresh berry layered sponge cake covered in meringue. The meringue was just gooey enough!  

Bistro Aix, 54 Topsfield Parade, Tottenham Lane, Crouch End, London, N8 8PT

Our Rating:

CLOSED DOWN

This review has been left for historical value.

Come here for breakfast, lunch, dinner or coffee and cake. Its perfect for anytime of the day! To start the day, if you would like a good quality fry-up (without the atmosphere of a greasy cafe!), then try the Brits Breakfast.

Their Kobe burgers are the best. They have been awarded the best burger in London award from the Restaurant Magazine.

So you may be thinking what is a Kobe burger…I did! A little bit of info for you here!

Kobe – A city of southern Honshu, Japan, on Osaka Bay south-southwest of Kyoto. A port and manufacturing center, it was almost entirely rebuilt after World War II. The city was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1995. Population: 1,530,000.

dictionary.com

Kobe beef refers to beef from the black Tajima-ushi breed of Wagyu cattle, raised according to strict tradition in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Kobe beef is renowned for its flavour, tenderness, and fatty well-marbled texture. Kobe beef can be prepared as steak, sukiyaki, shabu shabu, sashimi, teppanyaki, ground hamburger patties and more.

wikipedia.org

They do great nachos topped with sour cream, cheese and salsa. Actually all the food that we have had there has been of a very high quality. I also tried the daisy vegetarian burger which was really filling. All the burgers come with a refreshing slice of melon and salad. To complement all this “healthiness”, a bowl of cheesy fries tops it off!

Then there is dessert The sticky toffee pudding with ice cream is a must or if you like something a little lighter then the warm apple tart is a good choice.

I am always tempted by the milkshakes at Pick More Daisies. A glass of coffee or banana milkshake if I feel like I want to indulge otherwise a mango sorbet shake for a fruity treat. They do a good range of coffees and teas too and they serve soy milk.

I like that the restaurant is divided into two parts with the open kitchen in the middle. The back part of the restaurant is a lot more airy and light than the front. We usually ask if we can sit there and there’s only been a few occasions when it has been closed.

The service here is really good and the staff are friendly. Good food, great relaxed atmosphere, tempting desserts are just a few of the reasons why we return to Pick More Daisies time and time again!

Pick More Daisies, 12 Crouch End Hill, London, N8 8AA

Our Rating:

When you want a quick coffee and somewhere lively to drink it then Banners certainly fits the bill.

This place had a Mexican feel to it (I think!) , but the wall posters were screaming 60′s revival. All in all, a colourful, lively and friendly environment. Coffee was cheap too

Banners, 21 Park Road, London, N8 8TE

Our Rating: