Zilouf's (Bar, Restaurant)

Top 10 things we learnt about Zilouf’s restaurant:

1) Getting off at the wrong end of Upper Street looking for Zilouf, I had to walk past a myriad of restaurants and bars and I came to the conclusion: Islingtonites must have seriously dysfunctional, or non-existent, kitchens. How can there be so many catering establishments all on the same street?

2) The food at Zilouf’s is modern with an Oriental accent. Just don’t use the word ‘twist’ in front of Group Operations Manager, Peter Clucas. It might annoy him and then you won’t hear the wonderful stories about Zilouf.

3) The table I was sitting at just happened to be his favourite, it was owned by his best friend’s grandmother. The lampshades are made from cocktail shakers. You probably get the idea this is one quirky venue.

4) The standout piece no doubt is their TV fishbowl. Sadly, their resident fish, Harvey (Wallbanger), died recently and is cremated and stored on the top shelf of the bar.

5) When the staff are not busy cooking and serving, they are interior design experts. Their staff did all the recent renovation works, not that they are in need of moonlighting given how busy Zilouf is most of the time.

6) The quirky food combinations worked a treat – the steak tartare with prawn crackers looked like Stonehenge on the Wiltshire fields, but there was nothing prehistoric about it. The steak was tender; the black chilli mayo added just the right amount of heat and the crackers added texture.

7) Confit of duck leg sounds so European, so traditional, but not when it’s accompanied by kohlrabi fondant, som tum salad, pickled chilli and anise jus. Don’t ask me how, but it just works. They don’t pay head chef, Tim Yates, a fortune to come up with mediocre dishes.

8) For those who are allergic to cocktails made from artificial, carton juices containing barely any fruits; Zilouf could be your saviour. None of their cocktail ingredients are synthetic. They even make their own puree.

9) I have to come back on a Sunday afternoon to try Peter’s best hangover cure advice – Bah mi with a Dambuster cocktail made of gin, ginger lemon and hopped ale.

10) The best advice though is seen on their 1920’s/1950’s retro wall posters; one of them says “Girls prefer a well fed man!” Happily eat away!...read more