Cafe Gallipoli - Angel/Islington

Ten of us ventured out for my birthday to Cafe Gallipoli in Angel/Islington. A 5 minute walk from Angel Tube Station the location was handy and the restaurant had a nice pub called The Bull just next door for a drink before/after the meal. Whilst the setting was a bit cosy with lots of people seated in the restaurant this made for a really nice, chatty, relaxed atmosphere. 

The interior was beautiful, with lots of lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and the waiters were very friendly. Everyone had a different selection of food from the 'party menu' and I would particularly recommend the cold mezes to start and the falafel. The menus we picked from can be found here. The food was very tasty but be warned, if booking for large groups (over 6, I think) you have to pick from the party menu, rather than the main one. 

Come Dine with Me

Some friends and I have been taking it in turns to do a 'Come Dine with Me' style evening and here's my chosen menu! I went for a mixture of really easy recipes (particularly the melted Camembert!) so I wasn't spending the whole time in the kitchen and a nice piece of fish for the main course. Here's my menu below and some pictures for good measure. 

To drink- Prosecco Royale

Canapés- Wild mushroom & Parmesan vol-au-vents - Taken from Good Food magazine these were good as they could be made in advance (and enjoyed the next day if there are any left overs!) 

Starter- Baked Camembert with crusty bread - I added some garlic and thyme to this classic starter with some crusty bread.

Main- Tuna steak with chilli and lime served with asparagus and patatas bravas - having tried out the recipe earlier on (see my blog post here) this was a safe bet which tasted delicious! 

Pudding- Toffee Apple pudding with vanilla ice cream (another from Good Food magazine - I've made this twice now and it really makes a (crunchy) difference if you add nuts).