Welcome to my second Lifestyle Monthly Feature blog this time covering La Ferme, a French restaurant in the charming and trendy Exmouth Market EC1 ( read my previous post covering this pretty area of Islington, London). La Ferme is a very different place and atmosphere from The Alma N1 reviewed last month: while the Alma is a family-oriented, dog-friendly, sport-loving pub with good quality food and wine & beer offerings. La Ferme is french charm personified, you can close your eyes and pretend you are in one of the many enchanting Paris arrondissements. I tried this restaurant a few times at different times of the day and truly enjoyed the experience: the rustic setting, the excellent food (gorgeously presented), with very friendly and pleasant to talk to staff and I was comfortable eating there on my own. They also have a coffee shop in the morning with amazing pastry and nice coffee; if you are in this neighbourhood, wake up early and enjoy a coffee with a newspaper in this French atmosphere :-) Being in Exmouth Market (I love it here) means there is a lot of competition but this has not affected the restaurant from flourishing: the menu is short and updated regularly, a mixture of modern and traditional food, with produce and deli items selected from the best local producers in France, in line with the French tradition of serving the fresh seasonal menu to marry perfectly with the time of the year and supporting French local farmers. The restaurant also hosts regular events, a full immersion in French culture:

• Monthly wine evenings, every third Thursday of the month, where French wines are paired with a tasting menu carefully chosen to showcase each of the wines being tasted with an expert on hand to explain the finer details: the tasting consists of 6 quality wines and 6 matching courses. You make your way around this informal tasting at your own pace, tasting as you go and discovering grape varieties, regions and vineyards, winemakers, and vintages - all very fascinating.
• Weekly Gypsy jazz session, every Monday from 7.30 PM promoting and creating relationships with music lovers coming from different backgrounds and food lovers alike.

For Valentine's 2017, they have a five-course menu for £ 49 per person with live music, certainly a way to score some points... There are many great places to eat in this area, but I'm going to go with La Ferme as #MyBestMealIslington #ExmouthChallenge. My lovely followers and occasional readers which one is your best eats - #MyBestMealIslington - #ExmouthChallenge or best eat-in #Islington? Have you tried this little gem? #tagafriend with #MyBestMealIslington and vote/recommend your favourite. Bon Appetit...