1. THE RESTAURANT: Alcedo bistro
This unassuming restaurant a few minutes’ walk from Holloway Road tube has an interesting backstory. The brainchild of Ecuadorian chef Angel, it’s his first solo venture after working for 16 years at legendary Mayfair restaurant Le Caprice, which closed in 2020.
And yet it’s a modest dining room, brightly lit but still with an elegant feel. The menu is loosely Mediterranean (steaks, pork belly, cod, pasta), prices are keen (mains cost £11-20) and on our visit, although the dishes proved a mixed bag, I left liking the overall feel of what the chef is trying to do.
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From the chalked-up specials board, sardine fillets – a tad fishier than expected – were thoughtfully paired with strips of sweet roasted butternut squash and tomato concasse, while tender calamari rings lay on a whorl of harissa mayo. Pasta dishes were strong, especially a creamy carbonara, although the taglierini with fennel was a little thin on the crab.
And elsewhere, the only issue with a miso-marinated slab of salmon, though grilled just-opaque, was a swamp of soy sauce in the bowl; but at least crisp bitter winter leaves and pak choi added crunch. Wine is also decently priced, at well under £30 a bottle.
In short? Though not dazzling on our visit, this is an intriguing venture and one to return to on a less busy evening. 237 Holloway Road N7
2. COCKTAIL BAR: GEMIST
After dinner, we were pleased to stumble across Bar Gemišt, hidden in the railway arches by Holloway Road tube. A cozy, contemporary space – channelling a touch of 1970s – it comprises central island bar, counter stools and comfier corner sofas.
The concept is shaped by the regions the owners, couple Marion Zoellé and Uros Dezutelj, come from in Slovenia and Alsace. “We blend Alpine, Germanic, and Central European influences,” they say.
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By day, the space is home to Rua Coffee Bar with a “friendly neighbourhood feel,” and in the afternoon, Gemišt steps in, evolving the venue into an aperitivo and cocktail bar.
Although quiet when we arrived at around 11pm, it soon filled up with a youngish North London crowd. And the libations indeed impress: a negroni replaced vermouth with fortified orange wine (the gin and campari are still present), an interesting take on a classic, while better still was a Rose Gimlet, pairing cremant with grapefruit and gin.
Overall, a notable addition to an ever-evolving – and once unloved – stretch of N7. Open 5pm-midnight, 303 Holloway Road N7
