Fabrica

TescoPigeon

I went there last week. The restaurant is now firmly in my SG/Finsbury Park top 5 (alongside Dotori, La Saporita, Osterio Tufo and Yak and Yeti if you actually get served) really nice authentic Spanish grub and decent wine selection. My favourite dish was the ham croquetas and chorizo but actually everything was nice. Really cool interior too

Tordie

Friday night at 9 o'clock was packed! Groups queuing along the bar from the door to get a table and the kitchen had to close temporarily as it was so busy. However, all the food was lovely and it had a good atmosphere. Very happy to have good tapas so nearby.

NorthNineteen

Reviewed in Time Out, 3 stars. Solid if unspectacular review but I'm sure the press will be good for them.<br>

NorthNineteen

It's been on their website a little while - good that it made the print edition.<br>

therattle

Will definitely have to try it out, as we love Spanish food. On which note we just tried bar Esteban in Crouch End on the weekend, which was bloody fantastic. This is closer though! Anybody know if it is open for lunch?<br>

NorthNineteen

Sat and sunday it is open midday to 3pm (at least I think that's what the sign said outside as I walked past tonight).  I think Bar Esteban and Fabrica are owned by the same person.

minim

It's not by the same people as Bar Esteban, but rather the owners of La Bota and Pradera, I thought? They are open at lunchtime on weekends, but when we went they only had a limited menu of bigger dishes then, tapas only in the evening, which was disappointing, though the dishes we tried were decent enough. Have been back in the evening since, and though it was again a decent meal, i don't think it's anywhere near as good as Bar Esteban and I don't quite understand how it's gotten so popular so quickly, when Petek and Season for example were pretty much empty when we walked past that same evening. I guess tapas are really popular at the moment? This probably reads snarkier that I meant it, it's a nice addition to the local restaurants and I'd happily go again, I just don't love it anywhere near as much as most others who've posted on here.

NorthNineteen

Oh yeah, my bad!<br><br>It does look quite different to the other restaurants you describe, I think Time Out sums it up:<br><br>"<span class="s1">It’s the kind of design-first place that’s been popping up all over town, but is still exciting in this slowly gentrifying area near Finsbury Park"</span>

Sutent

If this is slow gentrification I would love to know what fast it.. New units are appearing all the time

NorthNineteen

Peckham, Dalston, Balham or places that have largely made the complete transition Upper St/Shoreditch.<br>

Arkady

I can't speak for the other two, but Peckham is definitely changing at a much faster pace than Stroud Green. It's hardly Upper Street, but the vast numbers of halal butchers and general stores selling mobile phone covers are in rapid decline. In the last year I've watched as these were replaced by interesting new pubs and quality restaurants, late night indy venues, weird organic food shops that sell vinyl - and in my favourite example - a bar dedicated to 80s/90s arcade and console games (Stroud Green needs one of these).<div><br></div><div>Like Stroud Green it is still very diverse and cosmopolitan, indeed it has become more so as it has economically diversified. But also like Stroud Green it's now become a destination in its own right, not just a run down area between nicer neighbourhoods. But the change in Peckham over the last year is comparable to the change I've seen in Stroud Green over the last six.</div>

kreuzkav

I would dispute that Stroud Green was a run down area in the last ten to twenty years.  I think it was just not very well known by estate agents, young middle middle class couples....  Stroud Green as the 90s progressed and into the 2000s had a thriving high street, and a diverse community.  The stretch between FP station and Tollington Park was a bit run down but not from Tollington Park up to the Old Dairy.  The stretch from the junction of Ferme Park road/Stapleton Hall road was always quite middle class with social housing interspersed.  <div><br></div><div>I think most of the develpment is going on around FP station and not Stroud Green proper. So that is seeing a rapid gentrification.  SG (Tollington Park upwards is a bit static).  </div><div><br></div><div>I'll say it again, Hornsey road is the place to watch.</div>

duffer

Wow, finally checked in (on back of various recommendations here). Simply wonderful food, fantastic ambience/setting (tables not too close - what joy!) and a wine list that rocks. Did spend c £50 per head, but that was because we really hit that list... (incl a Canarian wine that could only be dreamed about...).<br><br>Top new London restaurant - and just 5 mins from my flat. What's not to love?<br>

Sutent

@Duffer. I am glad you enjoyed it there. We are all very lucky with this place. I hope the ambience was better that the proposed ambience at Finsbury Park station.

duffer

shhhhh...

Arkady

@duffer - you can edit your post by clicking on the little cog on the right hand side of it.

duffer

Ta Arkady!

hooofck

Went this evening for the first time and very impressed. Was packed, even at 7.30. Good food and drinks, reasonable prices, classy decor and very friendly and attentive service. Now definitely one of my favourite local places to eat.

TheMimsy

Went last night for early dinner and really liked it! 

therattle

Just tried La Fabrica. Very disappointing, especially after comments here. Most dishes were mediocre to poor. Decor is ok; modern industrial trendy, inoffensive and pleasant enough but unimaginative. The food was not good though, and the tortilla was downright poor. Pimentios Padron also seemed lacking in freshness. Bar Esteban in Crouch End is leagues better and probably about the same price. No comparison between them though.

duffer

Aye, was there again last night. Counted 130 covers at one point! Perhaps way to go is during the week, when less crazy...

graeme

Was in this evening, probably the opposite of Duffer's experience.  <div><br></div><div><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Service was prompt.  All our dishes came within 5 minutes of ordering - too fast for us to eat them, and they were luke-warm by the time we got to eat them.  Meatballs - bland.  Anchovies, fresh/good.  Chicken livers -  tasty but not hot.  Boar cheek, again, tasty but luke warm.  Pepper that everyone's raving about - same as you get anywhere.  Same old.</span><div><div><br></div><div>Service - average.  Served by 3 different people.  No consistency.</div><div><br></div><div>Charging for bread, that has been cut and sitting under the sideboard.  Hmm I guess it's hard to make ends meet in London, but you get more bread than you can eat at Petek, plus olives and dip, free of charge.  </div><div><br></div><div>Wine was decent.  That's it really.  No nice touches, nothing special.  Not sure if I'm old fashioned, but if I pay in cash, and it's over the total, I kind of expect to get my change back, and decide whether to leave it as a tip.  Taking all the cash, and then not returning the change, I guess that can be an oversight. </div><div><br></div><div>The place in Crouch End has a better atmosphere.   The lady there makes you feel very welcome.  La Fabrica didn't even bother to welcome us in.</div><div><br></div><div>Not going to hurry back.  Maybe it's great on a friday/saturday when it's buzzing.  </div></div></div><div><br></div><div>I get that there are limited options on SGR, but falling over ourselves for something that's just average isn't thrilling.</div>

duffer

Aye, to be clear, my second visit (see above) was a different experience - much the same as yours. I think that 130 is just too many for the kitchen to manage. Will try it again, during the week sometime, to see if it reverts to my original experience. If not yerra I'll try out the CE place!