Up at the front of the new-look Bellanger
Why are you revisiting Bellanger now?
The Islington grand cafe has been through some turbulent times since it replaced Browns on Islington Green in 2015. Originally opened by Corbin & King, the restaurant struggled to find its footing originally and closed just before the pandemic in 2019. However, the cafe got a new lease of life when it was reopened post-pandemic, ditching the original Alsace-heavy menu for one that was much closer to a traditional French brasserie. It turned out that this was what Islington wanted all along, and it became a hit.
Now it's just had another big refurb, so we reckoned it was time to head back in and see what's changed.
So what has changed?
Actually quite a lot. If you're familiar with the space, there was a bar towards the back-right of the restaurant, in a space that was slightly sunken. That's now gone and has been replaced by more seats for the restaurant. And on top of that, the whole restaurant is now on the same level, so that back section now looks like this:
The back of the restaurant at Bellanger - this is the section that used to be the bar
On top of that, the front of the restaurant has also had something of a makeover. The bar has in fact moved over here, although there is a big difference from before (other than everything moving around) in that as you can see below, everything is now laid out with a place setting. That means there's no clear bar area compared with the set-up from before. But before that puts you off, you can still come in for just a drink and some snacks, they'll remove any place settings as needed.
The new bar up front, with the DJ booth beside it.
As you can see from the photo above, the bar does have something else new - a DJ booth. In an effort to get a slightly younger clientele in, the booth will be working at the weekend. There's a balance here between pleasing the regulars and getting a new crowd in, so we'll have to see how Bellanger manages that.
On top of all of the above, the outside terrace is a little bigger too - so there's more space if you fancy an alfresco drink or bite just off Islington Green.
Is it still dog-friendly?
Absolutely. If your pooch is well-behaved, they'll be welcome here.
And what about the food - has that changed?
Yes and no. You will find a few classics from past menus on there - so there's still a prawn and avocado cocktail (£18.50), steak tartare (£14.50) and their cheeseburger. Various egg dishes are also available throughout the day if you fancy a late Eggs Benedict.
However, much of the menu has been given a Mediterranean going over, so you'll also see dishes like a pan-roasted Iberico chop and an Andalusian fish stew. With that in mind, we focused on some of the new dishes, so here's a taste of those.
Stuffed Courgette Flower with a roast plum tomato sauce (£8.75)
Dressed Dorset Crab with salmon roe caviar and lemon (£19.50) - a different take than we were expecting but as such much easier to tackle.
Crab Linguine with sauce nantua (£19.75) - buttery and with generous amounts of crab, this was a winner.
Cannon of Lamb with Mediterranean vegetables, salsa verse (£29.75) - a really good portion of lamb that went very well with a side of their excellent fries.
Cherry & pistachio semi-freddo with a maraschino cherry compote (£9.50) - one of the best desserts we've had recently.
Outside of the above, you'll also find dishes like a flat iron steak frites (£27.50) or rib-eye with fries (£36.75), aubergine parmigiana (£19.25) and a grilled chicken paillard (£18.75). The prices have notably gone up a little with the refresh and, for the moment at least, there is no set menu option.
What about drinks?
Cocktails are decently priced, around the £12-£13 range and it does look like a brand new menu too (we visited during lunch so didn't put it to the test). Examples are the Apples & Thyme (Calvados, thyme liqueur, lemon juice, le verger apéritif, eggwhite, £12.50) or the Saffron & Citron (Saffron gin, nardini aqua di cedro, yellow chartreuse, lemon, sugar, soda water, £12.50).
On top of that, there are a few non-alcoholic options like the Seaside Paloma (Everleaf marine, fever-tree grapefruit soda, fresh thyme, £8.50)
As for the wine list, it's a predominantly European affair with the entry-level bottles being £29 or £32.50 for rose on tap if you're thinking of something for the terrace (that's the Cinsault Rosé 2021, Famille Chaudière)
Overall thoughts
Ultimately, Bellanger is still a lovely grand cafe right in the middle of Islington and there will always be a market for that in the area. Going by the dishes we had, the kitchen is on great form and the new direction is promising.
As for the space itself - the changes to Bellanger are a combination of the fairly dramatic (where the back of the restaurant is concerned), or much more business as usual (up at the front, new bar counter excepted). It has definitely helped to give the place a proper sprucing up and some of the changes may well bring in a brand-new crowd. They'll just need to make sure they hang onto those hard-to-please Islington regulars too.
More about Bellanger
Where is it? 9 Islington Green, London N1 2XH
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @bellanger_n1
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Bellanger. Prices correct at time of publication.
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