Mem & Laz

Mem & Laz has been a long standing resident of Islington. It’s continued success even secured it an expansion into the building next door. Now there is more space to enjoy this excellent food fest without the hustle and bustle of Upper Streets main road.
Situated next to Sacre Coeur, reviewed by the lovely Valentina last year, this brasserie gives you a second reason to visit the quiet side Theberton Street, off Upper Street.
We were lucky enough to visit on the first day of what seemed like Summer with blue skies, dizzying temperatures heights of…14 degrees :/​and not a hint of rain on the horizon. We sat outside and it felt like we were in some hot southern European city. The menu is big. The scrunched up small writing allows for over 60 dishes I’m sure. That said, this did not impact the speed of service or standard of food.
I can be a little bit stuck in my ways when it comes to med led menus — you will find me order stuffed mushrooms or garlic prawns — just look at past reviews. Guess what I did, I’m sorry. But my dining companion shook things up a bit with mussels and chicken breast with an interesting sauce.
Just to re-​cap, I had king prawns sauteed in tomato, garlic and chilli served with rice to start. He had mussels in cream, garlic, shallots and white wine sauce. He is a chef, so expect critical eyes when it comes to good — but he proudly said that every mussel was open, the sauce was light and tasty and definitely a yes from him. The started came with fries, which put the fear of god in us, as we wanted to make sure there as space for main. This gave us the perfect excuse to take our time dining and take in the sunshine.
For main course, I had grilled calamari with rocket. Whilst the calamari was a little bit to tough for my taste, I still enjoyed it. He had grilled chicken breast with honey and mustard dressing, with a side order of Turkish spicy sauce. The chicken was tender, the sauce was interesting (I have normally make it with pork chops), and the spicy sauce, well, make sure you have a glass of water nearby as its not for the faint-​hearted.
All in all, Mem & Laz continues to keep the locals and visitors happy. It is one for all seasons, with the intimate seating inside for the winter and the terrace seating outside for the Summer. And at £48.02 for two courses, beer and two glasses of wine (inc service), you cannot go wrong.
The problem I have now is which do I choose when I come to Theberton Street in the future, Sacre Coeur or Mel & Lax. Decisions, decisions.

Another great evening at mem and laz! Visited with a big group for my birthday and the food, vibe and atmosphere did not disappoint!
Service as ways a bit haphazard, but we were a pretty loud and rambunctious group so didn’t really mind!
Group menus were a great idea, and I had the mixed meze starter which was a full plate of all the best starters options: filo pastry, vine leaves, halloumi, hummus, tabs a roasted aubergine dip, served with fresh warm pitta bread. Yum! My main of roasted lamb and creamy mash was to die for, falling off the bone and served with richly flavoured gravy.
Top off the night with a Turkish round of happy birthday and cake? Winning!

Amazing authentic atmosphere. Meals were outstanding. I definitely recommend the Mixed Meze and the Traditional Musaka. Be sure to return

We popped in here on a lark one afternoon looking for something a little different. Their lunch pricing of £8.95 for a starter and a main is pretty fabulous. Throw in dessert and it’s £10.95.
We got the mozzarella stuffed mushroom and the spanikopita. Both were very tasty, though the first was really oily/​buttery. To be expected from that much cheese, I guess! Great flavor.
For mains, we got the chicken skewers, which were good, but straightforward — no surprises. And the burger, which was a bit overdone for medium rare, served on a buttered and toasted ciabatta with cheese, but nothing else. All condiments were on the side, but because the bread was attached to the cheese like glue, I couldn’t get it open to add lettuce/​tomato/​mayo/​whatever. I added it to the bottom but overall, it was a bit dry and lacked flavor. The fries were good, though.
The price was good, the location is good and the atmosphere is jovial and friendly. I’ve heard the pizzas are great and for the price, I’d go for lunch again if someone wanted to.

