The Haven has long been a local high spot of better dining. When we first started using it a decade ago you had to book a Saturday night table at least a month in advance. I don't know how it is currently, but for a Monday night after a bank holiday, there was no trouble getting in. One of our reservations about the Haven is that when we have been before, and it has been busy, it has been very noisy and difficult to converse. On this occasion, as there were very few customers, it was not a problem. Monday night may be a good night to go if you do not need the busy restaurant atmosphere. We have also used the bar area in the past as they serve good reasonably-priced cocktails and bar food. This can be busy on Thursday through the weekend. They have a fairly comprehensive web presence at http://www.haven-bistro.co.uk/Welcome.html
The atmosphere of the Haven restaurant is modern and hard. The walls are plain, with illustrations, and the floor and wall hardness mean that when it gets busy, it is noisy. The staff all wear a corporate black T shirt and trousers, which whilst making a clear distinction between staff and customers, seems a little out of place for this atmosphere. Whilst sufficiently upmarket to expect clients to be a bit dressed up, this was not the case on the night we went, and the 'anything reasonable goes' rule for dress code seemed to be operational that night. The menu is fairly short, and changes frequently but there are some old favourites which are frequently seen. In recent times, there has been a move to fixed menu pricing, which is a good thing, as you know where you are as you know the cost of a two or three course meal, but there are several supplements and it seems a shame that the 'know where you are status' is disrupted by having to pay for their bread basket. Nevertheless if you take the big view, the overall costs are normal for North London.
I had a somewhat unbalanced but highly satisfactory meal that night:
I started with chicken livers in a sauce with spinach:
As it is an important couples venue, the lighting was low, and got even lower during the evening. I was using my 'phone camera, and found that the flash had to be used to get an adequate image. I did not notice the chip in the rustic bowl at the time, which was hopefully what it had been cooked in. This was a significant portion (have to judge by the knife at the side) for a starter. It was well cooked, and scored an 8.4 on the CHOF scale. This was a good choice which I would have again, if it is available, but I have not seen it on the menu before.
For main course I had the calves liver. I know it was liver and liver, but that is what I wanted.
I had a discussion with the waiter when ordering, and explained that whilst I did not want it well cooked, I did not want blood pouring out when I cut it. The message was clearly received, and this was tender and sufficiently well cooked. Not a huge portion size, but sufficient given the size of the starter. This was an 8.2 on the CHOF scale and was well presented and tasty. I would definitely order this again.
Here are two deserts, mine being the one on the right and was a chocolate pudding with ice cream. I am not the greatest of desert fans, but this was pretty good.
A three course meal from the set menu is £23. Bread basket was about £3. Wines are not cheap, and one can expect to pay £18-20 for an low end product, but their wines are good, and you are unlikely to be disappointed with the cheap end of the bin. So a meal for two including bread, wine and service came to a little over £80. Whilst a bit above the local average, the meal was also well above average, so you get what you pay for. The staff on this night were helpful (need to see what a busy night is like to get the real idea) and service was prompt which would expect. As the place was empty, and one could see in their eyes a need to shut shop for the night, there was no lingering.
I like the haven and was not disappointed. With the set price menu you more or less know where you are.
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