<![CDATA[Greater London - Islington - Highbury - Eating, Drinking and Nightlife - Cafes - Reviews]]> http://www.welovelocal.com Reviews from welovelocal.com en Ecuador meets Islington! http://www.welovelocal.com/en/london/islington/highbury/cafes/el-rincon-quiteno-n78hg.html#r48722 El Rincon Quiteno, a little ecuadorean restaurant and take away, acts as a local cafe and breakfast place in the day, and turns into a bustling hub of South American style in the evenings, yet it is situated only minutes from the Holloway Rd tube, and if you blink, you'll miss it - and you'll regret it.

El Rincon is one of the most vibrant places I know in London, with its understated Ecuadorean style decor, it is like being in a South American home, and the latin music in the background accentuates this feeling.

But the piece de resistance is the food, served always with a smile, and delivered always with a cheeky joke. Great slabs of South American style steak, refried beans, the calamari - oh the calamari! I can't describe how tasty each dish is.

At Christmas the lovely staff, who now know me by name, caught me as I was leaving the restaurant, and gave me a Pannetone as a present. Where else in London with sort of hospitality happen?

Seriously, check it out!

]]> Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:32:07 BST Charismatic http://www.welovelocal.com/en/london/islington/highbury/cafes/el-molino-coffee-shop-n77bp.html#r33389 Run by a really charismatic Spanish guy who does a great job of making you feel a valued customer. Another cafe that must have cashed in on Arsenal's move to the Emirates Stadium. Really nice little cafe/deli and close to Holloway Road tube and buses.

]]> Fri, 16 May 2008 18:24:09 BST Pre match bite http://www.welovelocal.com/en/london/islington/highbury/cafes/cafe-azan-n77bp.html#r32137 You can only imagine the effect having 60,000 extra people walking up and down this road has had on local businesses. This is one of the best cafes in the local area - good selection of Sandwiches, coffees etc and within a stones throw of both the Arsenal stadium and Holloway road tube.

]]> Thu, 15 May 2008 12:57:04 BST Superb Noshing Joint http://www.welovelocal.com/en/london/islington/highbury/cafes/mega-bite-cafe-n77bw.html#r9535 For comfort food I've found a few no-frills places that are very comforting to the wallet as well as the stomach. Can other chowhounds recommend their favorite, nicely priced nosh pits? I'll be amazed if anyone can come up with one thats cheaper or dishes up better or bigger portions than the Megabite, outside Arsenal Stadium on the Benwell Road entrance. The decor is borderline industrial with no hints of Bauhaus - plastic bucket seats bolted into the ground, red tiled floor, beige tiles livened up with a few mementos of China. In short everything that screams greasy spoon. First impressions can sometimes be the wrong impressions. And the plain outside hides a down home culinary treasure. The grub is superb traditional Chinese cooking with no MSG! Just plain and simple home cooking - served up fast with no pretensions ... The first dish I tried was Sea Spice Aubergine with King Prawns and boiled Rice. The Aubergine texture and taste was to die-for. The King Prawns large and plentiful. After I hoovered it up I had to ask the pipe-cleaner thin chef all about it. "I used to cook that for the Queen, she always had it when she came to the Dorchester". I bet the old gal paid more than the £4.50 he was charging near the Holloway Road. After that I came back many, many times to sample some more. The stand-out dishes from the menu for me are Roast Duck with spring onion and boiled rice. Which has an immoral amount of tender roast duck. Louhan or Monks Vegetables - a great vegetarian dish with pickled plum, wood-ear fungus, triangular tofu and boiled rice. The cheapest dish in the place is Mixed Vegetables with boiled rice(£3.20) - surprisingly tasty. Other natty platters are the sweet and hot KoPo Chicken, Mixed Seafood, Chicken with Celery and the fairly spicy Mixed Vegetables with Curry Sauce. Now that the chef has added more regional dishes to the menu - Wow! The lamb in Yellow bean sauce is truly amazing and the sweet and sour fish, with nugget stylee bites of fish is sweet and spectacular.This is a great lunch-time place you can take a date and still have change from a tenner. Clientèle are mixed - sometimes theres a posse of Nigerian Traffic wardens, sometimes a gaggle of students & local appreciative regulars as well as the cheap date squad.

]]> Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:06:38 GMT Superb Noshing Joint http://www.welovelocal.com/en/london/islington/highbury/cafes/mega-bite-cafe-n77bw.html#r9535 For comfort food I've found a few no-frills places that are very comforting to the wallet as well as the stomach. Can other chowhounds recommend their favorite, nicely priced nosh pits? I'll be amazed if anyone can come up with one thats cheaper or dishes up better or bigger portions than the Megabite, outside Arsenal Stadium on the Benwell Road entrance. The decor is borderline industrial with no hints of Bauhaus - plastic bucket seats bolted into the ground, red tiled floor, beige tiles livened up with a few mementos of China. In short everything that screams greasy spoon. First impressions can sometimes be the wrong impressions. And the plain outside hides a down home culinary treasure. The grub is superb traditional Chinese cooking with no MSG! Just plain and simple home cooking - served up fast with no pretensions ... The first dish I tried was Sea Spice Aubergine with King Prawns and boiled Rice. The Aubergine texture and taste was to die-for. The King Prawns large and plentiful. After I hoovered it up I had to ask the pipe-cleaner thin chef all about it. "I used to cook that for the Queen, she always had it when she came to the Dorchester". I bet the old gal paid more than the £4.50 he was charging near the Holloway Road. After that I came back many, many times to sample some more. The stand-out dishes from the menu for me are Roast Duck with spring onion and boiled rice. Which has an immoral amount of tender roast duck. Louhan or Monks Vegetables - a great vegetarian dish with pickled plum, wood-ear fungus, triangular tofu and boiled rice. The cheapest dish in the place is Mixed Vegetables with boiled rice(£3.20) - surprisingly tasty. Other natty platters are the sweet and hot KoPo Chicken, Mixed Seafood, Chicken with Celery and the fairly spicy Mixed Vegetables with Curry Sauce. Now that the chef has added more regional dishes to the menu - Wow! The lamb in Yellow bean sauce is truly amazing and the sweet and sour fish, with nugget stylee bites of fish is sweet and spectacular.This is a great lunch-time place you can take a date and still have change from a tenner. Clientèle are mixed - sometimes theres a posse of Nigerian Traffic wardens, sometimes a gaggle of students & local appreciative regulars as well as the cheap date squad.

]]> Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:06:38 GMT