Review: La Muse Bistro, Holloway Road

Style Points: 3/5
Price: ££
Overall: 5/5

It’s funny how people who live in London like to stick to certain areas. My husband always jokes about needing his passport if we go South of the river. And, to be honest, I stick to North West or Central London and don’t spend a lot of time North London.

In fact, my trip to see American Psycho at the Almeida Theatre is the only time I’ve ever set foot in the Highbury and Islington area. But I liked the sound of La Muse Bistro when given an invitation so I dragged my husband to North London to see what it was like. On the way to the restaurant, I even saw a bit of street art that reminded me of home.

Marilyn Monroe? Lady Liberty?

The restaurant is small and quaint is the word that I think best describes it. Everything was adorable from the repurposed church pew that served as my seat to the actual cooking books (in French and English) in the bookshelf to the walls painted red, white and blue (or bleu, blanc et rouge as my tiny amount of French tells me) like the French flag.

You can even watch your food being prepared the kitchen is open and at the front of the restaurant. I liked that the kitchen staff weren’t hidden away in the back. You can also buy some of the ingredients they use in their food.

Would I Want Seconds?

I love meat and cheese- I think it’s one of the reasons I love picnics so much…grab some Brie and a baguette with some type of sliced meat and I’m pretty thrilled. So I was excited to see a whole appetiser menu with just these things. We ordered the peppercorn saucisson (£3.50) and Corsican cured ham (£3.50) as well as some Altesse cheese (£4).

They were served with rosemary and potato bread and little dishes of olive with balsamic vinegar and one with Corsican strawberry and clementine jam. The peppercorn saucisson was exactly what I expected it to be…delicious with just that tiny bit of kick from the peppercorn. The cured ham was chewy and yummy and went well with the cheese (but was delicious on its own as well). The cheese was very similar to Brie, which is what I was hoping for. And when paired with the jam it was absolutely heavenly.

Jams for sale in the restaurant

Our starter of meat and cheese

We had asked our waitress to recommend a white wine to go with our main dish choices of fish and chicken. We chose a French, of course, bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (£18) of the recommendations she gave us. I really liked it and thought it worked well with our meals. My husband liked it but I think he wishes we had gone with the Chardonnay. Neither of us have any idea what we’re doing when picking wine though!

I had the Seared Fish of the Day which was Stone Fish (£15.50) which was served on a bed of creamy kale with prawns and squid. It was a lot of seafood which I used to always avoid but everything was sooo tasty. The fish just broke apart with the fork and melted in my mouth. I have no idea how they flavoured it, but it was fantastic.

Stone fish main course

My husband, on the other hand, selected the Special of the Day (£12.50) which was chicken stuffed with goat’s cheese, roasted Jersey royal potatoes, garlic mushrooms and a sauce. I have to admit I tried a bit and it was wonderful as well. The chicken was juicy and the cheese gave it a great flavour. The potatoes were lovely and buttery. And my husband says the mushrooms were tasty as well though I can’t say I’m a fan of them in general. It was another main where everything was just melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I was flabbergasted at the price too, it was such a steal at £12.50.

For dessert, I had a lime and chocolate mousse and my husband has a creme brûlée. By this time we were fairly tipsy having finished our bottle of wine but I distinctly remember making an audible sound of appreciation for the chocolate mouse. And my husband was impressed by the crack on the creme brûlée.

Then not wanting to leave yet, we wrapped up the evening with a coffee and a tea to help us digest the wonderful food we had just enjoyed.

Chocolate dessert

Creme Brulee

Could I Afford Seconds?  

At La Muse the portion sizes are perfect. We comfortably ate a three-course meal and felt full but it was at a good pace and so we never felt overly stuffed. However, there was plenty of food and we weren’t left starving by tiny gourmet dishes. All the dishes were averagely priced and matched the feel and location of the restaurant. However, the quality you get for your money is unbelievable. We were more impressed by this little unassuming bistro than we have been at much fancier and more expensive restaurants.

When you go to La Muse, and make no mistake I am saying you should absolutely visit, plan to spend enough to get a starter, main and dessert. For two diners, this would be about £50-60 depending on what you like…£70-80 if you want some wine as well. And it will be worth every. single. penny.

After dinner coffee

Overall?  5/5

I think the gushing above makes it pretty clear that I loved this place. I love that they have a little section to buy the jams and such. In fact, I had loved the strawberry and clementine jam so much I just had to get a little jar! I also have to mention the outstanding service and the atmosphere. Our waitress, Claire, was fantastic! She was so kind and funny but also really knowledgeable about the items on the menu. She was exactly what I want from all my servers everywhere I go!

Walking to the restaurant I wasn’t so sure because the street it’s on is a bit undefined and feels out of the way even though it's directly up from the tube and on the same road. But from the minute we stepped through the doorway I didn’t stop noticing little accents here and there with the knick knacks and the repurposed seating. It was cobbled together but felt like everything belonged. I can’t completely explain it, but it just felt nice even if it wasn’t super swanky.

It was obvious that the restaurant was full of regular locals, and the truth is (if I lived closer) I could see it becoming a regular place to dine at for my husband and I as well. I may not be able to go every week but we will definitely be returning. In fact, we’ve already promised my mom that we’d take her next time she’s in town!

Address: 119 Holloway Road, Holloway, London N7 8LT

Closest Tube Station: Highbury and Islington