Rate My Bistro

I have walked past this cafe every day for months, and never gave it a second look until now.  Maybe it’s because secretly I’m a snob, or maybe it’s because I have a tendancy to judge a cafe based on it’s neighbourhood.  Whatever my reasons for not trying this cafe before today, I’ve learnt these two valuable lessons…one, never judge a cafe by it’s neighbourhood and two, stop being such a snob!

From the outside it really doesn’t look like much, but this probably has to do more with the area than the cafe itself.  Once inside though, it’s a completely different story.  The cafe is very clean and stylish, with both indoor and outdoor seeting.  There’s also a small lounge area with sofas.  A great deal of effort has obviously gone into the decor.

When it comes to choice, the Hamlet menu tops the bill.  Whether you simply fancy a light snack, tasty salad or a builders lunch, the menu has it all.  But this is me remember, so  I ordered burger and chips!!

The staff at Hamlet Cafe are extremely friendly and I didn’t feel pressured into placing my order, though it did take me a while.

Excellent selection of food and beverages, brilliant atmosphere and great staff.  If you ever find yourself passing by Hornsey Road, I highly recommend that you take a break at Hamlet Cafe.

Hamlet Cafe, 437 Hornsey Road, Islington, London, N19 4DU

Our Rating:

Tupelo Honey looks ok when you enter but it did not take long to be disappointed with this place. All the food on the counter is open and looked stale. The main dishes in the counter fridge were already prepared and cooked, and would only be warmed up if ordered. Right next to the window seats was a shelf filled with dirty plates and cups. If that wasn’t enough to put us off, then the open bin next to it definitely did.

There is quite a small seating area downstairs; the wooden tables and chairs were wobbly. Tupelo Honey has outdoor seating but it is very narrow and cramped. The whole time we were having our drinks here, we didn’t feel at all relaxed. We were actually quite relieved when we left. 

Tupelo Honey is open till late into the evening. Even though we went there during the afternoon, the upstairs seating was closed. They have two additional floors; one of which is a roof garden.

As for the drinks, the mocha and latte coffee was nice. They serve Illy coffee and they also do soy milk. Some of the staff were friendly. It is a shame that Tupelo Honey hasn’t made that extra effort with the state of its establishment, from the standard cleanliness to the seating and quality/display of food.

Tupelo Honey, 27 Parkway, Camden Town, London, NW1 7PN

Our Rating:

On entering Fig & Olive, there is the ornate seating on one side and the display of its cakes on the other! There was quite a large selection of cakes, fruit pies, cheesecakes and pastries. These were displayed behind a glass front but customers could still reach them. It would have been better for the cakes to be in a closed display fridge.

The cafe/restaurant extends to the light and airy area towards the back. The staff were really friendly and quite efficient. The only issue that we had was that it took a little longer than expected for our food. The food was worth the wait though!

The veggie quesadilla was filled with plenty of vegetables, cheese and feta cheese. It was supposed to be served with salad but I asked the waitress if the salad could be replaced with another side. It was great that I was able to have the quesadilla with new potatoes instead of the salad. I was happy that the veggie quesadilla was not leaking with cheese as I had asked for it to be made with very little cheese.

The bistro burger was made with tender beef and it was served in a multi-seeded bun.  The chips were crisp and not at all greasy. The burger and chips was a perfect combination and was very filling. 

Fig & Olive do a range of coffees, teas and cold drinks. The hot chocolate was perfectly sweet and rich.

I would say that Fig & Olive seems to be a good place to come to at any time of the day whether its in the morning, for lunch, dinner or for a drink and cake!

Fig & Olive, 151 Upper Street, London, N1 1RA

Our Rating:

Caponata was full of surprises from the first moment we stepped inside. At first, it looked just like a normal restaurant with wood panelling and plastic seating. We were welcomed by the very friendly staff, who told us that this level of the restaurant was the informal Osteria, which means bar/inn in Italian. It had a really great aura and atmosphere and we were glad that we had come into this place for coffee.

As we went to the back of the restaurant, that was where we were pleasantly surprised. It opened out into a covered courtyard, where plenty of sunlight was streaming through. As if that wasn’t nice enough, one of the walls was totally covered with plants. It was just perfection and it made us forget that we were actually sitting in a cafe, just off of Camden High Street!

