Oui Madame. Discovering A New Neighbourhood Favourite In North London

Rupert Parker Visits His New Local Restaurant, Oui Madame In north London.

I’m always interested in new restaurant openings, particularly when they’re on my own north London doorstep. Evenings see the Sawyer & Grey coffee shop morph into Oui Madame, a modern European restaurant serving seasonal Mediterranean-inspired plates. It’s stone’s throw from Highbury and Islington Station and sits among a packed strip of restaurants that makes it hard to find. It’s well worth the effort,

This is a cosy space, warm and softly lit, framed prints on the walls, white walls and painted wooden floors. It does actually feel like somebody’s front room and the tables are so generously spaced you could be dining on your own. Add to the generous welcome from the young waiting staff, and you have a space that immediately sets you at ease.

Looking at the small seasonal menu, it’s clear that they know what they’re doing. It’s the second restaurant by Martin Lange, owner of Islington’s Salut! In Essex Road, and his Canadian chef Jacob Buckley is in the kitchen. Sharing is the concept here, with a mix of snacks, small plates and larger dishes with a selection of sides.

Connor, our obliging waiter, advises us to go for two of each of snacks, small plates and maybe one large dish with some sides. He also details his favourites which sound like sound advice. There’s no pressure to order everything at once, you can just keep adding as you go. Oh, and there’s a healthy selection of plant based dishes.

We start with snacks. Savoury Choux (£7) isn’t cabbage, but cheese puffs filled with hot Comté cream and a hint of wakame. They’re small and delicate, the cheese punching through the sweetness of the pastry, a definite hit. And there’s a bed of extra cheese just in case you need more.

The second snack is Galbi Lettuce Taco (£7). An unassuming braised baby gem half is garnished with discs of radish, pickled carrot and frisée. It’s brought to a life with a zingy Kimchi dressing, adding an exotic Korean touch. The only problem we have is trying to divide it neatly in two, without destroying the artful harmony, but some deft surgery does the trick.

So to small plates. Croquettes (£10) change by the day and this evening’s are crab. Three nicely browned spheres sit on diced mango and pickled courgettes. They’re nicely crunchy, yet light inside with lots of crab and there’s herb aioli for dipping. Special mention for the tiny dice of fruit and pickle which adds an extra zing.

Sticking with shellfish, Grilled Scallops (£16) are surrounded by blobs of cauliflower puree and smoky chorizo crumbs. French chefs always throw the orange roe away but here it comes confit style on the side. I like the strength of flavour as it gives more heft to the dish. The scallops themselves are slightly blackened and definitely juicy, perfectly cooked.

So the adventure culminates with a half Rack of Lamb (£35), nothing fancy just four pink chops, herb crusted. I love them rare but my companion asks for a little more cooking and they easily oblige, even throwing in an extra couple for good measure. What we do agree on, though is the splendid natural jus which comes poised for pouring. A couple of Écrasé Potatoes (£8) are perfect for soaking up any extra.

Desserts are a choice between Chocolate Crémeux (£14) and Braised Plum Baked Alaskan (£12) and we go for the choc. It comes as a thick glossy slab, dark and bitter, topped with fresh strawberries and a crisp leaf-shaped tuile. There’s also a refreshing raspberry sorbet and this winning ensemble could give the Black Forest a run for its money on any day.

We’ve reached the end of our culinary amble and what’s fun here is that nothing is rushed, the pressure is off, and we can let our taste buds saunter through a smart collection of flavours. Of course the cooking is excellent but the ambience, the service and comfort make it the perfect neighbourhood restaurant. But it’s also well worth a special trek to get here.