Meh. Decent but not amazing. Made a reso for a Sunday night but when we arrived it was half empty. Most dishes we had were bland. I love middle eastern/​mediterranean food and its nice to have a reasonably priced option in the area but other than the tasty tzatziki (served with a measly amount of bread, i guess to force you to order — and pay for– more) nothing really stood out. I do like the décor though– fun to see all the old posters from local theaters. Won’t be going out of my way to return but could also see myself stopping in if it was convenient.

Absolutely love Mem and Laz! Great place to go with a group of friends.
We always go for the three course meal, which is extremely good value for money. The food is delicious, service fast and friendly!
I would always recommend reserving a table to avid disappointment, especially when going out with a group! It´s a cozy place, but seats are limited.
I will defnitely be back!

Decent food, good ambience and friendly staff. We tried the two course for £7.95 and we were surprised with the portion size. Food was not bad but not memorable. I tried the Smoked Chicken and Avocado salad for starter and a chicken tagliatelle pasta with mushroom and white wine sauce. Good value for money. They add a 10% cover and I found the drinks slightly on the expensive side.

£7.99 2 course lunch menu is great value. Paid an extra £1 for the lamb — well worth it.
Huge selection of dishes, great service. Fresh food but fast (fit in two courses in our lunch hour).

Meh. Mostly unimpressed by Mem & Laz.
I came here with a friend on a Saturday night without a booking and the restaurant seemed fairly busy, but they were able to seat us outside immediately. I’m not sure if I just ordered the completely wrong dish, but I had the aubergine parmigiana and didn’t enjoy it. It was fairly bland and nothing sticks out in my mind about this dish. I’d consider venturing back if only because I can’t believe it’s as bad as the aubergine would lead me to believe.

Anything associated with Mediterranean food can be ordered here.
This place is insanely busy! It is amazing to watch the servers navigate and serve so many people. We had a cluster of appetizers: hummus w/​ground lamb, salad, etc. They were all great. Though the tables were small and it made it challenging to have more than 3 plates, we got creative and made it work!
Don’t half step. Come here with a lively group… not the sort of place for romantic date on the weekends.

I returned to Mem and Laz recently, or rather their next door front ”La Vita E Bella”. Pardon? I hear you ask…
Well, over the past two years Mem and Laz has grown and taken in the
restaurants either side. In the process creating a huge interlinked back, with mezzanine, basement banqueting suite, and i assume a giant kitchen somewhere serving Italian, Indian and Turkish foods. So for example you could walk into mem and laz go around the back and pop up in la vita bella. Its really quite incredible in that respect.
Anyway, I was there on a Sunday and fancied a roast lamb meal. Now, in my time in England I have embraced the search for a good roast (I have largely come to the conclusion that the best is made at home) but sadly what they gave me was the worst roast i have ever had! Honestly! Its swiped two stars off my review because i am genuinely offended at the disrespect they have shown to the great English tradition.
I ordered roast lamb. What i got was a doner kebab soaked in gravy. one brocolli floret and three circles of carrot and five green beans, oh and one yorkshire pudding. Last but not least– It didn’t have any god damn roast potatoes!!! I felt like crying and writing a letter to the Queen in complaint, someone needs their citizenship revoked (forget treason and burning flags, this is far worse!). I was so depressed on my way home.
Anyway, sort it out lads, please !!!

Great vibe to dine with a couple of friends or even in a bigger group. It’s cosy and homey and most of the staffs are friendly.
They have a long list of hot and cold med starters. Mostly basic things like hummus or babagonish or falafel or tzatziki… things like that. Tried their aubergine nest, which was sort of weird and didn’t taste like anything at all. The mussels starter was quite alright, as well as the grilled calamari.
Fell in love with their seafood casserole, where you get chunks of salmon and bits of shrimps and mussels here and there.
Food isn’t over priced and you get what you paid, have been here a few times and things are pretty easy and standard. Lovely!

Came here for lunch with my mother and friend after reading about it on a top-​ten list, it’s a nice place! I ordered the moussaka (veg) and fish cakes, which were part of a 2-​part lunch deal that I thought was very reasonable. All the food was great, and the place is so cutely decorated! I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here, but if I was in the Islington area and looking for lunch I’d recommend stopping by.

