Speckled Face Mutton and burnt aubergine
LeCoq has been open for a while, why are you visiting them now?
As one of our locals, we've been fans of LeCoq since it opened. But news that they'd relaunched their menu to become a fully fledged ‘Rotisserie Restaurant’ drew us back there again.
So does that mean they're not a chicken restaurant any more?
They're still doing their wonderful Sutton Hoo rotisserie chicken, but the chicken now shares space on the spit with other meats and vegetables. Previously LeCoq offered a set menu, now they've gone fully a la carte, with a menu split into snacks, starters, from the spits, sides and afters.
Gloucestershire Old Spot and apple sauce
Where should we meet friends for a drink first?
There's always Nanna's a few doors up, which is very friendly, and we like the nearby Alwyne and Canonbury Tavern too. Alternatively, pop in for a quick beer at the Hen and Chickens.
So if we're not having chicken, what should we have?
We kicked off with a smooth chicken liver pate served up with sourdough toast (£6) and purple sprouting broccoli with ajo blanco sauce and almonds (£5.50)
On the night we visited, alternatives on the spit were Gloucestershire Old Spot with apple sauce (£10), Speckled Face mutton with burnt aubergine (£12) and New Crop Celeriac with roasted garlic and brown butter and sage (£7). We tried both the pork and lamb and they were wonderful - the mutton just edging ahead because of the smoky burnt aubergine accompaniment.
Kalibos Cabbage & Radish Slaw
Sides were inventive - our favourite was the creamed Swiss chard, more of a gratin really, and a generous serving for £4.50.
From a short dessert menu which features specials from Poco Gelato and a regularly changing cheese from nearby La Fromagerie, the clear winner was a rustic quince and almond tart (£5).
Quince & Almond Tart
What's to drink?
You can kick off with cocktails at £6, but we went straight for the wine which begins at £4.50 for a glass of their wine on tap. Our personal pick would be the Portugues Pegoese at £25 a bottle.
Overall thoughts
Broadening out their rotisserie repertoire has given this Islington neighbourhood spot an extended lifespan with much more reason to return on a regular basis. We also thought it was a particularly good spot for vegetarians with a really decent selection of thoughtful veggie dishes on offer. Definitely one to return to, particularly if you haven't been for a while.
Want to see every dish we ate? See every photo on our LeCoq Facebook gallery.
LeCoq is at 292-294 St Paul's Rd, London N1 2LH. See their new menu here.
Hot Dinners were invited to LeCoq. Prices were correct at the time of writing.
