A quick review for what was a quick but satisfying bite. Mélange has become an old standby for a steak-frites fix in North London and it’ll be something of an interesting chore to try and find somewhere as dependable for my fix in future. I took the precaution of booking well in advance for a table on a Saturday night – when we got there they were turning custom away for lack of space.

The room is a game of two halves. At the front you have the screen showing films (silently) which I find a bit distracting, although I guess it might be welcome if you have especially tedious company. At the back of the room this isn’t an issue. While busy I didn’t feel too squashed in to our table though I wouldn’t have minded a little more room. Chunky individuals might want to consider whether they want people brushing past them on their way out.

Service was bright and friendly without being exceptional (should you pour out the second glass of wine before the customer has gone through the formality of sniffing it for funkiness? Probably not). We went for calamari to share as a warm up (ample for two, good crunchy batter) and then I had a fillet steak. The steak was cooked to perfection, as were the fries on the side. With a shift of haricots verts it was just what I was looking for on a hungry Saturday night. So hungry in fact that we split a crème caramel for dessert with an Armagnac to wash it down. In an area where restaurant value can be highly variable Mélange is dependably consistent in its product at a reasonable price.

7/10

To see which other restaurants I’ve visited in 2016 check out my GoogleMap

London Restaurants Uncategorized Crouch End London restaurants Review