The Elk in the Woods

Food is good. Cauliflower appetizer was my favorite. Service is so so. The space is nice and rustic. Management is professional and courteous.

Amazing little place. Need to be back more often. Definitely recommend as it’s located so close to many other places. Food is exceptionally good

This place could’ve been great or mediocre and it was pretty much the latter. From the name itself, you can tell it’s trying to have character, but they aren’t really able to pull it off. The service is quite terrible and the food is just ok.
Saturday around 1 pm we had a reservation. Most of the place was full, so I’d recommend making one. Despite that, it took 5 minutes or so for us to even be acknowledged and then another 5 minutes for us to be seated. Menus didn’t arrive, we had no water or silverware, and we kept having to flag servers down to get anything.
Elk styled poached plums and pears with homemade granola and natural yogurt — this was pretty good. It’s served in a glass water cup, which is odd, but the poached fruit was nice, especially when you hit a chunk of it.
Elk kebab with maple syrup brushed apple and smoked bacon — we asked for this with no bacon. It was a tiny tiny portion for such an expensive dish. Four small pieces of elk, two small pieces of apple, and nearly £9. The elk meat was fine, but not the best cut. The apple was interesting. It was served with a chunky sauce, which we assumed to be tomato. The dish was at best fine, but I wouldn’t recommend getting it. If you want meat, go with the Scandinavian style meatballs, which are half the price and probably better.
Beetroot and horseradish hummus with feta and pita — horseradish taste didn’t come through at all. It only tasted like beetroot. The taste wasn’t the best and there were only 2 super small pieces of feta on top. The pita was actually good, though. Soft and a made a nice compliment to the hummus — if only the hummus had been better!

Went to this place for a brunch. fell in love instantly. I am generally sceptical of how food taste in London (or UK in general), but this place totally surprised me

I had a fear of pork chops from when I was a very small child. Why? Because my mom would make them SO DRY that I would have to load a spoon with apple sauce and then chase it with water just to avoid death by choking. No joking. Sorry mom, but those pork chops were traumatizing.
And unfortunately, the one I had at Elk in the Woods wasn’t much better. Sad potatoes, I know I know. I had high hopes for this rustic little gem tucked into Camden Passage in Angel. We were in for an early-​ish Saturday night dinner and besides the greeting which was positioned more like «what on earth would you be coming here for?» everything was going smoothly. The wine was nice, the English Garden cocktail interesting, the beetroot horseradish hummous with warm flatbread enticing.
And the main event!
Danish Frikadeller, roast pork chop, gherkins, apple sauce and mormor’s warm potato salad and a shot of gammel dansk.
Sounded good. Looked even better (my husband had order envy as the cutting board was placed in front of me) — but unfortunately failed in execution. The pork chop was devoid of any flavor or juiciness, and the little meatballs were similarly parched. I wished for some sauce to perhaps help me with it (not like the apple sauce trick!) but none accompanied the dish. It was bland and overcooked. Sad sack.
It’s a lovely spot though, and I’d return and hope this was just an oversight. The décor is comfortable and relaxed, the vibe is the same. Service was good (after that quizzical greeting!) — and we had a pleasant, pre-​movie dinner.
*outside seating in the summer in hot demand, and cannot be booked.
*reservations otherwise accepted. They have a nice large table for 8+ that is very cool.
*gratuity NOT included.
£78 + gratuity for 2 cocktails, 2 glasses of wine, 2 mains and a starter. Pretty good value for Angel.

I think this was a bit over rated.
Nice atmosphere nice service.
Food was a bit of a let down. Potatoe skins uncooked and steak was very tough.
Service and wine was great, could have been a once off. Give it a try and see…

Had once the venison and lamb burger and then on a different occasion the rainbow trout with paella. Both looked mouth-​watering and tasted delicious. Only problem with this place is the slow service, unfortunately. Otherwise I’d give them ⁴⁄₅.
In a nutshell: The mains, starters and smalls are very good. But the service is just a little too slow.

Although I have frequented various establishments in and around Angel in general, and in Camden Passage in particular, for many years now, it is a mystery to me as to why I never went into The Elk in the Woods until earlier in 2015. I am sure that the place is similarly unknown to the public in general. One can see hour long queues outside The Breakfast Club next door on any weekend morning, while one can easily get a table in this place, which is in no way inferior.
On my first visit, I tried the French toast. This is normally a dish I try on the side to get a sweet flavour after a savoury meal. But my friend, who had dragged me there for brunch after a rather tiring morning, had strongly recommended it. It was a great decision. It was served with cheese and bacon. Although the bread was cut a little thicker than I usually prefer, the taste was beyond reproach. This is a dish I frequently order at most of the brunch places in London that I visit and the one here would rank right up there along with the best of them.
As we were particularly hungry on that occasion, we shared a portion of ribs. That’s an unusual order for me as it is usually rather messy. So was it here, but it made up for that with the taste. I was left licking my fingers, literally this time.
On my second visit, I went for the full breakfast. The surprising component was the pork and apple sausage. While I wouldn’t normally mix my fruit and meat together, this combination went quite well together. My friend ordered, and enjoyed, a vegetarian dish which I cannot recall at the moment in spite of much effort.
Elk in the woods makes some really good cocktails as well. I really enjoyed the «Bourbon growler», which fortunately was not as strong as described.
But if the food is so good, why is this place not more popular? We speculated that the reason might be the décor which might put some customers off. But I was perfectly happy with it.
For summer visits, one can choose from among the few outdoor tables as well. I plan to return soon to use them.

