We Love East Finchley

Despite the parking issue, Giraffe is a restaurant with attentive staff and a well-thought out menu that has plenty of twists. Step inside and 'cancel out the noise and bustle', says Vicki Soper. 

Giraffe prides itself on a menu that explores foods from around the world, and restaurants that provide a global theme through both décor and music. With this in mind it is hard to imagine how it could pull off a successful and well-balanced menu in line with the theme of the restaurant. But this is what Giraffe does, with apparent ease. 

From the well-designed menu to the warm and inviting atmosphere created within the restaurant. 

Muswell Hill’s Giraffe (348 Muswell Hill Broadway) is perhaps not in the best location, and parking is not readily available, although there are a few side streets where evening parking is free. In spite of this, there are a few chairs and tables placed outside the front of the restaurant which would make for a nice lunch spot when the weather improves, and as soon as you step inside the door the inviting atmosphere of the restaurant cancels out the noise and bustle of the busy road outside. 

The interior of the restaurant is very well kept, all of the tables were cleared and clean and the staff took an obvious pride in the condition of the dining area, which was spotless.

The menu is varied in choice, yet stylish with starters such as a salmon ceviche salad “Miami”style, and a blue cheese, avocado and toasted pecan salad. All the food was served in good time and was immaculately presented. The salmon ceviche salad was a delicious light starter with the combination of passion fruit, mango and avocado creating a fresh twist, and the blue cheese salad was packed full of flavour, with mixed leaves and a pumpkin seed dressing. 

The main courses were just as well thought out, they included more traditional ingredients than the starters yet there was still a global twist to the menu. They included a grilled hot smoked salmon, sage and garlic turkey schnitzel dish and a goat’s cheese and zucchini lasagne as a vegetarian option. The salmon was cooked to perfection and was offset nicely by the tomato, cumin and braised chick pea base. 

The turkey, in keeping with the rest of the menu, was given a twist with a herby mash and a pineapple, red pepper and mint salsa. The flavours of the goats cheese, olives and tomato and basil sauce complimented each other perfectly in the vegetarian lasagne, creating a rich dish with a warming feel. 

The desserts at Giraffe follow a more traditional line than the rest of the menu, with a meringue ice cream sundae, a steamed apple and toffee pudding and a Belgian choc-chip truffle cheesecake. Naturally, these desserts all came with a twist, such as butterscotch sauce or a hot cherry compote. The cheesecake was cleanly presented, and was absolutely delicious. 

Service at Giraffe in Muswell Hill is clearly as important to the staff that work there as the high quality of their food. The staff were friendly, polite and clearly enjoyed what they were doing. Although we were being served by one member of staff throughout our visit, all of the others working there had time to stop and ask how our food was, or if there was anything else they could get us which was a nice touch and succeeded in making us feel very welcome. The restaurant had a lively yet relaxed atmosphere, and was full with almost every table in use. 

Giraffe is a restaurant that is definitely worth visiting if you want a relaxed meal, and a wide choice of food. The restaurant is also very child friendly and provides a lively and enjoyable dining experience, catering for diners who want both a light lunch or a three-course diner.