Can you book? Yes
Food: 9/10
Atmosphere: 6/10
Price paid per person: £30

Shoe Shop is a new(ish) restaurant just a minute away from Tufnell Park tube station. There are very few tables, little ornamentation and no music (if I remember correctly). So if the food had been disappointing, it wouldn’t have had any saving graces. Luckily this wasn’t the case and the food was very good!

I went with two friends, and we shared a salmon pâté and a mushroom and shallot crumble. The salmon came in a glass with a layer of something that we concluded must have been butter on top, and a basket of chunky toast. The crumble had the warming effects of comfort food whilst managing not to compromise on originality.

The menu is quite meat and fish heavy but there still a few vegetarian dishes, such as pumpkin risotto. For main I had fillet of dover sole with straw potatoes (very very thin chips). I was pleasantly surprised to find that the sole with stuffed with fresh spinach, one of my favourite vegetables, and the accompanying sauce was excellent. I had good reports about the steak tartare, and sampled the hake and chips which was very good; fish and chip shop style chunky chips.

Since it was my (belated) birthday, we shared a delice joconde for dessert. This was a chocolate and praline mousse with hazelnut sponge. The mousse was so delicate, it was a dessert fit for a ballerina.

Very unpretentious and great food, I highly recommend Shoe Shop.