Morgan M 489 Liverpool Road London N7 Tel: 020 7609 3560

There are several menus at this rather grown up and elegant French restaurant in Islington, one featuring fish, a second meat, and unusually for a French chef, a third comprised of vegetable dishes only. At the time of writing there was a late autumn tasting menu with wines to match each course and a three course a la carte menu.

This is somewhere to come for a leisurely meal in a relaxed atmosphere as everything about the place is calming and dignified. The dining room is decorated in cool green and white colours, with attractive half blinds and wooden floors and there is plenty of space between tables. The French staffed service is unobtrusive and professional. In the kitchen is Morgan Meunier , a Frenchman with an English wife who brought him over here and for that we have to thank her, for Morgan, as I was about to find out is one hot chef. Previously Head Chef at the Admiralty Restaurant in the Strand, and part of the team at Monsieur Max in Twickenham where he gained a Michelin star, he finally, and quite rightly, set up on his own.

We opted for the three course a la carte menu, and, as it was one those dark winter evenings we ate accordingly. We began with a taster size portion of beetroot soup served with horseradish cream and balsamic vinegar. This was inspired - deep red in colour with sharp and refreshing intense flavours. I then had a comforting cream of pumpkin soup infused with rosemary with a dense mushroom beignet centre served on a very pretty plate, this I accompanied with a glass of Pouilly Fume 2004 Jean Pabiot & Fils, which was silky and palatable, with a touch of acidity and bite. My guest tucked into a fine foie gras and game terrine served with a confit of root vegetables, apple chutney and toasted brioche, to accompany this he had a glass of 100% Chenin blanc, Coteaux du Layon 2004, Domaine des Barres, the sweetness of the wine combining well with the rich flavours on the palate.

For my main course I ordered oven-roasted red leg Suffolk partridge with wild mushrooms and grapes, it had a good gamey flavour with tender meat. Every bit of it was delicious from the bread sauce to the liver croutons and the wonderful chestnut puree - all the flavours blending well together. Red wine was a must with this and I had a glass of Lirac Dlos de Sixte 2003, Domaine Grand Veneur, which with its sharp flavours was a good contrast to the richness of the partridge. My guest had a fillet of venison served with a glazed apple and chestnut puree. He said it was light whilst being full flavoured, superbly prepared and skilfully sauced. 

To conclude I had a creamy vanilla rice pudding, served with an orange tuille and raspberry coulis, which had a sumptuous creamy interior with a sharp raspberry contrast. Our other choice, and one not to be missed under any circumstances (as with all Morgan's puddings, it has to be ordered at the beginning of the meal) is the unforgettable House Speciality - Dark Chocolate Moelleux. To make this masterpiece three different chocolates are used and cooked together to create this stunning creation, if you love chocolate you will love this - how can I describe it? Intense, light, rich, creamy, extreme, I could go on, but just try it, it is definitely worth any of the calorie overload.

Morgan M is a destination restaurant - in other words somewhere worth travelling to even if you don’t live in Islington - and if you are a vegetarian you can rejoice that at long last there is a non specialist restaurant that is taking you seriously.

Louise Elgin. November 2006.