Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
New Italian/Neapolitan cafe/restaurant on Green Lanes
I am happy to report that as of this this Monday a brand new Neapolitan & Italian restaurant has opened on Green Lanes - in front of Finsbury Park, just after Homebase, in the place where the (short lived) Vegetarian cafe/restaurant was a few months ago.
I've just tried it for lunch today with husband and toddler and it was very nice. The young owners are very friendly and keen on giving locals genuine Italian food.
I will write a longer review on the restaurant section soon but for the moment I just thought it would be nice to give some good news here - that there is now more variety than before on Green Lanes. We should probably make sure we support them - I think they have a chance of doing well as they offer something very different from anything else around here but of course locals need to go and eat there!
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by 0xmduyqrq9379 on
-
This is a slightly fevered thread, folks! I think there's a difference between supporting and indulging, and that line is fast receding in the rear-view mirror. That said, I Borboni is a nice place, and the guys who run it are really friendly and accommodating. Their well-priced and hearty food has room for improvement which over-indulgence will not really encourage (the trattorias of Kensington can breathe a sigh of relief for the time being!), but I hope they continue to flourish, and provide us all with another fun dining option to complement the quality Turkish restaurants that grace and define the area. Take it easy on the espressos, Harringay Onliners, and the very best of luck to all at I Borboni!
-
Permalink Reply by Duguneek on
-
There have been rave reviews for this place but when I went last Saturday afternoon I was a bit underwhelmed. Sorry about that.
Was the chef out buying provisions and left it up to the waiters? Homemade lasagne was ok, probably authentic but a bit thin. £2 corkage charge was fair, though I am assuming this is per bottle not per person, since I was on my own.
Choice of two sweets - rum baba and nutella cake. I went for the cake which is as you might guess a dry flan case with nutella spread around it. Really dry, £3. Really it would have been better not to serve that, but be imaginative boys - some ice cream to go with it?
Nice coffee. I took away 'Meatballs' which were homemade but more like a couple of small burgers on a 'bed' of salad. No sauce - £5.
I haven't recommended it to my friends yet, may go again but not inclined. Was I just unlucky that day?
Dug
-
Permalink Reply by Hugh on
-
Good to have some balance. Let's hope standards aren't slipping.
Apparently things will be on the change anyway. By all accounts the Turkish owner, Ozzie, has the lease on the place next door to. I'm told he's plans to turn the current cafe into a deli and open next door as a restaurant.
-
Permalink Reply by Stuart on
-
Do you mean I Borboni will open next door as the restaurant? Or will we lose it when the deli opens?
-
-
As far as I understand the current building will become a deli and next door a restaurant. I imagine the timing will be synchronised, but you'll need to check the them.
-
Permalink Reply by Abi on
-
Sorry I'm still confused. Do we know if the restaurant will still be I Borboni - or a new one?
-
-
I think they hope the new place to be a bit more restauranty. I got the impression that both deli & restaurant will keep the Italian theme. That's all I know.
-
-
I have to agree with you there David McD and Dug. Following the rave reviews here I went there with the other half on Saturday evening expecting good food. The waiter/cooks were very friendly and are nice guys but they are still clearly on a learning curve. Only two other tables occupied when we got there but the waiter still messed up our order. Food was 4/10 (at best, Mrs E thought 3/10) and they had ran out of the one pasta on the menu that she wanted ...on a Saturday night. Is Italian rum tasteless? The rum baba was...
-
Permalink Reply by Protheroe O'Shea on
-
My wife and I went there two weeks ago with 5 friends of ours. The food was great, as was the service.
The way I look at it is this.
They are not michelin starred. They are definately not perfect.
The kitchen is smaller than my own but they can still cook wonderful rustic meals for 7 people, all on time, all hot.
They do not have the largest servings. but that is why you should order the side dishes!
Yes the meatballs are dry but this does not mean they are not meatballs, rather a style of meatball from an area of Italy. By the way order them with with aubergines and youll have the sauce you crave.
The bill was tiny
The service was great
No cockage was included and boy did we drink
It is also a cafe that sells very nice coffe.
The mozzerala is the best I have ever had anywhare.
It is welcome change to have the opprtunity to try authentic italian food in an area doninated to the point of sufforcation by Kebabs. Many of which are really quite standard. And I'm sure if blindfolded very few of us would know our Flame from our Anteplillier
I'm sorry the food did not meat your high standards.
Im sorry this is not Locanda Locatelli.
But rather than speak badly of the place behind the safety of a computer monitor I do hope you will pass on your thoughts directly to the staff of I-borboni rather than just this website. they will be grateful of the input.
Way to go HOL as soon as something nice comes along we go and slag it off. Fingers crosed it'll close down and become bookies.
-
-
No cockage was included ! Wha'?!
Oh now TB, just because it's Italian. Don't raise our expectations unnecessarily.
-
-
Wooa there TB. I think it's fair enough for people not to like something. Look at most pages of restaurant / hotel review websites and you rarely find any establishment that gets a perfect score. So fair dos to those folk who don't like it. It would be a shame if people felt they can't post against a majority view without getting gip for it.
-
Permalink Reply by Liz on
-
Absolutely Hugh! I think people are entitled to give their opinions on a new place and I'm sure that the owners will be more than happy to take on board any criticism that there may be. I recall that a largely enthusiastic review that I wrote for a local place was disagreed with strongly by someone else and La Vina (which I love) has also been criticised in the past on the site. I certainly don't think we should lay into someone if they don't share our enthusiasm for a place.
Incidentally, we have another example of a poster assuming that 2 members of a website = all 4, 000 members of a website. " Way to go HOL" - the site has no opinions, members do and they are entitled to them. Please don't go around saying Harringay Onlne does/doesn't like X or Y. It is a website, it's like saying your TV is criticising something...or is it a person on the TV? I hope you see the distinction.
© 2024 Created by Hugh.
Powered by
