Le Mercury (Islington)

• Sadly these are the only two things Le Mercury has going for it the old school French feel and the affordable menu suggesting that it's really style over substance
• The food disappointing (my lamb was appallingly tough) and the service unreliable the first time I tried to go the restaurant completely forgot my reservation and didn't even apologise
• Le Mercury is not one of them
• I've been here twice now (second time was out of social courtesy rather than because I wanted to) and it was bad both times
• I can't say I was disappointed because as soon as you walk in
• The waiter was rude and impatient to take my order
• Having looked at the other reviews I think they are a little harsh
• Okay so the food is not the best
• To get these prices much of the food will have been pre prepared and obviously the waiters are not going to be proteges of Jean Baptiste Requien
• So if you are in the market for some french(ish) style ambiance with a young lady (and you have to pick up the tab) this is ideal
• The Salmon was absolutely brilliant and the fried Calamari was very delicious
• The prices are ridiculously low and the service is average
• By looking at the other reviews I'm starting to think maybe I was one of the few lucky customers but somehow I can't imagine that would be true
• Such a price Le Mercury is probably one of your best bets around Angel
• This small restaurant is so popular on upper street that Mercury Deuxieme (the second) opened a bit further down the street
• The atmosphere is buzzing and relaxed
• The mercury is one of these places in London you definitely want on your 'to do' list
• So booking is recommended for Fri/Sat eves in particular
• The tables are very tightly packed in but the atmosphere is great and the service is friendly
• The whole place is lighted by candles rather than artificial light which makes it a perfect place for a date
• A girl date with my best friend
• ALL main courses are a mere £
• ALL starters are just shy of £
• At these prices of course it is silly not to get a starter and a main (and you should probably get dessert too
• Our starters I had the Terrine de Jambonneau ham hock terrine with piccalilli and toast and my friend had Ravioli de la Mer crayfish and lobster with spinach and a shellfish sauce
• My terrine was not amazing
• The piccalilli was pretty lacklustre compared to other homemade versions I've been served
• I didn't really mind it was only a fiver
• Alison's ravioli was actually a raviolo one big pocket of seafood
• They were of a much higher quality than I was expecting for the price
• I had the roast saddle of lamb with grilled courgettes and rosemary jus (how good does that sound
• We got some chips to share but it turned out my lamb came with pomme puree anyway
• After a lovely couple of dinners at Le Mercury with my boy last year
• Our table of 20 was next to another birthday group of the same size
• The atmosphere is perfect for a date (especially one where you want to look like you haven't made too much effort nailed it) but as we found out
• The standard of food was no different to when we'd been before
• Flavoursome filling wrapped in delicate pasta the sauce was a little on the thin side bur for £
• Duck for main was perfectly cooked
• We didn't even book and managed to get a table easily but if you are rushing make sure you plan ahead
• The lamb was perfect and juicy especially being paired with the au ju sauce
• The gnocchi was perfect the butternut squash wasn't to overpowering and made a perfect addition
• If you're looking for an enjoyable experience that really won't break the bank this is your place to go
• Especially love how cosy it is and that special corner table upstairs
• It seems to be a bit of an Islington stalwart as every table was taken (and we visited on a Wednesday night) and the atmosphere was buzzing
• Downstairs is dark and romantic with candlelit tables for two
• The two floors upstairs are dedicated for bigger tables we were on the top floor and as a party of 14
• I kicked off with a medium glass of house red for £
• I went for the carpaccio of beef to start thinly sliced raw meat with a caper &
• Only niggle was that it was a little under seasoned and salt/pepper shakers do nothing to solve this where are the nice big grinders when you need them
• To follow I had crispy skinned seabass fillet with crushed new potatoes and a mint pesto
• The flavours in this were a lot stronger and the dish was better seasoned
• Le Mercury is a good little place for cheap dining (which is ever hard to come by in London) and definitely worth a try
• Le Mercury (Islington) was recommended to me by a friend
• I had the Chevre Chaud as a starter which was tasty but not too filling
• What I loved about that dish was that you could taste the potatoes from the gnocchi
• Was that the portions of food were big enough that you wondered if you would be able to finish it all
• It had a nice and cosy atmosphere with candlelight
• The service was quick and good even though all tables were full
• Our waiter was often checking on us making sure we had all we needed
• It's a good venue for dates or also group reunions as there is a big room upstairs they book for private events
• You can get a three course meal with wine for about £
• Otherwise the table setting was inviting and crisp
• Quaint and intimate with good value for money compared to the usual London prices
• As Le Mercury (Islington) is small and it fills up quick
• Le Mercury is poetry in motion and London's God of value
• Romantic room surrounded by tables with white linen tablecloths each with a large candle on top
• We started with bottles of Ochagavia (Chile £
• All starters are just £
• Vre Chaud Grilled Goats' Cheese starter with a salad garnish and basil pesto sauce and I had the Moules Mariniè
• The goat cheese tart was tastefully presented as well as being light
• My mussels were plentiful for the price
• There was little sauce and what was there was a tad bland with nary a hint of the shallots
• Small cheddar tarts topped with asparagus spears in a balsamic reduction and a sliced avocado garnish in between the two
• Because of the balsamic vinegar which she is not a great fan of to begin with
• I thought that the tart was quite delicious
• The table was booked with one month in advance to celebrate our wedding
• 00 he says that he knows but they have a technical problem with the kitchen and they weren&rsquo
• So instead of call us or send us an email to aware us that the restaurant it was closed they leave us to arrive there and ruin our special day in our wedding
• Our experience was really very sad
• They also knew that we are going with a baby that he was crying feeling cold outside

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