There are high points to this place and low points, so I’m going with a three star. One or two more on the «high side» would’ve pushed me to 4, but I’m on the fence.
We booked a reservation here for 6 people on a Saturday brunch and were seated quickly, though she set the table after we were seated, which may be how they usually do, I don’t know. They didn’t seem prepared for our arrival, even though it wasn’t a full restaurant.
The interior is lovely, though I could do without the endless elk (?) skulls staring at us. I know it’s the name and a hunter motif is the vibe, but it was a bit macabre, in my opinion. I loved the rustic vibe, otherwise and the seating was comfortable and intimate.
HIGH POINTS:
— The poached egg muffin (Eggs Benedict, basically) with char-​grilled avocado (in lieu of ham). The hollandaise was spot-​on. Really good hollandaise.
— The avocado was ripe. If you want to call that a high point.
LOW POINTS:
— The muffin on the poached egg muffin was tough as nails. I had to ask for a steak knife to get through it and even then, it was a struggle.
— The eggs on the poached egg muffin were hit n’ miss. One was cooked with a soft yolk and a firm white, the other was drastically undercooked, where the yolk was thin and cool and the white was squeamishly runny. Yuck.
— The cocktails were bizarre. My «Champs-​Élysées» cocktail (Bulldog gin, vanilla, elderflower, lavender topped with Prosecco) tasted like nothing but Prosecco. The little lavender garnish was pretty and a little fragrant, but there was no taste of gin at all, certainly no vanilla or elderflower — didn’t really taste like a cocktail. It was basically a £8.50 glass of Prosecco. Very disappointed. The «Mango Gunpowder» had a lot of flavor — sweet, almost like a «creamsicle» — but also no alcohol to be found.
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD:
– The service was mixed. We had two servers and both seemed to be servicing the whole place, including the front area and both seemed run ragged, so it’s not like they were lazy. They just seemed overworked and a bit frazzled, even though it wasn’t *that* busy in there, there wasn’t even a queue to get in. They were friendly and nice, though despite service tip not being included in the bill, they didn’t check on us until everyone was finished and then let us sit quite a long time without clearing our plates or offering us another cocktail or a coffee. We finally had to ask for the bill.
– The fry-​up breakfast my girlfriend ordered was «just okay». Not bad, not good, just kind of… fine, she said.
There are a lot of yummy-​looking things on the menu, and nothing was terrible, it just didn’t blow my dress up.

I can’t say much for the food here, but my girlfriend and I stopped in for drinks and desserts and loved the experience! The restaurant is in a great neighborhood and the ambience inside is even better. For dessert we got the berry crumble and some honeycomb ice cream. Both were awesome and also went well together. We also got some house cocktails and really enjoyed those too (even though it took longer for this than to get our desserts).
Definitely not a place for the budget conscious (but in London, is anything budget conscious?) but definitely worth checking out. I’d return next time I’m in London!

Been there twice now with the same experience. Some delicious food but service was painfully slow. Either they’re way understaffed or just mismanaged. Go if you have the time. Their take on eggs bene is great and they serve a decent bloody mary as well.

Was able to snag a few seats at a shared table for dinner. We had a few small plates to share for the table and then had the fish plate to share as well. I wasn’t as big of a fan of the fish plate but the rest of the table seemed to enjoy it. I liked the meatballs and the cauliflower the best (especially the cauliflower).
Good service, love the décor here.

First I had dinner. The elk kebab for an appetizer, followed by the smoked duck for the main course. Dinner was so good that I returned for breakfast. I had the blackberry waffle, the Elk Bloody Mary, and coffee for breakfast and it was delicious.
If you’re in the area, I recommend this place for dinner and breakfast. Might be good to make reservations for dinner, the place was very busy.

Love the place aspects of the décor remind me of my childhood random maybe but there you go.
The food is lovely and extremely filling. The staff are lovely and patient with fussy eaters who are hung over. Thank you.

So we found this place after the recommendations of a friend who leaves in the neighborhood and during our search for a table in the sun.
Well we couldn’t be more luckier than that. The brunch is a mix of typical English breakfast with continental and with a touch of their own creativity. Extremely well put together and with quite a selection. What strike most of all though was their coffee quality and their bread which, been a bread addict i found super yammy.
Service was good and pretty fast and taking into account that we had camp there for 2 hours i can say they were very attentive.
For sure i would love to go again if i am around.

Dining in Elk in the Woods felt like I was dining in a chic yet rustic ski lounge!
The menu was eclectic and the dishes are nicely prepared and beautifully plated!

