Mediocre Market still best in Camden

The last time I ventured to Camden seeking sustenance, I was stunned to find my finest option was probably falafel from that van in the market. Six years on and practically nothing has changed. It’s astounding.

Market is thus a welcome beacon of hope. Décor, like the British food served here, is simple and stylish: exposed brickwork, zinc-topped tables, hard wooden chairs — all very Habitat. "I love this place" enthused my friend, as we perused the paper menu. "Everything’s £2 cheaper than you expect."

The £5 glasses of prosecco had us in high spirits. My friend declared her asparagus with poached egg (£6.50) perfectly al dente, and my own Huntsham Farm beef carpaccio (£6.50) was pleasingly velvety, but from the mains onwards the price-shaving started to show.

The only word my companion could find to describe her confit duck leg with potato cake and red cabbage (£12.50) was "unremarkable". My organic Shetland salmon (£11.50) was lovely in itself, but didn’t go with undercooked curried lentils or the grey moat of watery spinach.

We might have been dining in someone’s kitchen. It was so cramped I am now an expert on the personal lives of our adjoining table (she should leave him — he’s clearly never going to change).

But my biggest gripe was the pud. My impressively bland pear-and-ginger crumble (£5) had no hint of ginger or any other flavour. Still, "bland" isn’t "terrible", and with scant competition around, this packed joint looks set to corner the market.

Market
Parkway, London, NW1 7PN