The Elk in the Woods

I have to agree with the last reviewer that the service in the Elk has taken a serious turn for the worse. When it first opened it distinguished itself from the Duke of Cambridge (q.v.) by actually having quite nice waiters. Last night I booked a table for 8.45pm but having been snapped at fairly viciously by two different waitresses before we even sat down we thought the better of it and left. Given that Islington is large enough to offer a cosy gastropub dinner with or without rude service, I'd rather have it without.
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Neil
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, June 20, 2006

This is a funny little place, but I quite like it. Having said that, the service was truly truly appaling! Food was generally very good, although slightly pricey for the mains. However for a lazy lunch with the papers I think it's pretty damn good.

PS. The shot you get with the Frikadellen-revolting!
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Alissa Barlow
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Thursday, May 11, 2006

This is a great pub and restaurant - and I'm glad if other people have a problem with it. All the more room for the rest of us.
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JA, Islington
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, April 26, 2006

An interesting, inventive menu in a bit of a higgeldy-piggedly sort of room with staff run ragged at busy times.

Fun if you're in the mood - a patient mood!
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Gemstone
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, April 25, 2006

I went there the other night, and for the 3rd time in a row....yet again (!)they had no cheap OR affordable wines...they'd 'run out'. This has happened 3 times in a row now...I think its a bit of a con. The next cheapest bottle they had was £25, and the cheapest SMALL glass £5. This shouldn't be tolerated. Get some more wine in FGS. Boo. I so want to like it. It just put us both in a bad mood.
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jim
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Tuesday, March 28, 2006

The Elk in the Woods is an unusual bar-restaurant combination. It could be pretentious, but the combination of friendly staff and down-to-earth clientele means that this is avoided.

We had calamari and olives to start (calamari was fresh and tender), followed by a baked sea bass (a bit overdone), a big steak, and an enormous ciabatta sandwich. Washed down with some very well-priced Rioja, it makes a great place for a relaxed Sunday evening dinner.
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Karl Holmes
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Well I stumbled accross this hidden little pub looking at the antique markets firstly to have a coffee, then relised what a damn good antipodean coffee it was, which I now have been back many times just for that reason, and also the welcoming staff that always make you feel like there friends, had breakfast there the first time & my fiance was a little dissapointed about his burnt sausages. 2nd time round I had a duck salad which was great, & nachos (a meal you could make better at home) but i must add there was nothing that really jumped out at me on the menu, chef change the menu!!!!! its getting a bit boring for a gastro pub.... however we wont be back for the food but definetly the coffee & friendly atmosphere!!!
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Amy
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 3
Tuesday, January 24, 2006

I have been a regular at the Elk for a while now. Its a very laid back, informal place, with a kind of scruffy chic atmosphere and a Danish bent to the beers and some of the food. I can imagine some people finding it a bit too "fashionable" but there's no major attitude on show there, at least not from the staff.

The stuff I've had has always been very good - the tortilla chips, venison burger, pavlova, red onion omellete. The cocktails are excellent and so they should be for the price. Try the home-made lemonade as well - delicious and good for cleaning the palate pre-scoff. They get very busy in the evenings and there's no booking so its pot luck. But its basically one of my top three choices in Islington if I want to get a paper at lunchtime and have a quiet meal and few drinks.
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Declan James
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Sunday, January 22, 2006

I live in Islington and used to go to the Elk all the time as it was just the sort of friendly, neighbourhood place needed to counteract the glut of chains on Upper Street. However, I have noticed a real decline both in the standards of the food and the service which is now appalling. A victim of its own success perhaps?
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Naomi
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Thursday, January 19, 2006

I go here fairly often. I rate the food pretty highly, as gastro pubs go. Nice decor, too. Excellent chips. Wine list is well put together. The only drawback is the smoke - it really is very, very thick on a bad night, to the point where it's sometimes so icky that it's best to head elsewhere.
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Neil
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 6
Thursday, December 29, 2005