Metrogusto

[Suzi Edwards]

Ate here last Thursday, can't recommend it highly enough. Great place for a mid week meal.

Firstly, it's aggressivly non-smoking. Hurrah hurrah.

Secondly, it's in Islington so I can stagger home (and I did)

Thirdly, they've really passionate about the food they are serving and take the time to really put that passion across to you.

Fourthy, no large pepper mills

The menu has a couple too many choices for starters and mains and perhaps is trying to cover all bases a bit too much (risotto of the day, pasta of the day, butchers cut of the day, fish of the day) but I felt spoilt for choice.

We ate:

Tomato and Buffalo Mozzarella with Basil dressing (fab mozzarella)

Stuffed squid with a spicy sauce (slightly small portion at first sight, served with chicory leaves as a nice counterpoint.)

Calfs liver with balsamic vinegar dressing and fried polenta chips (calves liver was slightly the wrong side of pink but it had good flavour)

Cannelloni stuffed with squash and nutmeg with a cheese and amaretto sauce (sounded disgusting to me but it was really flavoursome)

Pasta with tomato, capers, olives and breadcrumbs (simple, made with great ingredients. faultless really with the pasta perfectly cooked)

and to follow:

apple pie with parmesan ice cream (the parmesan could have had a more cheesy flavour, but i'm a cheese glutton so short of shaving it over the top, i was unlikely to be satisfied)

neapolitan cheesecake with ricotta ice-cream (ricotta ice cream was delicious, they'd used a mix of the strong ricotta and the one you can usually get (according to my colleague paul who appears to be a ricotta fanatic. i was lucky to get a taste)

we drank far too much wine (can't remember which...) and a half bottle of desert wine from the veneto.

I'm a Moro addict but I've now found somewhere to tear me away...

[dallardice]

Won't argue with any of this. Huge fan.

Service can sometimes seem off-hand but if you start talking about food or wine it soon warms up. Not sure about the aggressively non-smoking since we have been stuck in non-smoking section before, with smokers at the next table (much apologies, but they wouldn't tell them to stop).

Their initial branch was in Battersea which I believe has now closed.

[Simon Majumdar]

Where is this on Upper St? can't Place it

I live/work around there, so it might be worth a try

S

[Hub-UK2]

Calfs liver with balsamic vinegar dressing and fried polenta chips (calves liver was slightly the wrong side of pink but it had good flavour)

A pity I don't live in London! Any idea of how this dish was done or does anyone have a recipe. Calf's liver must be one of my dream meals - yet I am not a fan of traditional British liver dishes!

The polenta chips also interests me. I have never used polenta. What sort of texture do they have and how do they taste? Are they actually cripsy?

[Simon Majumdar]

The best calfs liver I have had in London is at Vasco & Piero's pavillion on Poland St cooked quickly over sage leaves

No muss no fuss and it does not cost an arm and a leg

S

[dallardice]

Where is this on Upper St?  can't Place it

It's on Theberton St, about 100 yds from Upper St (far enough to avoid the madding crowds). Heading up Upper St from the Angel, about half-way to Highbury & Islington, left before Oddbins and then it's on the left just past my hairdresser.

Used to be a rather more pretentious Italian called Maremma, which I never visited.

[Simon Majumdar]

Where is this on Upper St?  can't Place it

It's on Theberton St, about 100 yds from Upper St (far enough to avoid the madding crowds). Heading up Upper St from the Angel, about half-way to Highbury & Islington, left before Oddbins and then it's on the left just past my hairdresser.

Used to be a rather more pretentious Italian called Maremma, which I never visited.

Thanks

Now know exactly where it is. Will give it a try

S

[hornet]

I tried this place out for the first time on Saturday night following it's Time Out best neighbourhood restaurant gong (or at least it was on the shortlist). I think we caught it on a bad night (the waiter was forgetting the specials while a chef was rushed out to an ambulance).

Starter of broad bean tagliatelle was excellent. I also tried the calves liver which also came on the darker side despite asking for it pink. The polenta chips sounded better in theory (a bit soggy).

Also had the apple pie and parmesan ice cream and doubt that you would have guessed parmesan in a blind taste test, but apple pie good.

Service good, apart from the chef wound distraction, although they did only have 1 of the first bottle of plonk and their recommended 2nd wasn't brilliant.

At £55 a head (incl a bottle of plonk each) this is a good place that I would like in my neighbourhood, but wouldn't rate it as a find of the year although perfect for relaxed small group outing.

[dallardice]

Clvie Anderson gives Metrogusto a cool review in the Standard tonight.

[tony h]

anyone been recently?

looking for a cheapist night out

cheers

T

[Janice]

I go there occasionally but the food, although usually enjoyable, can be hit and miss - some odd combinations that don't always work, quality inconsistent.

If you're looking for something at that price in Islington La Trouvaille is better IMHO.

[Suzi Edwards]

avoid seraphim in islington at all costs. just next to la trouvaille and it all looks very temping but i'm suffering a mild depression from my meal there.

ended up going to la trouvaille for dessert and i can't recommend their chocolate mousse highly enough.

[dallardice]

Oh sorry, I meant to post about Seraphin to warn people off. I think I was trying to blot it from my mind as soon as possible after leaving the restaurant.

Must give La Trouvaille another try. Had a pretty dreadful meal there just after it opened and haven't been back. I did post about that here somewhere.

[Clerkenwellian]

avoid seraphim in islington at all costs. just next to la trouvaille and it all looks very temping but i'm suffering a mild depression from my meal there.

ended up going to la trouvaille for dessert and i can't recommend their chocolate mousse highly enough.

I thought Seraphin was very odd indeed when I went a few weeks back. The menu's trying-too-hard wannabe-fusion (pork belly with white chocolate sauce). The waitress rather haughtily announced that they were presenting a "fine dining experience", but the cooking was amateur at best.

Nice chandelier, though.

Anybody know the story with this place?

[tony h]

pork belly with white chocolate sauce

oh dear, now I want to go...

[Suzi Edwards]

duncan from blue was once spotted there. nuff said.