John Salt (Islington)

• John Salt opened in November with Ben Spalding at the helm
• With Ben replaced with Neil Rankin
• Looks like John Salt have pulled another Ace out of their sleeve with this new signing
• With Rankin's renowned expertise with all things meat and barbeque and some rather exquisite Asian influenced dishes
• The place is a haze again with recent glowing reviews in Timeout and the Metro
• At off peak times there is enough space for walk ins
• With the staff (while pleasant) are so casually dressed it's hard to work out who was the waitress and who were customers shuffling there way back to their seats
• The set up seems very in tune with high turnover with the communal tables and stools
• This can be partially forgiven though as the food is a revelation
• The grilled prawns to be eaten whole were crunchy and flavourful
• The parmesan and rich egg yolk coming together well with the BBQed leeks
• 12) and skirt steak with kimchi hollandaise (£
• To say this is just 'good pub food' is doing it a tremendous disservice
• Using the best and freshest produce (most from Cornwall) that fits hand in hand with the ambience of the place
• The pork hash is something of pure indulgence
• The kimchi hollandaise is the perfect accompaniment with the sauce bringing a tang that complements the steak beautifully
• With frites and keveral salad on the side as well we were more than adequately fed
• The food here is a great advert for the fantastic produce available from Cornwall
• Half the battle is already won
• The rest is brought with a menu and style of cooking you will struggle to find in the rest of the UK
• On a Saturday lunch I didn't expect to be there for nearly 2 hours with only 2 courses down
• So unfortunately had to forgo the dessert that I was looking forward to
• That said I highly recommend a visit if you haven't already been the food here is really on the money
• What you get is a new take on unfussy
• What lets John Salt down is its layout
• A dining mezzanine and a ground floor bar with communal tables
• Distressed look that is being churned out for the young
• My other gripe is with the service
• Tempura oysters with beef fat mayo (£
• 7) or Onglet steak with kimchi hollandaise (£
• A beautiful tartare mixed with crunchy Nashi pear
• The fact that the restaurant survived potential ruin is clear testament to Neil Rankin and his remarkable food
• Also has its own bar with warm and friendly staff on hand at all times
• The John Salt kind was delivered in a white fish shaped jug that made a mildly amusing glugging sound when pouring
• Com/2013/06/08/simply one of the best meals of our lives john salt 131 upper st islington london n1 1qp/
• John Salt is a very trendy stop with an interesting food menu
• The main section at as you enter is occupied by long communal wooden tables
• Then the other side of the bar has plush leather couches and chairs and custom made lamp shades which hang from the ceiling emblazoned with the words &ldquo
• Here the cocktails are fresh and sophisticated
• Offering such subtle delights as a Mint Julip which is simple and delicious
• I had a side of salt and pepper squid alongside my spare ribs which was particularly indulgent but incredibly tasty
• John Salt is a great place to come to have drinks with your friends on a Friday or Saturday night
• They play a good selection of house and pop music and the ambiance is really nice
• I had no expectations but that sandwich was really great
• The food leftover from other parties were not cleared out and because there were no other tables available we had to sit at a dirty table
• I was impressed with their array of craft beers and creative cocktails
• Will be back in summer to enjoy the breeze through the open folding glass doors with the tempting bar food options
• Their cocktails are really original and tasty
• Happy hour makes is very accessible

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