Le Cafe du Marche in Islington

Came here a couple of times in the past month. Very good food. Friendly and efficient staff. Reasonably quick service. Most importantly, staff take allergy issues very seriously and did a great job at making me feel listened to and taken care of. Many thanks.

Nice spot on Charterhouse Square, good ambience, resident pianist, reasonably priced bottle of Chablis - then the food arrives and things go downhill. Shared the rack of lamb - probably the most expensive dish - turned up heaped onto a single plate - no attempt to serve it to each diner - no veg selection just potatoes or fries. Server suggested a salad which turned out to be a bowl of iceberg lettuce. I'm no gourmet but I do eat out 2/3 times a week for the last 30 years - iceberg lettuce with rack of lamb and gravy? I've become convinced that some London restaurants know they can get away with this sort of poor service, presentation and food and still get favourable reviews so why bother to do the thing properly. That's why I stick to half a dozen places where I know the product is reliable. Result of this visit? £220 poorer and 2 days of indigestion!

Very busy restaurant. Friendly staff, great atmosphere, everyone is welcoming & hospitable. The starters were amazing, smoked salmon & a tartine. Prepared and assembled to perfection. Experience went wrong however with the rack of lamb. You could smell the over powering garlic stench before the plate arrived. I do not understand why restaurants do not include the ingredient garlic on their menu when describing the dishes. Had they done so, would have selected another dish. Instead, the rack of lamb was sent back & although they offered an alternative, we left. To the credit of the restaurant and staff, they were v gracious in the way they handled it. I wish we ordered something else, but probably won’t return now. So many places out there.

What an excellent restaurant. All round it was superb. From a warm welcome, to delicious Sole. Fillet. This was an amazing discovery and I will be back very soon.

A superb restaurant with properly good French cuisine. The calves liver and bacon was delicious. Staff are polite and attentive and the live pianist helps made the evening atmosphere feel ambient and relaxed by playing well known classics in his own style.

I first dined here over 30 years ago, and returned last night after a five year break. Why did I wait so long? It's a beautiful setting, but ask for the old room, and the best tables are right at the back. The newer part fronts onto Charterhouse Street has more of a French Bistro feel. Evening parking in the street if you drive is £5 for 2 hours but make sure you have a nominated driver. A dear old man with the largest hands I've ever seen tinkers away on the piano,  meandering through the Great American Songbook, but I'm sure he'd play, or make up anything you wanted to hear. The food? The menu has a good variety but not too complicated. It's a set menu with a supplement for the rack of lamb or the beef (well worth it, we shared both between four). My fish soup was excellent, with the trimmings - I wouldn't have anything else to start, frankly. Cheese is also a supplement but tell them well in advance so its presented at the right temperature. The wine list is extensive but uncomplicated. Several in the £30's and £40's but you can really go to town. Service was excellent and I was surprised at only a 10% suggested sum, so we topped that up to something reflecting the good humour and attention. I'm definately coming back here as soon as I can.

I love this place. Second visit and blown away again. Excellent, attentive service. Really extensive wine list and a good selection of seasonal french dishes. Will be back again and again.

A group of 12 of us, celebrating my husband’s birthday, dined at Le Cafe du Marche on Saturday evening. We had such a wonderful time made more special by the attention of Cedric whose knowledge and perfect service was really appreciated by us all. The food was superb and the position of our table gave us a feeling of private dining, with the added pleasure of a pianist for background music. Thank you all so much!

Beautiful little French bistro with large amounts of seating and very good food. I had the terrine to start, then the duck confit and the cheesecake to finish. The terrine was a little more jelly than I would usually expect but enjoyed it nonetheless. The duck was crispy and had a good amount of meat and the cheesecake was probably my favourite course (which is strange as I am not usually a dessert person). Service was fairly good seeing as there were about 14 of us at the table.

Four of us had lunch recently. It was a haunt of mine before retiring but to the rest it was new. Our guests really enjoyed it. The formula remains the same as 25 odd years ago when I first went. It was close to full in August so it looks as if that formula of a fixed price French bistro style restaurant still works. Service was just right. Background music kept low. Really good bottle of Gavi. The fish soup remains a classic.

Super nice place, food and a very nice french waiter : Cedric . we'll be back !

Food was fantastic, I still have the taste of the dandelion beef salad in my mouth, I could eat it forever! The dishes were creative yet nourishing and the service was impeccable. Highly recommend

Such a pleasure to return to this corner after a long break and find it as good as ever. Delicious food, excellent and charming service and whole evening a delight.

Excellent restaurant - lovely location away from the hustle and bustle of Farringdon/Smithfield and genuinely feels as if you've wandered into a local eatery in a French provincial town. Lunch menu is reasonably priced for central London and there were a few options for vegetarians such as myself. Would definitely visit again!

Went here for dinner to celebrate a birthday. Firstly, the food was lovely and the atmosphere with the live pianist was really good. Slightly disappointed with the service as my special request on the booking was ignored and we were bought the wrong wine and then the wrong food. However, despite this would return as it was a lovely authentic French restaurant.

Fantastic little French restaurant with lovely romantic setting. Piano player and service were nicely timed and good.

Great lunch with friendly service. A hidden gem in the city.

Amazing wine (the Chablis) and food

Le Cafe du Marche is a real treat. As many others have commented, it is located just off a traditional London square yet it has the ambiance of a classic French bistro. Walking in off the street is like entering a portal to another time and place. The restaurant has been in this spot for decades and I've dined here many times. It has been through different phases. For awhile in the 2010s it became far too meaty (even the fish dishes were laced with meat) and I stopped coming, but I was pleased to see it survived the Covid lockdown, and indeed it is now doing very well. On a recent visit, the food and service were excellent. It's priced for a special night out but it is well worth it.

Dessert is wonderful. Service is generally good although sometimes have a sense of smoke (probably someone was smoking somewhere near the door) making it a bit unpleasant. Food is also above average.

Great venue. Lovely food. We were forgotten a little towards the end. Would definitely go back.

Service and ambiance were nice. The menu of the day wasn’t anything special, though. Flavour was quite one dimensional, salty. Not what I expected for the price

Staff were inexperienced when it came to pouring wine. Each time they refilled our glasses some of the wine from the bottle trickled along our plates which was off putting. I had the tuna which I felt was over salted but none the less tasted fresh and my partner had the calves liver which he enjoyed. Portions are perhaps a little too big however for where it is located it’s good value for money. I would just like the staff to be better trained as that hampered our experience on the day.

A nice rustic french restaurant with live music inside. The food was great but the lamb was a bit too chewy for my liking. Otherwise, the experience was great.

Genuine atmosphere of a French cafe; quite dark inside with traditional decor. Delightful waiters, excellent menu including one dish with boudin noir that I hadn’t tasted before. Less fat than most of our black pudding so soft and strong. Fabulous wine list. Live music too. Absolutely lovely experience.

Enjoyed dinner here for a birthday and it was very romantic. We had the Cote de boeuf to share which was fantastic as was all the food and the pianist gave the restaurant a lovely atmosphere

This was our fourth or fifth visit but the first in a year or so. It was pretty much full when we arrived and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Service is charming and efficient. The food was never amazing but usually good brasserie standard well understood and delivered in healthy portions. But this time something was off. The menu is not great value even for London which is pricey. 2 courses 42, 3 courses 49 - so main courses are pretty hefty for what you get - in my case dry pork, a rather stingy portion of white beans and almost no sauce. Fries were limp and the green salad lacked dressing. Also, adding fries and a few leaves to every main course regardless of what you’ve ordered is suggesting generosity but seems strange. I had beans with my protein - not many - but I didn’t want or need fries as well (said no one ever). There is no obvious option to have just a main course and none of the dishes are priced so no a la carte, though I suppose one could ask. The desserts were fine - but you’re paying a lot for a crème brûlée or a chocolate mouse etc. The steak carries a supplement of 19 pounds - though that’s for two. Frankly I’d rather go to St John’s or Vinoteca or Quo Vardis for that matter where two courses wouldn’t be far off 42 quid and the standard far higher. Cafe du Marche will continue to be successful whatever I write but it’s menu and approach just come off as cynical now I’m sorry to say.

I went here for my girlfriend’s birthday. The food was very tasty, service was amazing they were very friendly and attentive and the place is very nice and atmospheric, with live music (double bass and piano). I found the price reasonable considering the food quality, location, setting and service. Would highly recommend.

Always been a favourite and lunch today shows why... delightfully light Accras Morue and delicious Sea Bream on Broccoli... well spaced tables, high ceilings, you can hear your conversation and the one next door does not intrude... perfect service from Aneta. Great.

I would not recommend this otherwise lovely, ever slightly secretive dining place for vegetarians. My starter was lovely but the only vegetarian main, was very basic. Prices are too high. I liked the live music.. You pay for the ambience not the food in my experience. Service was good.

Celebrated my 50th birthday dinner work friends and family Food was amazing Music just right and live took requests Anna was an amazing Host and looked after our every needs Thankyou Also great communication with Emelie in arranging this. Thank you to all the Kitchen staff too! This place is a hidden gem Spacious well located and we felt like we were in France 🇫🇷

We all had a great meal, as we could relax, talk, while having good food and wine, looked after by great service

Stellar food and service with great atmosphere. Live music was really nice too! Beautiful historic building too.

A lovely evening- restaurant, food, wine, ambience and service were all outstanding. We will definitely return

First visit since lock down! Just as great as before- food, service ambience. Treated very well although not regulars.

Couldn’t have asked for more - the food was gorgeous, the wine was delicious and the service outstanding (and very funny) - allergies and intolerances were carefully catered to with minimal fuss, and we’re all very keen to come back.

Great as always but very noisy! I'm already booked in for next week.

Just few steps from Hercule Poirot home and office (Florin Court) we found this beautiful and stylish restaurant where the great detective could have his lunch! Perfect food, drinks and staff, you do not want to leave it.

Wonderful ambience as usual. One of my favourite places to be in London. Red wine was cold for both bottles which was a bit of a let down. Otherwise a lovely evening.

Fantastic service and ambience...really well decorated too. Didnt feel like you were in London. Great spot will be back

We love this place. One of London true hidden gems. True to its food origins, fantastic selection of wines, great space and fabulous waiting staff.

4 of us for lunch, old chums catching up. Excellent food - the shared Chateaubriand for 2 was just superb - the best I have had for a long, long time and copious - portions here are not mean. We were all very happy with our meals and the wines and port were excellent. We pushed the boat out and we received value in return. Friendly and efficient service, warm ambience, charming surroundings. Pre-prandials at the lovely old Fox and Anchor next door, altogether a delightful afternoon. I will definitely go back and soon. Highly-recommended.

Delicious food and wine; great service, fab vibe… BYO appetite and good friends, makes for a lovely evening.

We went to Le Cafe du Marche for my birthday and had a wonderful night out. The food was amazing and the live piano music made it really romantic. Definitely my new favourite place for date nights

Incredible ambience, great food, great wine, super friendly waiter and the cherry on top was the amazing pianist Cliff! We’ll be back!!

Waiting staff knew nothing about the wine list; one waitress even started searching for the wines on her phone to find a description!

As someone with elderly deafness the noise level is important. even when full later on the noise level was tolerable. Piano noise was just right, perceptible without being intrusive. Cote du Boeuf was satisfactory, soup de poisson was very good, Cotes du Rhone was good, balanced and complemented the meat.

Very nice restaurant with staff who know what they are doing and look after their customers. I would recommend.

A really lovely traditional French restaurant. Highly recommend.

The food was pretty disappointing in all honesty. The starters were cold (which is ok) but it tasted like it was straight out of the fridge, rather than room temperature. The mains were good but the veal was extremely tough and chewy (as it was a thin cut). The dessert (chocolate tarte) was perfect. Would not recommend again for these prices. The execution of food was sub par.

Excellent authentic cuisine beautifully prepared. Very good service.

Charming service, excellent food, friendly atmosphere….

Tucked away and little known by Londoners. This French restaurant is top class ambiance, service, food, drinks. Price very decent at about £75 a head three course and drinks. It’s class and you won’t regret coming here.

Everything was spot on. Beautiful restaurant that feels like an authentic French countryside bistro. The service was top class. The food we chose was all outstanding and the portions were very healthy despite very nice presentation. The wine list was hearty. The price very reasonable for this quality of food. A pianist played decent stuff throughout the evening. A first rate evening.

Wonderful evening as always, never disappoints. It has two areas; one very romantic and the other more open and light.

Very enjoyable lunch in a charming setting. The food was well prepared and attractively presented. Service was attentive and prompt. I will go back for sure. If I had one bit of development it would be for the Maitre d’i. He was polite and efficient but unsmiling/warm - an off day? It impacted the otherwise very positive feeling of the place.

Absolutely first rate food, service, ambience- wish we lived nearer! Had the most amazing Boeff and wine with a fantastic pianist tinkling away who played requests. What a hidden gem - thank you for a most enjoyable Eve.

Charming classic French restaurant- nice atmosphere, great service, decent food.

Ambiance, service, and food all excellent. Would go again.

Apart from 5 star cuisine and ambience a BIG shout out for Annassa who found my mobile and glasses on our table. Cleverly she took them home with her as the restaurant was closed for a couple of days and she kindly met me the very next morning to give them back! It’s that thoughtfulness that will persuade me to return again to this gem of a restaurant in the years to come. An excellent find! And thanks Annassa 👌🏻

We were two couples looking for a midweek dining choice near to our office and booked based on optics alone without reading reviews or asking around. Really glad we did. Overall, the experience was excellent surpassing expectation on most levels. Not sure I should recommend though as doing so may make it harder to find a table next time we look for one!

I had the terrine to start which has a poached egg on top but egg yolk was not runny , which spoiled it Waiter complained we hung our coats on wrong coat hook but there was no direction so we chose nearest to where we were sitting , weird to comment therefore

Simply excellent value and great food with appropriately attentive staff.

Always a great experience at this place, everyone I recommend it to loves it also. A lovely place to enjoy a cosy evening with a partner or friends

Lovely French restaurant. Small tables and ver busy but lovely food.

All excellent, thank you and hope to visit again soon.

Excellent as usual in terms of service and food with great ambience in which to relax

A fantastic independent restaurant. We will be going back.

Really atmospheric place tucked away in the news. Lovely intimate atmosphere. Menu is unfussy. Good wine list. Atmosphere enhanced by low key live piano.

Excellent, as always! Food is fabulous, always a a great choice.

A fab location and cozy setting. Fab food but we had to wait a very long time for our mains.

Very authentic cosy French dining in Clerkenwell. Nice choice of menu options, good predominantly French wine list and efficient service.

Wonderful atmosphere with authentic French food.

Good french restaurant… a little expensive though.

Excellent bistro style restaurant! Varied “French” style menu. A real treat is the sharing Chateaubriand steak. Exceptional place- highly recommend

We visited Café du Marche for our works Christmas celebration last week. We were a table of 13, so a large table to serve. I cannot praise the service we received enough, the staff were attentive, friendly and very adept at serving a large (and probably a little drunk) table of guests. When our food arrived each dish was put in front of the right person without any needing to check who had ordered what which I thought was very impressive. Glasses were never empty and anything we needed was catered for. The food was fantastic and we had a wonderful night which was enjoyed by all. I would highly recommend this restaurant for great food, atmosphere and service, we will definitely visit again. Thank You Café du Marche for a fantastic evening

We had a family celebration in this restaurant and the staff made every effort to make it very special The food , ambience and the service makes this place an absolute hidden gem

Wonderful dinner. The team kindly adapted to our booking mistake and we had a great evening. Classic French cooking and good regional wines. Cannot wait to return!

As always I had a great meal at Le Cafe Du Marche. It has been one of my “Go to” restaurants for many years and it invariably never disappoints. Conceptually simple with great food and well priced wine.

Annual Xmas lunch with old mate. Great food, lovely unobtrusive service, plenty of space between tables, no music - hooray, all in all wonderful. Three courses, a glass of wine followed by a bottle, coffee and digestive for £120 each inc. service.

Gorgeous local bistro. Excellent service from the lovely Salvatore. Great French menu and lovely live music.Highly recommended.

Excellent food and service with a great atmosphere from the piano and bass. Seating good with gaps so overall excellent as usual👍

Quality food and service at a beautiful location. With live music as well. A real treat.

Always wonderful. Consistently one of my favourite restaurants in London for the past 25 years.

Amazing food and even better service. Such a great evening in a beautiful restaurant.

Great French food, especially the soupe de poisson, and outstanding service. The live music was great if not a little difficult to hear at times….a really nice touch.

It has been a while since we have visited, it was warm and welcoming. A great lunch.

Delicious food, great service and good value for money. What more could you want?!

We had a great evening - the restaurant honoured our request for a quieter table. The service was impeccable. The food delicious - simple French cooking done to the highest standards. Our friends (their first time there) are now converts.

Food and service was great, really recommend this place.

As before, relaxed, cheerful, welcoming and good food.

Discovered this absolute gem of a restaurant for the first time back in 2019 for a first date and have been coming here ever since for our anniversary. It never fails to impress, the food, service, ambiance are all exceptional. Cannot recommend it highly enough. 👌

Great food and services. Easy to get to location.

This restaurant is now a firm favourite of ours. Each course was really first rate and the champagne and wines (by the glass) were superb. We will be back again in January with other family members.

Amazing as always. Thank you to your amazing team and the excellent musicians.

As usual the service and the food was excellent. I have no problem in recommending this restaurant. It really is worth a visit!

This was a return to Le Cafe du Marche for the first time in many years and a first time for my guest. The staff were highly attentive but not overbearing and the food was delicious, as was the wine. The fries could have been a little crisper but this is a very mild criticism. The surprise entertainment from a jazz duo of piano and double bass was an added bonus! Definitely returning soon.

A truly authentic French restaurant, really impressed with the venue and atmosphere.

Lovely food and service and great ambience

We had a fabulous time here last night . Great atmosphere Great food Lovely staff What more could you ask for and the pianist just tipped it all off. Will definitely be back.