Eating Out

The Bull

It was one of those editorial decisions that made sense at the time. The summer is here, so let’s go outside into north London for this month’s restaurant focus, enjoy the sun and eat al fresco. However, in hindsight, it seems like a bad joke. We had set off to The Bull in Highgate hoping to take a table in the rather fetching outside patio area, which sits at the front of this converted old pub – but Mother Nature was not having it. As opposed to eating our way through some good dishes with the sun shining down on our backs, we looked out forlornly at the tables and chairs, which were by now being pummelled by heavy rain, and contemplated what might have been.
Any regret didn’t last too long, however, as we tucked into a three-course meal with more good points than bad. To start, an excellent ham terrine was matched in quality by my guest’s superb seasonal pea soup and some warm bread. A very good start was followed by two equally good main courses. The clam linguini invoked memories of sunnier climes, and my guest’s rack of lamb with garden pods and shallot puree was cooked to perfection. Dessert was a mixed affair, with a zesty passion fruit meringue pie proving a better choice than an overly sweet baked orange and chocolate cheesecake. All this was accompanied by a set of matched wines, which were well chosen by the waiter, and followed by a customary brace of espresso.
The Bull is at the superior end of the ‘gastro pub’ category in north London, of which there is seemingly one on every corner these days. It has a good range of dishes and wines, and a clean airy dining area that is punctuated by pictures of animal hide and little quirky references to its name. We thought the fact that one of the toilets is marked as ‘dis-a-bulled’ was particularly amusing. So eating inside at The Bull is recommended, but unfortunately I can’t comment on the al fresco area with any credibility because, after all, the weather last month was a load of bull.
A meal for two with matched wines costs approximately £80. (Nicholas Jones)