HIghbury, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

This “great local” on Highbury Corner has developed from a catering company and supper club into a fully fledged “neighbourhood restaurant, serving proper food at reasonable prices”, with separate all-day brunch/lunch and evening menus featuring modern European dishes.

2022 Review: This “buzzy” Highbury wine bar specialises in hip low-intervention wines, backed up by “great food and service”. The menu is predominantly small-plate bites to accompany the interesting bottles being quaffed, so “they could do with more main course options – but the atmosphere is fantastic”.

“Heavily embracing the post-industrial vibe” – this “buzzy” hipster feature not far from the Emirates and Drayton Park station (“did they go out of their way to make it difficult to find?”) makes elegant and appealing use of the high-ceilinged space it occupies (originally, of course, a laundry). Five years old now, it’s something of a classic of the contemporary East End genre – “a small plates outlet of quality” combining funky tapas with low intervention wines. It does attract the odd more downbeat critique though: “the food, service and ambience are all fine but in no way justify the prices”.

“Legendary Dexter cheeseburgers and well-flavoured small plates” of “delicious, unfussy grub” hit the jackpot at this “crowded Finsbury Park local” near the old Arsenal stadium, “if you want to eat down-to-earth cooking, served up with charm in a proper boozer”. “With the exception of the burgers the menu changes constantly”, and “attention is on the food not the decor” – although the ‘Four Legs’ duo, Jamie Allan & Ed McIlroy, did strip out the previous incarnation’s Oirish-themed interior before launching here two years ago.