Caponata is a Sicilian restaurant and cafe and the formal restaurant is situated on the upper level. Some of the seats of the restaurant overlooks onto the courtyard.

We opted to go for mochas and we were taken aback when we found out that the coffee actually comes from Camden Coffee shop; one of Caponata’s neighbouring shops! That’s great that they were supporting the local business! The mochas tasted more like lattes than hot chocolate. That made a refreshing change as a lot of cafes make their mochas so you can only taste the chocolate and not the coffee.

To accompany the coffees, we had a selection of fresh biscuits. These were all really yummy! The biscuits that we sampled had various fillings such as fig and almonds. There was also chocolate biscotti and sesame seed biscuits!

As we were chatting to the staff, another surprise was revealed. Adjacent to the courtyard, the wooden wall is just a partition. On the other side of the partition is a music venue called The Forge! On some evenings, this partition is removed, so that the diners at Caponata can enjoy live music whilst enjoying their meal!

Our visit to Caponata was extremely enjoyable and we hope to return to sample a lunch or dinner here, oh and also their homemade ice-cream!

Caponata Osteria and Bar, 3-7 Delancey Street, Camden, London, NW1 7NL

Our Rating:

Maison Blanc is a nice French patisserie. It has a small takeaway counter as you enter. If you pass this and head to the back of the store, that is where the cafe area is. There is limited seating here but they also have tables outside. The cafe area is very light and airy.

The service was lovely and the atmosphere was very relaxed. Maison Blanc has great artwork along its walls and also a good display of biscuits and sweets. The bags of French treats and artisan chocolate would be good for gifts. In the display fridge, there are many pastries, tarts and also small speciality cakes.

We had mochas to drink and they were very rich and creamy; just as we like them. Maison Blanc do have soy milk. They also serve soups, salads and sandwiches. This cafe is a perfect place to come for breakfast, lunch or a coffee break.

Maison Blanc, 76 Hampstead High Street, London, NW3 1QX

Our Rating:

If you have a craving for chicken, which I had on this particular day, then Nando’s hits the spot perfectly! It had to be the quarter chicken with their famous PERi-PERi mango and lime sauce! The chicken was fresh and succulent and you can tell that Nando’s don’t use frozen chicken. As the meat had been flame grilled, it was crispy and not greasy at all.

The chicken breast burger was also a good choice. The Portuguese white bread roll was soft and made the burger even more moreish! This dish had the lemon and herb marinade and it was really tasty!

Even though the rice is stated as spicy rice, it wasn’t but it still had a lot of flavour. It made a good alternative to the fries although you do get a good portion of fries, if that’s what you would prefer!

Nando’s do some vegetarian options and salads too. The houmous with pitta bread is good and goes even better with the creamy sweet potato mash. We did have the crunchy lemon pudding on one occasion. It was a lemon curd like dessert on a biscuit base, but I found that it was just that little too zingy for my liking!

This Nando’s was over two floors and it had nice artwork and relaxing music. The staff were really friendly and the service was good. We experienced service with a smile!

Nando’s, 57-58 Chalk Farm Road, Camden, London, NW1 8AN

Our Rating:

This espresso bar has recently relocated from the busy Upper Street to the N1 Centre. Looking at it from the outside, Tinderbox looks like a small takeaway coffee shop. But if you walk in and up the flights of wooden stairs at the back end, that is where the real coffee shop is!

The Tinderbox Espresso Bar is quite a trendy cafe! The main counter is situated in the middle section, with seating areas on both sides. It even has a little balcony area where you can sit and enjoy your drinks outdoors. Good for a hot sunny day but not on the cold spring day that we visited!

There are little alcoves where you can be tucked away in your own little world! These reminded me of American diners. There are small spotlights and a lack of daylight in these areas! If you feel like watching the world go by, then go and sit in the upstairs area. It’s a little like being in a library with the seats being close together and quite a few people were using it as a study/work area!

