Oldroyd London | Modern Dining in Angel Islington

Every few weeks, I find myself needing to think of a restaurant last-minute for lunch or dinner with a friend. It needs to meet my usual stipulations of great food, not too far from a tube station, and not outrageously expensive and sometimes I need it to be in a specific part of town. Even though I have a loooong, semi-permanent wishlist, something about the pressure of choosing one at short-notice makes my mind go blank. And so I turn to twitter and beg the food-community hive mind for recommendations, quick quick please! They always come through for me, often-cases reminding of me of places that are already on my wishlist.

Review of lunch at Oldroyd London restaurant on Kavey Eats

When I asked for a lunch option for a Saturday lunch in Angel Islington a few weeks ago, I was reminded again (thanks Samphire & Salsify) of Oldroyd, a name which pops up every single time I ask and has been receiving recommendations ever since it opened a few years ago. It’s the brainchild of Tom Oldroyd, formerly the Executive chef for Polpo (and the many younger sibling restaurants that came afterwards) and offers a pared down menu of seasonal cooking in a modern European style, with a pronounced Italian influence.

Walking in without a reservation at 1.30 pm on a bank holiday Saturday I was surprised we were able to get a table downstairs, and the front of house staff immediately earned my gratitude by offering a cushion to soften the hard bench seating.

Review of lunch at Oldroyd London restaurant on Kavey Eats Review of lunch at Oldroyd London restaurant on Kavey Eats

The menu was short but full of temptations. We ordered a few items from the menu and one from the daily Specials blackboard.

Review of lunch at Oldroyd London restaurant on Kavey Eats Review of lunch at Oldroyd London restaurant on Kavey Eats

Seaweed and cider saucisson with cornichons (£5.50) were punchy in flavour and perfect to enjoy with a drink while you decide on the rest, though pricy for the portion size.

A simple dish of gnocchi fritti, wild garlic puree and parmesan (£7) worked well for its simplicity; the deep fried gnocchi were soft with a chewy-crisped surface, given freshness by the vivid wild garlic and a hit of salty savouriness from the blanket of finely grated fresh parmesan.

Review of lunch at Oldroyd London restaurant on Kavey Eats

Spinach and ricotta malfatti, peas, broadbeans, berkswell and crispy sage (£13) was more complex, but just as fresh and vibrant. The filling in the malfatti was light and fresh, the sweetness of the peas a delight and the crispy sage gave a welcome crunch against the softness.

Review of lunch at Oldroyd London restaurant on Kavey Eats Review of lunch at Oldroyd London restaurant on Kavey Eats

The bavette steak, camone tomatoes & aspargus (£17) was marvellous, a beautifully full-flavoured and perfectly cooked piece of beef served with two fat fresh asparagus spears, fresh tomatoes and a lovely pile of very soft goat’s milk curd. Although it was awfully good, I did feel again that this item was a touch on the pricy side – bavette is not a super expensive cut.

Purple sprouting broccoli (£4) was delicious, cooked perfectly with the really excellent flavour that is a hallmark of fresh ingredients.

Review of lunch at Oldroyd London restaurant on Kavey Eats

Lemon tart with gariguette strawberries (£6.50) was a perfect dessert for sharing. A silky silky lemon filling on thin, light pastry, with sharp little strawberries to contrast.

We only had tap water to drink, and our total bill was £59.62 (with service included). With modest drinks you’d be looking at £40 or more per head. That said, both food and service was excellent, and I’d absolutely go back. I love Oldroyd’s approach to seasonal cooking and showing off the ingredients in simple, classic combinations.

Please leave a comment - I love hearing from you!
31 Comments to "Oldroyd London | Modern Dining in Angel Islington"

  1. Urvashi

    Anywhere that has skate on the menu is a winner for me. So rare to find and so delicious with capers as they’ve described here. And a cushion is most necessary for the trendy wooden board type chairs that are everywhere!

    Reply
    kaveyeats

    Yes I love their menu and the cushion was a kind and appreciated gesture.

    Reply
  2. Marvi

    Funny how lunch/ dinner with friends and/ or families can make you go completely blank when asked for recommendations. LOL. I have experienced that, like a lot.. hehe. So cool of you to have thought of asking the twitter community for recommendations. 🙂 The food at Oldroyd looks delicious!

    Reply
  3. Linda

    I will definitely need to put this on my list if I visit. The gnocchi looked simply delicious. And the lemon tart seemed like a great way to finish. Thanks for sharing this spot.

    Reply
  4. Tracie Howe

    That doesn’t seem like a bad price for all of that food in London! Great find! And the food, of course, looks amazing!

    Reply
    kaveyeats

    I think it’s understandable taking into account location but I think given small number of dishes and no drinks at all, it’s a little high. I’m still going back tonight though!

    Reply
  5. Vasu Devan

    The photos certainly are appetizing 🙂 It is often that a small place has the best food. I don’t mind a lemon tart with strawberries right now! I have not been to London yet but will note down this place for reference. Thanks

    Reply
  6. kaveyeats

    The seaweed is one of the flavourings of the saucisson, and yes very interesting.

    Reply
  7. Sandy N Vyjay

    We too face this issue of, “where to go for lunch or dinner”, often. Also our choices narrow down owing to our vegetarian proclivities. But Oldroyd seems the perfect place that fits in to your requirements. The Spinach and ricotta malfatti, peas, broadbeans, berkswell and crispy sage looks like something down our ally. The Lemon Tart too looks really tempting. Looking at the prices they seem definitely value for money.

    Reply
    kaveyeats

    Yeah they seem to be pretty good for veggies, even with their short menu. Definitely worth visiting!

    Reply
  8. Mags Nixon

    The seaweed and cider saucisson! What a combo! Sounds fabulous. I’d love to visit here with my other half for a quite lunch without the kids! 🙂

    Reply
  9. Ami Bhat

    The place does seem like a lovely place for a date. I can see that the food too, is quite delicious – from your pictures and description. I like the sound of the dessert – lemon tart and strawberries…yummy

    Reply
    kaveyeats

    Yeah it’s a lovely place, we’re meeting friends there tonight.

    Reply
  10. Jemma

    You can’t beat a lemon tart for dessert – so refreshing and such a palate cleanser. Looks like a really lovely place!

    Reply
  11. kaveyeats

    It’s got a good selection for veggies so I think you’d love it!

    Reply
  12. Emma

    Why have I never been here?! It’s so close to my OH’s office too. Promptly adding it to my own list. Great recommendation.

    Reply
  13. noel

    It looks so simple and delicious I’m sure, the ingredients just stand out when they are prepared with few but wonderful fresh ingredients. I would just love to try that Gnocchi and the beef dish.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Vasu Devan Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *