L'Ami Primeur Review

We had high expectations from Primeur having read rave-reviews. With a trendy low-lit atmosphere, friendly staff, and an enticing seasonal menu, the restaurant oozes the impression that it will deliver. Unfortunately, every course failed to More

One of the best restaurants in London. Consistently good food and amazing service.

Getting told off..."We don't want it to get too busy". Love it.

My goodness that was a refreshing dining experience. Even though on a Friday night we didn't book ahead, they made an effort to accommodate us. The staff were knowledgeable, attentive, and really cared about their service. They knew the menu backwards and guided us through a delicious meal. I'll soon be back, and in greater numbers.

Fantastic food, exquisite wine, perfect ambiance and stellar service.

lovely dinner here with friends, gorgeous relaxed setting, feels like your are in your living room, and the food and wine were great!

Went here a couple of weeks ago as we ve heard great things. It was good and two dishes stood out (the clams and an excellent Gnocchi). Nice but overpriced wine list. However the service and a couple of dud dishes let it down. Not a bad spot for a lively group meal though and I d try it again.

Great set menu, very cozy decor. Love their lighting - and their kohlrabi dishes! Absolutely delicious.

Food is nice but more on the salty side. I much prefer their sister restaurant Western Laundry.

This is a great place for sharing. They have small and medium plates which are all very unique. There are vegetarian options as well. Each plate we tried had it's own refreshing taste. Fantastic bread and butter!

Wonderful and quaint French tapas style restaurant.

Pretentious, overpriced and limited. But food tastes nice. Dog friendly is a plus. Book far in advance or they'll give you a bad table and make sure you know about it.

Great service and solid food selections that change daily. Some of the seating is very very close so you hope for good neighbours.

Busy Cosy place with everyone seated around communal tables sharing plates of food. All plates we had were very good plus there's a good choice of wines. Tables are turned quickly so don't be late getting there. You will definitely need to book so not to be disappointed.

The restaurant is located in a nice and chill street. Great food & friendly staff. Can definitely recommend going here.

Good food, simple menu, hard to get a table. great wine

Amazing, sensational seasoning, finally a place serving products with full of flavours. Bit of a price to get that level in London.....But some crappy chains or other pretentious places will not serve that quality for double the price. Only criticism would be the lack of intermediate bottle of wine making the choice limited and can increase the bill quickly, some more accessible wines would be welcomed. Anyway will become a regular there, but will pay attention to drinking.

Negatives: Arrogant and ill-informed staff, mediocre food, small portions, high prices
Positives: Nice ambience

I love how your name is written in chalk on the counter and how the seasonal menu is exposed on that big black board. How the service is warm, how the dish are plated in front of you (if you re lucky enough for a space at the bar) and how the natural wine list always thrills you. I love Primeur.

Interesting 'local' place worth a visit. Though I don't quite understand the hype around the food. Our hake was lovely though the sauce was too creamy for my tastes (15). The liver and toast (8) was substantial but perhaps lacked delicacy. The scallop (9, yes ONE scallop!) was beautiful. Choux bun (6) was outstanding as was the caraf of red (34). Best thing: great service before it got too busy later in the evening. Typical Girls (Slits) on the soundtrack. 120 for two incl service.

Giving it three starts so far just because of the less than warm welcome, slightly reluctant service and the cramped space we were sat at at the communal table (we were a group of 3 wedged between other parties). Otherwise, we had fantastic food - and I mean really really fantastic, to me better than the famous Quality Chop House.
We went overboard ordering but still managed to finish three starters, a giant ribeye as main and two desserts - menu changes daily so little point discussing the dishes, but everything was excellent. Too bad again for the service - maybe it was just an off night or maybe they don't like bloggers/reviewers, will go back soon to see how it goes

A fantastic place with an unbeatable quality / price ratio.

Amazing restaurant. If you're feeling good like splashing a little and going good for good food thus is definitely the plane the for it.

Just bare in mind they close early because of their lives e se (being in the middle of a residential area).

Great service, delicious food, ambient lighting. All round excellent!

A hidden gem in Newington Green / Cannonbury, really knowledgeable staff, always happy to help.

Delicious food, helpful waiters and a romantic atmosphere

Good lord this was poor. For balance the decor and ambience is superb but as for the food, put it this way, if you're even a vaguely competent home cook then you'll be disappointed to say the least. The upper menu small plates we tried were More

Exactly what we wanted on a rainy Friday night. Beautiful decor, cosy lighting, lovely flowers, great music, fantastic service and most importantly delicious food! The poached pear and zabaione dessert was one of the most incredible dishes I have ever eaten in my life! Can t wait to go back for a late seating and four delicious courses.

Very well selected wines focusing on natural, organic and independent wine makers. Menu based on daily freshly selected ingredients. Plates for sharing. Beautiful experience in a former garage space.

Very nice place a little noisy certainly but with beautiful achievements and a service to hair, efficient and responsive.

Tasty food, not cheap but not heavily overpriced but portions are smaller than you might expect. Nice to have an interesting variety of changing dishes too. Wines are all low intervention which is a nice idea but means that some are quite different and not to everyone s tastes

Wow - pretty blown away by this place. Just goes to show the best food in London sits outside of central

as good as the food is the service was absolutely appalling today. arrived for my boyfriend's 30th birthday, having booked a table for 3 people and specified it was for a birthday, only to realise they had put us in front of a wall. it can be nice and intimate to sit at the bar or counter if you are a party of 2, but simply doesnt work for 3 people. we kindly asked if there was any other option for our special occasion, after which the manager was extremely rude to us and did not even apologize.
please treat your loyal customers with better respect as they will not come back and there are many other delicious restaurants right around the corner, where at least we can be treated like human beings.
this was not the first time the manager has been rude to me either.

Amazing food. Well thought combinations, quality ingredients and a very good wine collection.

Perfect lunch. Casual, good value and warm atmosphere.

It's always brilliant, wonderful thoughtful staff and seasonal food. I feel very lucky to have this so close to home.

Impeccable service, great food and atmosphere! A real gem!

Finely prepared dishes, nice locale. Always diverse selection of dishes, rarely twice the same. Great staff.

Food was ok although very pricey for the quantity that came on the plates. We had to share a table and were put on the edge so the 4 of us weren't even facing each other. One thing really made our experience a bad one: the waiter More

We came late and we took basically everything that was left from the menu and we had the most amazing dinner. Each dish reinvents old classics and brings to you flavours you would have never imagined they were matching so well. Primeur is a beautiful place in a quiet street that is definitely worth the ride there.

Really tasty set menu w and very good value - negroni was also excellent!!

This spot is worth giving a shot. They serve large portions for reasonable rates. Constantly well organized and with great mood. Would recommend to others.

This place would be lovely if you weren't especially hungry and weren't in a rush. They have a 0600 and 0830 sitting which gives a very regimented feel to the evening. Everyone received their food at the same time and there were long gaps between courses. We arrived at 0830 and didn't get the main course until almost 10, by this time I was starving. I asked for bread, the waitress seemed surprised that I'd asked and said she would have to check with the kitchen, she then never returned so I presume it was a no. Overall, the atmosphere and decor is lovely, and the menu is very good. The main was slightly let down by being overly salted with the new potatoes slightly overdone, but it was still good and there was nothing to fault for the other courses. I think Primeur either needs to offer a less regimented serving structure with shorter wait times, or to offer something to eat in the interims.

Atmospheric old car garage turned buzzing restaurant on a quiet road in Stoke Newington. It still retains some of the old features such as the sign and the huge sliding doors. Go here for the wine and the daily changing menu of seasonal small plates. Expect to be packed in and sat at communal tables and book in advance (via Twitter!).

Fantastic meal, super friendly staff. We had a pram with our new born and they couldn t have been more accommodating. Waiter gave great recommendations on both food and wine - we had a Barbera that was particularly good. Can t wait to go back.

The Best. The staff are unfailingly polite and helpful. The food is often sublime the wine is over my head. I love it, we come here for special occasions and high days.

Food wasn t great. And the waiter was offended when he asked for our opinion. They also don t serve coffee because they d have to train the staff in the coffee machine .

Always extremely tasty, and excellent service. Hard to fault! And the garage doors are a godsend during this hot weather. To be recommended.

Excellent food and friendly service. Good selection of wines.

One of the most special hidden (maybe not so hidden anymore) gems in London. Vibe is super nice, food is fresh and ever changing, wine is funky and mostly natural, people are beautiful. Just go there.

Great place for a friday evening meal. The restaurant was buzzy and packed in a good way. We really liked the table layout and comfy chairs. Food was pretty good with some exceptional dishes (mussels) and some disappointing dishes (mozzarella). Their short drinks were really good and house red was pretty decent as well. We got stung with the other bottle of wine suggested by the waiter which was a little annoying. Like many reviews on here I would say that the menu is overpriced for what it is but on the plus side we had an awful lot of fun. Definitely worth a visit!

Curt menu, high quality seasonal european fayre. It's simple but comforting food.

The highlight was the dessert of peaches.

great vibe too.

The locals are very lucky to have a place like this nearby, for most of us it's slightly annoying to get to, but it is definitely worth it.

One of the best restaurants in the area, hands down. Not cheap in the slightest but incredibly good food - I've never been disappointed by a dish. Impeccable recommendations by staff as well, it's clear they're passionate and very knowledgeable about what they do.

