Homegirl London’s Restaurant Review: Primeur Restaurant. Homeboy’s birthday was on the horizon, so we decided to book a table at this ‘Bristonomy’ in Stoke Newington near Newington Green. With a modern European menu featuring small plates set inside a former 1920s garage workshop, we were looking forward to our foodie night out with friends Robin and Ness. If you’re looking for the best restaurants in Stoke Newington or places to eat near Newington Green, you must book Primeur Restaurant.
“This is a special place where you can enjoy delicious modern European small plates in a unique space, a must-visit for food fanatics,” Homegirl London
Primeur Restaurant Menu
You’ll find the constantly changing menu chalked up on a board in the restaurant and a picture scribbled on a piece of paper on Instagram if you’re lucky. There aren’t any paper versions of the menu so take a picture on your phone when you arrive so you don’t have to turn around and squint. The emphasis is on small plates for sharing but we pretty much stuck to our dishes. On our visit, we started with Jamon de Teruel, which is the oldest Spanish cured ham with a protected designation of origin. The pigs are fed on grain grown in Teruel, which means it has low levels of cholesterol. Or you could try the Fennel Salami. Our friends ordered both and raved about these two dishes which they loved.
Jamon de Teruel and Fennel Salami
I tried the vegetarian dish, which was Braised Courgette with Walnuts and Mint. This has a lovely summer feel with the mint singing through against that braised courgette. Homeboy opted for the Asparagus with Soft Boiled Egg and Parmesan. I had a little nibble of his asparagus, which was darn tasty!
Braised Courgette with Walnuts and Mint
Robin and I both ordered the Gnudi with Peas, Courgette and Basil. Gnudi is rather like gnocchi, a type of dumpling made with ricotta cheese instead of potato, with semolina for a lighter dish. I’m craving it all over again while writing this article, and it was delightful. Ness and Homeboy tried the Turbot with Fine Beans, Jersey Royals and Herb Butter. The delicious fish was perfectly cooked, and the Jersey Royals were beautiful.
Gnudi with Peas, Courgette and Basil
The Green Salad with Herbs and Mustard had been struck off the chalkboard just after we’d placed our order. We felt special when the kitchen had made us a lovely little dish comprising of Fennel, Apple and Watercress. How sweet of them.
Fennel, Apple and Watercress
Even though we were getting full at this point, we decided to push the boat out and went a bit crazy. We ordered a decadent Chocolate Pot with Cream and Almond Biscuits plus the Meringue with Rhubarb and Custard. We should have stopped there, but no, we just had to order the Cheese Board! We waddled out of there, full to the brim.
Desserts
To give you an idea about prices, smaller plates are £5-8, larger plates are £10.50-20, desserts are £6, and the cheese board is £9. The drinks list is also displayed on the board, which is limited but does encourage you to try something different. There are approximately fifteen low intervention wines and a few other drinks.
Primeur Restaurant Interiors
The restaurant is located on a back street which you might not notice because there are no other shops or eateries along the strip. It is housed inside a former 1920s garage workshop space called Barnes Motors. The black wooden doors have mesh metal coverings at the windows.
Restaurant Interior
Inside, the dining space includes the open kitchen. Seating is around a large communal table or up at a counter perched on a stool. We were lucky to have a table in the corner just for us. The space is slightly industrial with whitewashed walls which are blackened in places because of the burning candles. Otherwise, there is no decoration except for the giant blackboards bearing the menu. I loved it and dreamt about living there!
Primeur Restaurant Information
Restaurant Exterior
To find out more about the restaurant, go to the Primeur Website. The restaurant address is 116 Petherton Road, Stoke Newington N5 2RT. The nearest stations are Arsenal (Piccadilly Line), Canonbury (Overground) or Dalston Kingsland (Overground) with a walk from each of those stations. Check the website for the current opening times. You will need to book, we arrived at 6.30 pm, and by the time we left the restaurant was full. I loved this place, and it’s unique, so make sure you check it out for a hot date night!
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London. Thanks: Homeboy, Robin and Ness for the lovely evening.