I read a few of the other reviews on Unilocal and hesitated to come, mostly as it’s a fine line between hip and hipster and some reviews had mentioned rally patchy service but I couldn’t disagree more.
It’s got quirky but very well executed décor — strong graphic print wall paper contrasts with raw wood sections and a wall full of antlers
The food was superb, way above what I expected. We went for some of the small plates and each one was more delicious than the next. I had the beetroot and horseradish houmous with feta and pitta, the sticky peanut and honey spiced ribs and the Spanish paprika fried cauliflower with fried capers and lemon. I could probably knocked one of them off the list as the portions were pretty reasonable but I’d have spent hours trying to decide which one to lose and I’m actually glad I didn’t as they were all so good. The cauliflower gets a special mention — the capers had been deep fried for a few seconds — utterly delicious!
Top of the tree was the elk kebab with maple syrup brushed apple and smoked bacon — Elk is kind of similar to a denser, beefier Lamb if I had to try and describe it. The kebab was done on the charcoal grill and was massive –we ended up splitting it between two.
Drinks wise I had an excellent local ale or two and then a Pittfield Slipper cocktail. No me either. It’s Smoked Diplomatico rum, maple syrup, orange bitters, sugar and cinnamon syrup. Comes in a wee sealed jar and when you open it you get this totally amazing puff of smoke wafting out… amazing!
It was a mid week early evening visit so maybe we were lucky not to be there when it’s to busy but the staff were very good at their jobs and very friendly, I’d definitely visit again.

Great little place in Angel. We went there for an early dinner last year. I would recommend reserving a table. The food was good, I tried the home smoked duck, which was delicious!
The food was good, I would definitely go back.
However, the service was quite slow. But we did plan on staying for a while so this wasnt a problem.

Une bonne adresse pour bruncher dans le charmant quartier d’Angel, à l’est de Londres.
Quelques grands classiques sont au menu comme les oeufs bénédictes, et le yaourt granola mais il y a aussi quelques options plus orgininales ! J’ai goûté un burger de pain brioché au crabe et à l’avocat accompagné de quelques herbes et une bonne mayo. Délicieux !
Mes copines ont pris
— Une assiette végétarienne un peu orientale. C’était bon mais très copieux.
— Les oeufs bénédict et le granola, bon sans surprise
— le crumble qui n’était pas assez cuit
On a partagé des coulant au chocolat pour le dessert. Ils avaient la parfaite consistance mais manquait un peu de goût. J’ai cru comprendre que c’était le drame de l’Angletterre. leur chocolat est fade !
Les latte, cappuccino et chocolat chaud sont très bons !
La déco est aussi très sympa: on est «in the woods» entouré de murs et de tables en bois.

I’m a massive fan — I’ve had brunch here a couple of times now.
I love the look and feel of this restaurant on a weekend morning/​lunch time. It’s cool, looks great, relaxed and fun all combined in one.
It’s always busy at weekends, but the brunch is brilliant, so it’s worth booking in advance or popping in to put your name dins and mooching around the vintage market and shops whilst waiting for your table.
I had my first Bloody Mary here and it’s still the best I’ve ever had.
I’d highly recommend the chorizo, peppers and pirate brunch dish that comes in a hot skillet. It’s delicious and great for a hangover. Add a nice coffee to your order and you’ll be very happy.
I keep meaning to come back in the evening for drinks as their cocktail list included lots of great sounding combinations.
I much prefer eating brunch here compared to the breakfast club which is just a door or two down the cute cobbled street.

Não é a toa que este foi eleito o melhor café da manhã de Londres. Ainda que eu goste muito do Breakfast Club, vir ao Elk in the Woods foi uma boa surpresa. Na mesma rua, um pouquinho mais pra frente está ele com mais espaço, mesas na rua e um staff que também parece mais organizado.
Fazer reserva é sempre bom, principalmente se você não gosta de esperar. Mas ir de última hora pode render uma boa surpresa, de achar uma mesa, mesmo que seja dividindo com um desconhecido (que pode virar um amigo).
Pedi um café-​da-​manhã vegetariano, com salsicha de legumes, feijão doce (que eu não gosto), tomates fritos, cogumelos salteados e acompanhado de dois ovos fritos e duas fatias de pão. O prato era imenso, acho que alimentava duas pessoas tranquilamente. O preço é bom também, já que esse prato com um café e o serviço foi menos de 10 libras.
Quando terminar seu café sugiro uma caminhada por Angel e pelo Regent’s Canal, é realmente um lugar lindo e vale a experiência londrina.

Coming to Camden passage is like finding a hidden gem in Angel. Lot’s of cool shops and restaurants that line the little alleyway. I’ve been to this place for coffee in the afternoon and cocktails in the evening. In the summer I really enjoy their outdoor seating and when it’s cooler the interior is very nice… it’s like sitting inside a romantic wooden cabin. Their coffee is renowned and very strong, and their cocktails are extremely delicious, would definitely recommend this place for a chill experience.

Uno de mis cafés favoritos en Islington en el precioso y recoleto Camden Passage (no confundir con el mercado de Camden en otro barrio).
Desayunos típicamente ingleses, huevos benedictinos, ensalada, el salmón exquisito, y unos cócteles sin alcohol riquisímos… y muchas cosas para picar a cualquier hora del día. Me encanta su decoración toda de madera y con motivos de caza.