Nice place to chill and do some wine tasting. Staff were quite knowledgeable about their wines.

Great simple food with friendly service. A good selection of wines to match

Portion are sooooo tiny and expensive. Otherwise tasty food.

Tasty food, sharing portions but fair portions, good wine, nice atmosphere. The tables are not private but the space is shared with other guests.

This was so enjoyable , went with my partner and had a perfect time-
Tables are quite close together and portions are small ( in a good way so you can try and share more ) so perfect for a casual day out.

Wine list is very good, we had prosseco, a very good red and the desert wine... (Btw one of the best I have tried)

I think we must have ordered almost all the items in the menu plus desert and cheese. The ingredients are very high quality, and not much carbohidrate so we did not feel stuffed

The service: superb! Friendly, warm, efficient and caring

Thank you so much we had an amazing night

Not cheap but still good quality for the money. Excellent modern european food in hip casual environment that reminds me of the cool spots in NYC

Had a fantastic experience here. Every dish we had was perfectly cooked, a great selection and the service was spot on. A great atmosphere, busy and fun but also cosy. The food was really well priced for what we had and if we hadn't accidentally chosen the most expensive wine on the menu it would have been a really reasonable meal! We will be back.

Booked for a dinner for 2 based and was very impressed. Good vibes in an airy open space- it was busy but did not feel crammed. We were lucky enough to sit at the bar which made the experience better as everyone was so friendly and chatty. All the dishes were well cooked (cod was flaking apart as you put your fork through it) and tasted amazing. The spelt risotto was the highlight of the night! Can't wait to come back and definitely on my go-to eats list.

I could not speak more highly of Primeur. The vibe and decor is low-key, yet thoughtful; and the food and wine is absolutely incredible! The staff are attentive and knowledgeable. I've eaten at Primeur a few times now and will continue to visit and recommend to friends.

Food wasnt even average, cocktails were really overpriced and we were sat downstairs on uncomfortable stools. Not worth what we paid, wanted to like it. Could not.

I went to Primeur with my girlfriend to have our last meal of the year and I can say there couldn't be a better place than Primeur. The food was so good, the staff was so friendly and the atmosphere was spot on. We had crab mayonnaise and the chicken leg. Both were excellent choices especially the crab mayonnaise. Couldn't recommend this place more. 10/10

Great experience here for dinner last night and welcome addition to what I designate as London's growing share plate/casual dining scene. Menu changes daily so had the terrine, polenta with courgettes, ray wing, lamb, and chocolate mousse. More

Lovely food, light and flavourful and a great wine list! Sit at the bar if you can

Good food and location....a little pricey for a tapas!

Delicious. Great service and lovely space to sit in.

Delicious food, but some of the portion sizes are meagre

Interesting food menu that changes daily (can check it ahead on their Instagram) and nice selection of wine - try one of their dessert wine after the meal

Delicious food, but awkwardly placed badly handwritten menu. We were told to go to the menu, take a photo and use that to order! Print off a few copies each day ...

I went to Primeur with my girlfriend, the hospitality of the staff was great, the waiter was incredibly accommodating and was kind enough to offer us some bubbles to make up for us having mentioned that we had a bad day. Unfortunately the food quality and value for money let the place down. On the menu board, all the dishes seem appropriately ambitious for a modern European spot like this but came over as overpriced and poorly constructed when they arrive at the table.

Fantastic seasonal food, meant for sharing. Great quality and very friendly staff. Small and slightly peculiar wine list.

Had a wonderful afternoon lunch here. Great little quirky place tucked away in a residential area. Great food and friendly staff.

A true local restaurant for local people.

Fab wine selection.

Select and delicious menu.

Beautiful menu is constantly updated with delicious food cooked using seasonal produce. The staff are friendly and helpful. The wine list is fantastic. Dog friendly, too!

Great experience! The quality of the food and wines was exquisit! Staff was very ftiendly!

Amazing seasonal food, great to share, tasty ambiance too,
Sexey low sulphite wines too

I'm sorry but this is one of the most horribly mismanaged restaurants I've been to. There's 5 people working front of house for a restaurant that seats maximum 50, which means you're constantly bumping into servers, often servers who don't really know which table they're responsible for. Frequently it seemed like a couple was being served by three people. The back of house also seems horribly mismanaged since there's like six chefs cooking only five dishes, one of the dishes which is meant for a party of four or above, so really if you're not in a party you can choose between the chicken, lamb, fish or pasta, but of course one of those dishes will be out for the night so really you can only choose three. All the appetizers are around 9 quid for what essentially amounts to a slab of raw fish or meat next to some vegetables, no sauce, no finesse, no presentation, nothing. It really makes you wonder what they're doing in there with a giant staff and no food on the menu.

One of my most favourite restaurants in islington. Serving great wine & food