The Peasant

My husband and I dined at The Peasant last Saturday night. We moved into the area (Islington) 3 months ago and have dined out locally virtually every Saturday night since the move. The Peasant offered us one of the nicest experiences yet! The food was excellent and the atmosphere upstairs was lovely (you would have to be a smoker to enjoy eating downstairs in the bar!
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Nancy
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Monday, February 26, 2007

Recently had a lovely meal at the Peasant, the service was great, they took really good care of us considering they were extremely busy. The list of wines is impressive and was happy to see that dogs were allowed in the bar downstairs. The atmosphere in the Peasant whether you go for a drink and light meal down stairs or in the dining room upstairs is above gastropub standards. Will definately visit again soon
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tina Moland
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, November 07, 2006

I booked a table in the upstair restuarant and from the moment I made my reservation to the time that I paid my bill, I was made to feel very special. The food I found very interesting, tasteful, value for money and exceptionally well presented. I understand that the head chef has a background which includes The Sugar Club and Peter Gordon. Which is reflected in his menu.

I would thoroughly recommend The Peasant, we were lucky enough to be recommended here.
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Friday, June 09, 2006

This is a friendly and welcoming restaurant above a pub. The room has high ceilings, is light and airy, there are linen table cloths, wooden floors, flowers and fairy lights. There's lots of room between tables.

The staff are very pleasant. All in all, you really want it to work and to do well because the staff deserve it.

My husband said he'd be very happy to go again. I would go again too but I was left a bit dissatisfied because some of the dishes were hit and miss - I just felt that they should do better so as to do themselves justice. For instance, a raw vegetable with mozeralla starter - not really dressed properly - it was a light 'tomato' dressing that didn't pack the necessary punch, a few thin slices of cheese and chunkily sliced red pepper, fennel and carrot. The sticky toffee pudding with gooseberry and elderflower 'foam' (it was a fool) was presented oddly - sliced up into three chunks and held together with the fool - to hide the fact that it was burnt on the base I think.

This all sounds a bit grudging. I don't mean it to be. There were components of individual dishes that worked marvelously -the lamb was delicious - tender and rare, and my husband enjoyed his pan fried kangaroo (it was v good). But other bits and pieces let it down. Odd. Fusion cooking that hadn't quite fused.

And why was it half empty at 9.30 on a Friday night? The pub below was heaving.

The wine list was excellent. Bottles starting at £12 and the most expensive was about £45. Very good.

It's not over-priced. Most of the dishes work. There was nothing inedible and much to enjoy. So do go, it's very relaxing.
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Ph
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Friday, June 02, 2006

Went there for a Valentine's dinner recently. Was slightly worried at first as we got plonked in the alcove section of the upstairs restaurant, which lacks the quirky charm of the main area (though it was better when other diners came along later). Good quality, reasonable-priced champagne to start with, which was served promptly, though a tad on the warm side. Nice bread, too. I had kangaroo with black pudding and plantain to start with, which was a great - if not subtle - dish. Though not the tenderest of meats, the kangaroo was extremely tasty and the flavours were rich. I then had the wild boar casserole, which was hearty rustic fayre for such a freezing night, though the boar was a little overcooked and sparse in quantity while carrots predominated. My girlfriend's sea trout with chick peas looked amazing and judging by the "mmmm"ing emanating from her side of the table tasted pretty good, too. Quite a wide selection of wine by the glass and not all prohibitively expensive, though my gaillac was a little underwhelming for £4.40. Pud was great and was served in a very unpretentious way: an unctuous slab of upside-down pineapple cake with banana mousse and strawberry coulis. Good selection of digestifs as well. All in all, a very good evening, and pretty good value for money. We will return soon.
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Jago
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, February 15, 2006

I was absolutely gobsmacked at the cheek of this 'gastropub' to charge such ridiculous prices. My order of lamb (a staggering £17!) was no more than three teeny tiny french-trimmed lamb chops on a bed of lambs lettuce ... no vegetables (except bizarrely an onion) ... food was tepid and rushed and for that price I would certainly recommend eating elsewhere ...
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Gabrielle Koonin
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Thursday, December 22, 2005

I am sorry that almost three weeks have passed before I wrote to you, but I just wanted to say an enormous thank you to everyone at The Peasant for giving me and my friends a really memorable evening. Everyone has got back to my wife and me to say how lovely it was and I think that is a tribute to everyone involved in helping us celebrate.
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Martin Jones
Tuesday, November 01, 2005

OK. I went back to this place this Sunday and had a great experience. My roast (beef) was fantastic - a huge improvement on last time. Service flawless. Only complaint was the potatoes, which were 'roast new potatoes'. Not quite right in my traditionalist book, but they were almost made up for by the best roast parsnips I've ever(?) had, crunchy chard, a lovely rich gravy and meat so tender it broke my heart. My co-diner was happy with her black bean fritters which were a touch on the crumbly side. My own Peasant saga continues...
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Douglas Hauser
Wednesday, October 26, 2005