Smokehouse Islington

Smoking joy

Prawn toast, smoked bone marrow & kimchi onions

I only have a small collection of London restaurants that I would be happily to return to over and over again, Smokehouse, is definitely one of them. The affordable gastropub produces some of the most exciting meat dishes in London, cooking up BBQ by taking inspirations from around the world, using good quality British ingredients. Co-owner plus chef Neil Rankin has since launched Smokehouse no2 in Chiswick and it was just good as the original site in Islington. For this 4th visit, I was hoping to try out some of the new dishes as well as visiting the old classics.

Pork tacos, chipotle aioli & green sauce

Smoked lamb shoulder, polenta, raclette & sambal

Smoked duck, chipotle & miso glaze

Korean pulled pork

It was my first time trying the prawn toast starter, as first I feared it would be just a western styled Chinese prawn toast but I was so wrong. The toast was finely seasoned with Asian spices while the smoked bone marrow and kimchi onions added a buttery richness and sharpness edge, it was truly a delightful dish. The smoked duck dish was a showcase of international flavours, the chipotle and miso glaze offered a bold and powerful taste, which was contrasted by the poached rhubarb to wonderfully produce a well balanced plate of food. Shortrib bourguignon, the signature dish from Smokehouse was sensational, melt in the mouth with the perfect level of smoky aroma and moist texture.

Shortrib bourguignon

Sticky pork belly, pak choi, red cabbage & bacon kimchi

Banana bread French toast

Double D Tart

Smokehouse once again has provided another wonderful evening, on top of that the service was just as good as an upmarket restaurant. Not a single of my visit at Smokehouse has given me a bad meal, this shows incredible consistency from the kitchen. The savoury dishes are some of the best you can get in London at that price bracket, not to mention it has such a great selection of beer, from local craft brands to some very interesting imports, the wine list isn't half bad either. Simply put, Smokehouse is an outstanding gastropub with outstanding cooking. I envy people who live nearby.

Food 4/5

What I paid: 
£42 per head with beer

Average cost without drinks and services:
£30

Canonbury Rd, London N1 2DG

http://smokehouseislington.co.uk/