Cuisine: French

Cost:

Rating:

Where?: 140A, Upper Street, Islington. London. N1 1QY.

Closest station(s): Angel , Highbury & Islington.

Telephone: 0207 354 4088

Website: www.lemercury.co.uk

If you were to see the prices as you walked past Le Mercury on the corner of Upper Street and Almeida Street you would be forgiven for assuming that it is was a fast food restaurant - a fixed £3.95 for starters and £7.95 for mains. Rather than fast food however they offer dishes such as roast saddle of lamb with courgettes & rosemary jus and sea bass with crushed new potatoes and minted pesto.

The portion sizes are substantial, I recall having half a cow placed in front of me having ordered carpaccio of beef to start; however the rest of the dishes weren’t so absurdly sized. The cooking throughout is reliable however certainly not exceptional. The building is deceptively large, going up 3 or 4 stories. Le Mercury is a great option when looking for a restaurant meal without restaurant prices, the house wine being around £12 means that the bill doesn’t surge too far with the addition of a glass of wine or 2. The service is ok, though not first rate – however at these prices it is difficult to moan.

Le Mercury is seconds from the Almeida Theatre, making it perfect for pre or post-theatre dining when looking for a good meal that won’t break the bank or take an age to get through.