The drinks that we had were not great. The latte did not have a smooth flavour to it. The steamer – hot soya milk with almond syrup, was not that nice. It may have been due to the type of soya milk that Tinderbox uses. I found it a struggle to finish this drink as it wasn’t that moreish.

As for food, there were cakes displayed openly on the counter but they also had them in the display fridge. The service was good and I was impressed that the staff kept clearing up the tables and taking away empty cups even when you were still just sitting there relaxing.

Tinderbox has a quirky feel to it! On the ground floor level, there are two random airline seats and neon signs! Quite retro in one sort of an aspect!

Tinderbox, N1 Centre, Parkfield Street, London, N1 0PS

Our Rating:

This gem of a place was recommended to me by my friend Joan Podel, and to be honest I wasn’t that keen on reviewing it at first.  Why? Simply because in my experience this type of deli often leave the food out in the open for everyone and their kids to poke and sneeze into, they don’t even try and cover the food.  In short, they aren’t always the cleanest of places, so I tend to stay well clear!

Nothing could have been further from the truth when I visited Melbury & Appleton in Muswell Hill.  From the moment you walk through the door you can’t help but be impressed by the huge range of food and drinks.  Not to mention the freezer section, home baking ingredients and the cheese counter.  But I wasn’t here to buy cheese or frozen burgers for tomorrows dinner, I was here to try the famous Melbury Cake and a Latte!

The service was very friendly (but I did have to come clean about why I was taking photos).  So after a long chat with the owner and breaking my RMB code by telling her why I wanted to take the photos, I settled down to try some of the Melbury Cake and a Latte.  There is nice cake and then there is Melbury Cake, a fresh moist chocolate cake with vanilla cream icing.  Apparently this is the one that everyone who works for Melbury & Appleton requests for their birthday. 

Everything was properly covered and there were even signs asking people not to touch the produce, but instead to ask for assistance.  There seems to be a trend in other establishments to go the other way and leave food uncovered  which frustrates me to distraction.  I’m glad the good people of Melbury & Appleton choose to keep their food covered over or wrapped up.  On a final note, the seating area does get a little chilly, so take a jumper  

 Melbury & Appleton, 271 Muswell Hill Broadway, London, N10 1DE

Our Rating:

You can tell the excellent quality of the fish at Poseidon. I was impressed that they specialised in 20 varieties of fish and that you have the option of either having it fried in groundnut oil and matso flour or you can have the healthier grilled option.

We asked if we could have the mussels starter as a main dish instead. The waitress said that that they could do that! This dish was presented really nicely with the open mussels and a light dressing.

Another request that was very well accommodated was when we ordered the medium haddock and chips to share. When this was brought out to us, it looked like two full size fish and chips! The chips were cooked to perfection and the mushy peas made them even moreish.

The hot chocolate and coffee were both good. They do a range of juices and soft drinks too.

This restaurant is quite spacious and has nice decor. We visited it during the Christmas season and they had decorated it with a silver theme which made the place look even prettier. What really makes it a good place to go is the friendly service from the staff.

Poseidon Fish Restaurant, 100-102 High Road, East Finchley, London, N2 9EB

Our Rating:

What I like about Cafe Rouge is that you can come here just for drinks or for a proper meal. The atmosphere is very relaxed and the staff don’t rush you in any manner. The red and white furniture complements the dark wooden surroundings. It does feel like a bistro that you would get in France!

The tea is always served by the pot and the coffee is also of a good quality. The butter biscuits are a nice accompaniment if you just want something small to go with the hot drinks.

Cafe Rouge do a soup of the day and the one that was on offer when we went was red pepper and aubergine soup. It was a  flavoursome soup with big chunks of aubergine. The soup came with half a baguette which was very fresh. A filling starter that could easily satisfy as a main meal.

Another good starter is the warm ciabatta style breadsticks which comes with three dips: hummus, tomato and aioli. You also get a  small amount of salad. The amount of dips is fairly small, but it suffices.

To finish the meal, a good choice is the assortment of desserts. These are smaller portions of the creme brulee, red fruit crumble and chocolate ganache. None of them disappointed and it was nice to get a taster of them all!

Cafe Rouge, 6-7 South Grove, Highgate, London, N6 6BP

Our Rating: