A stylish martini bar, three chic yet diverse dining areas, a terrace and above all excellent food: Restaurant Michael Nadra has it all. Tucked away between Gloucester Avenue and the canal it is easy to overlook but certainly deserves a more prominent reputation in Primrose Hill.
Six of us arrived for supper on Sunday and were seated in the horse tunnel where two other parties were already ensconced. A darkly atmospheric space, the tunnel was once used by horses shifting goods from the railway to the canal.
Nadra offers a tasting menu, paired with appropriate wine, and an extensive a la carte, from which we all chose two courses for £31. We started our meal with a bottle of pink Champagne at £58 and followed on with a bottle of Gigondas at £66.
The food hit the spot for all of us: sautéed baby squid and sirloin carpaccio were stand-out starters; roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, steak and sea bass were favourites for the main courses. The Champagne was gentle and the red wine was mellow, and we settled in for an enjoyable catch-up with great friends.
My only quibble was that the staff were rather quick to whisk away bottles of water and replace them without asking us first, making us feel pushed into accepting – and paying for – something we didn’t want. We left an almost-full bottle of still water on the table when we left which we hadn’t ordered, which niggled.
Despite – and apart from – that, the food, wine and setting add up to a stylish and enjoyable experience. I would also recommend the bar as an elegant setting for drinks.
We paid £375.19 for six of us including, of course, the optional £41.69 service charge.
http://www.restaurant-michaelnadra.co.uk/primrose/
© 2015 Joanna Reeves, all rights reserved.