Dined w/​a group of friends last week; it wasn’t my choice and I didn’t expect that much. But I was surprised!
Bread with olives is really tasty and the texture of the bread was perfect.
I ordered the mixed seafood rice plate and it was super yummy. It was huge, and I was full after half, but I kept eating b/​c it was so good. Couldn’t finish it, though! I’m full just thinking about it.
Atmosphere is lively and waitstaff was pretty friendly. Can’t complain. I’d go back for a casual evening out.

Have lived in the area for over 6 years but never been here. The loss clearly mine. The starter meze was great and the mains had a good balance of dishes from all over the Mediterranean and not just Turkey. The mains bit too big if you don’t have a huge appetite.

Mem and Laz offers a lot of variety for a low price. Arriving 1:30 on a Sunday, there were the usual two or three course lunch options, four different Sunday roasts, the brunch menu, and daily specials.
I got a two-​course lunch of moussaka and stuffed peppers. The moussaka wasn’t impressive – a slice each of courgette and aubergine under a very thick layer of a bechamel inspired substance. The peppers were delicious though – soft and stuffed with a sticky mix of rice, currants, and pine nuts with a side of sour cream. The mixed greens that came with each dish were fresh and topped with a sweet balsamic dressing and both of my courses were topped with a mild tomato based sauce.
The boyfriend had the lamb sunday roast with all the sides that a traditional roast ought to have and three big scoops of sage stuffing. It was enough food that he had to take some home, and for under 7 pounds!
Overall, the hit and miss quality is more than made up for by the ambience (gorgeous multicoloured glass lamps and busy walls – so much to look at), the selection, and the price.

After my long flight from SF to London I was starving. My friend wanted to take me to Mem & Laz, one of her favorite spots for a delicious lunch.
You can choose between 2 courses (appetizer and main) for 7.95 or 3 courses (add dessert) for 9.95 GBP. The portions were all huge and the amazing food made this one of the best lunch deals I’ve encountered in a long time.
I chose the Warm Goat Cheese with hazelnut crust, roasted red onions and mixed leaves salad to start and my friend picked the Garlic Stuffed Mushroom filled with mozzarella cheese. The goat cheese had the perfect soft texture that was contrasted by the crisp mixed greens. We were basically full after those enormous appetizers.
For my main dish I chose the Char-​grilled Marinated Lamb with oregano, served with rice and salad. The lamb was really tender and tasted amazing. I was blown away that this kind of quality food was served during a lunch special. My friend picked the Spinach Wraps — spinach & cheddar cheese wrapped in pancakes with fresh tomato sauce & topped with melted mozzarella. Her plate smelled heavenly and she didn’t leave a crumb on her plate.
Mem & Laz serves an amazing mint tea (with fresh mint muddled in your tea glass) and offers brown sugar cubes to go with it.
Now this is a place that I will really miss — it is worth another trip to London!

Friendliest place in Islington. It’s no accident it’s busy every day of the week. And you know what? I just had the most perfect mashed potato ever, bar none — not «as good as» — *better than* mum makes!

A favorite of mine. While service can be hit or miss, the owners are gracious and helpful. Even helped store a birthday cake for me when I was actually taking my business across the street.
Just recently sat by the open-​air, windowed front as a light rain pittered down, sipping a glass mug of fresh mint tea. Lovely.
The lunch and dinner specials are a fantastic deal, especially considering the amount of food served. The mussels are a superb starter. Any of the lamb dishes are fantastic (incredibly tender and flavourful). The seafood pasta is delicious. And don’t even get me started on their homemade chilli sauce.
Yum yum yum.

I have to put this up to a 4. I went again recently — after a hiatus of about 4 years — and the menu is identical. So is the great atmosphere and the muffin bread & butter pudding.
We had some splendid mussels and lingered for ages, and paid 15 quid a head.
Happy.

Nous sommes allees ici hier soir. C’etais tres jolie avec tous les chandelliers. J’ai pris le «lamb kofte» — pas trop mal, mais un peu trop de grasse je crois. Comme toujours, c’etais plein des gens, e bon marche. Je le recommend!