Went to try out the "new" La Muse the other day after it had had its' refurbishment done.. The place is looking great with a lovely little bar at the front and still with its' open plan kitchen.. Food was great! Slightly different kind of menu with a more tapas style menu but still with a few mains to choose from.. We went for the tapas style dishes and chose the Skirt steak, Artichokes, Meatballs and Grilled leeks.. All great dishes but preferred the Skirt steak..
La Muse is one of those hidden gems you wish you'd known about earlier. Located by Holloway Road, this French restaurant has everything you could want from a local restaurant.
La Muse is small and quaint is the word that I think best describes it. Everything was adorable from the repurposed church pew that served as my seat to the actual cooking books (in French and English) in the bookshelf to the walls painted red, white and blue.
You can even watch your food being prepared the kitchen is open and at the front of the restaurant. I liked that the kitchen staff weren’t hidden away in the back. You can also buy some of the ingredients they use in their food.
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The restaurant is small and quaint is the word that I think best describes it. Everything was adorable from the repurposed church pew that served as my seat to the actual cooking books (in French and English) in the bookshelf to the walls painted red, white and blue (or bleu, blanc et rouge as my tiny amount of French tells me) like the French flag.
You can even watch your food being prepared the kitchen is open and at the front of the restaurant. I liked that the kitchen staff weren’t hidden away in the back. You can also buy some of the ingredients they use in their food.
Would I Want Seconds?
I love meat and cheese- I think it’s one of the reasons I love picnics so much…grab some Brie and a baguette with some type of sliced meat and I’m pretty thrilled. So I was excited to see a whole appetiser menu with just these things. We ordered the peppercorn saucisson (£3.50) and Corsican cured ham (£3.50) as well as some Altesse cheese (£4).
They were served with rosemary and potato bread and little dishes of olive with balsamic vinegar and one with Corsican strawberry and clementine jam. The peppercorn saucisson was exactly what I expected it to be…delicious with just that tiny bit of kick from the peppercorn. The cured ham was chewy and yummy and went well with the cheese (but was delicious on its own as well). The cheese was very similar to Brie, which is what I was hoping for. And when paired with the jam it was absolutely heavenly.
We had asked our waitress to recommend a white wine to go with our main dish choices of fish and chicken. We chose a French, of course, bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (£18) of the recommendations she gave us. I really liked it and thought it worked well with our meals.
I had the Seared Fish of the Day which was Stone Fish (£15.50) which was served on a bed of creamy kale with prawns and squid. It was a lot of seafood which I used to always avoid but everything was sooo tasty. The fish just broke apart with the fork and melted in my mouth. I have no idea how they flavoured it, but it was fantastic.
We also selected the Special of the Day (£12.50) which was chicken stuffed with goat’s cheese, roasted Jersey royal potatoes, garlic mushrooms and a sauce. I have to admit I tried a bit and it was wonderful as well. The chicken was juicy and the cheese gave it a great flavour. The potatoes were lovely and buttery. It was another main where everything was just melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I was flabbergasted at the price too, it was such a steal at £12.50.
For dessert, I had a lime and chocolate mousse and also tried a creme brûlée. By this time we were fairly tipsy having finished our bottle of wine but I distinctly remember making an audible sound of appreciation for the chocolate mouse.
Then not wanting to leave yet, we wrapped up the evening with a coffee and a tea to help us digest the wonderful food we had just enjoyed.
Could I Afford Seconds?
At La Muse the portion sizes are perfect. We comfortably ate a three-course meal and felt full but it was at a good pace and so we never felt overly stuffed. However, there was plenty of food and we weren’t left starving by tiny gourmet dishes. All the dishes were averagely priced and matched the feel and location of the restaurant. However, the quality you get for your money is unbelievable. We were more impressed by this little unassuming bistro than we have been at much fancier and more expensive restaurants.
When you go to La Muse, and make no mistake I am saying you should absolutely visit, plan to spend enough to get a starter, main and dessert. For two diners, this would be about £50-60 depending on what you like…£70-80 if you want some wine as well. And it will be worth every. single. penny.
Overall? 5/5
I think the gushing above makes it pretty clear that I loved this place. I love that they have a little section to buy the jams and such. In fact, I had loved the strawberry and clementine jam so much I just had to get a little jar! I also have to mention the outstanding service and the atmosphere. Our waitress, Claire, was fantastic! She was so kind and funny but also really knowledgeable about the items on the menu. She was exactly what I want from all my servers everywhere I go!
Walking to the restaurant I wasn’t so sure because the street it’s on is a bit undefined and feels out of the way even though it's directly up from the tube and on the same road. But from the minute we stepped through the doorway I didn’t stop noticing little accents here and there with the knick knacks and the repurposed seating. It was cobbled together but felt like everything belonged. I can’t completely explain it, but it just felt nice even if it wasn’t super swanky.
It was obvious that the restaurant was full of regular locals, and the truth is (if I lived closer) I could see it becoming a regular place to dine. I may not be able to go every week but we will definitely be returning. In fact, we’ve already promised my mom that we’d take her next time she’s in town!
My family and I had dinner there on the weekend and had a delicious home cooked dinner for a reasonable price. The menu is short (the cooking area is tiny) but has a choice of classic dishes. The beef bourguignon and the grilled salmon were excellent. The chocolate brownie dessert was delicious. Overall the food was not as heavy as a lot of restaurant food. It tasted like the best of what you make at home. Good friendly service.
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La Muse is a distinctive little restaurant on Holloway Road. Its layout is interesting as the kitchen is visible as you enter, and is lined by two cramped tables. But it then gives way to a little seating area located at the back which is charmingly intimate. There is also a lovely outside area which was gorgeous in the summer; the place was decorated by pots of flowers and a gravel floor and managed to pack a lot of people into the small London- garden style space without feeling too cramped.
The service here is great as well, as the waiters seem to go out of their way to make each guest feel important. My friendly waiter explained every dish in depth and gave his own recommendations, which I thought was a lovely touch and gave the whole place a personal feel which is hard to come by in London.
The menu here is expertly devised and the food was gorgeous. There are a few staples to the menu, but the restaurant seems to pick its meals depending on what is in season. The Camembert unsurprisingly was absolutely delicious, but I would also recommend the goats cheese and pecan salad which had a subtle flavour and tasted beautifully fresh. For mains try the burger or the steak; classics that are cooked to perfection and come with lovely chips.
The wine list is also expertly chosen. I trusted the waiter to bring me a light rose and the bottle we got was precisely that.
I really can’t criticise La Muse, apart from perhaps to suggest booking a table so that you aren’t on one of the more cramped spots that line the kitchen. A great little find.
Great food and service!
A hidden gem in the north London and my friend and I are so glad we found it!
The chicken is so tender inside as well as lamb rump.
Perhaps our favorite is dessert with sweet wine recommended by attentive server.
Overall great experience!
If you are in the area, please don't miss out! Food was super great -- way better than our expectation. And staff was very friendly. Sure to visit here again.
Rachelle Albicy-Hearle
+5
La Muse is a lovely addition to Holloway Road, Well balanced dishes, attentive service, open kitchen so you can watch the chefs cook.
The wine selection is short but well chosen.
I can’t wait to come back and try more dishes.
Massive hidden gem and must go in area! Fantastic food, chef is professional with experienxe in top restaurants.. Is small French like Caffè with amazing variety of tapas menu, I'm impressed! Check rear gargen, it's amazing!
Lovely atmosphere. Food good. House red excellent.
They’ve got the prettiest garden out back, would be a shame to miss! Friendly staff and decent food.
Fabulous atmosphere and authentic service, very professional and cannot give any more praise, then the food arrived and was even more amazed, food was perfectly cooked and arrived perfectly in time, would definitely recommend and 100% deserving of a 5 star.
Had a fantastic meal here.
Great selection of food and drinks.
My partner and I were both really impressed with everything we ate and will happily return here with friends now.
Small but great quality selection of wine.
The service was absolutely fantastic, very friendly and informative.
Fantastic! We were a group of four and so we ordered a lot of the starters to share, and each was excellently presented and delicious. The main dishes didn’t disappoint either. Very friendly and attentive service and a charming back patio for good weather.
Lovely hidden gem serving excellent food and some amazing wine for a bargain price. The garden outback is glorious and very deceiving given the smaller entrance and interior. Had some delicious vegetarian bites and cheeses that were absolutely superb.
This is a real hidden gem. The service is great and the atmosphere perfect. We sat with a bunch of friends in the quiet little garden at the back on a warm summers evening. The food was really amazing. Simple, quality French cuisine, and reasonably priced.
This is the possibly the best restaurant I've been to in Islington.
Gorgeous food, gorgeous servers. I couldn’t even wait to take a photo of the food it was so delicious I just cleaned my plates (3 courses) and downed my wine. Would recommend the mackerel salad starter, cod main with potatoes and finish with the chocolate fondant. Will I return? OUI.
This restaurant has always been a favorite of mine on Holloway Road. They’ve recently had a refurb and this was my first visit back. Place looks great and we were glad to see that it lost nothing from its soul. Fantastic new menu and great selection of wines. Malbec was top notch. We opted for share style dishes, although you can still get a 3 course French fare. Definitely an improvement, not that it needed any.
I don't know why I'm writing this review, as I'd like to keep this little gem a secret. The food here is superb - how they do it with such a tiny little kitchen I just don't know! A simple menu of selected charcuterie and burgers, classic brunches, and evening main courses that vary regularly. Good wine, divine desserts and lovely people. Now forget everything I've just said and go somewhere else please!
We had a lovely evening last night at la muse. Service was excellent and the drinks were great value. All the food we tried was tasty and went down well on a cold night (just not quite 5 star worthy). Would recommend!
Amazing place. So uninposing from the outside but classically simple on the inside. Not too big so you are always looked after at every stage of the evening. Incredible value for the delicious food that you’ll get, coupled with the finely hand-picked wine list. An amazing find and will definitely be going back
What an excellent little place. Lazlo has prepared an amazing steak for us. The fries next to the meat were among the best chips I’ve ever had. Small intimate bistro type of place. Wish we had places like this una more abundant way back in the United States.
After a tour in Arsenal Stadium, we ended in this nice place to have what I definitely describe as a life time dinner experience. The guy there has a cooking passion and keen interest to Please his customers. Simply and as I told him he is an artist.Highly recommend it.
Absolutely fantastic food and service at a great price and lovely venue, and the host went above and beyond in making sure we had a good time. Lamb and steak were incredible! Will definitely be back!
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