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Maison d'Etre

154 Canonbury Rd, N1 2UP Full details & map

Café

Time Out says 14 Users say 4/5 Rate it

By Anne Faber Posted: Jul 13 2011

The cosy new Maison d'Etre is filling the coffee shop void that starts where Upper Street ends. Its diminutive space is in the nostalgic/quaint mould of several recent openings: vintage crockery, pre-loved furniture, flat whites.

Still, it manages its own little clins d'oeils. In the corner there's an old-school record player, which, on our visit, jangled away with a Beach Boys album; tables are dotted with own-made strawberry jam (in jars), and paintings by local artists are hung on the walls.

Food-wise, it's back to more standard fare. Lightly toasted sourdough sandwiches are made with bread from Paul Rhodes bakery. There's a small selection of cakes and tarts as well as granola and brioche for breakfast.

A crusty sarnie of proscuitto cotto with cheddar and own-made tomato chutney was generously sized, yet not totally convincing. The sweet, raisin-loaded tomato chutney overpowered the melted cheddar and subtle cooked ham to such an extend that the latter could only be distinguished from its texture.

Miniature tarts are quite pricey at £2 a pop, and fail to justify the price-tag. A lemon tart was disappointing: more like a shortbread topped with a thin layer of lemon curd. Pecan tart was a better choice - here the thick pastry complemented the chunky nuts.

Coffee beans are sourced from the Nude Espresso micro-roastery off Brick Lane - which make for a good quality cup of Joe.

Maison d'Etre manages to offer what that side of Highbury Corner was hitherto lacking, so maybe that can be enough raison d'etre for its existence.

Tags: Budget, Café

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Maison d'Etre details

Address

Maison d'Etre

154 Canonbury Rd N1 2UP

Transport Highbury & Islington tube/Overground/rail

Telephone

020 7226 4711

Maison d'Etre website

Open 7.30am-6pm Tue-Fri; 10am-6pm Sat, Sun

Coffee and cake for two: around £10

Maison d'Etre map

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Comments & ratings 4/5 (Average of 14 ratings)

By dougal - Feb 3 2012

5/5

Anne Faber you are a mad woman - 2/5??? Truly crazy.

Maison D'etre is my local and favourite cafe in London. You will struggle to find better coffee elsewhere. Benoit's comments are pretty funny. The staff are great and always welcoming. I recommend the salmon with cream cheese and dil sandwich dish.

I can't wait for summer to roll around to make the most of the outdoor area :)

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By Benoit - Nov 17 2011

5/5

To be honest with you. I'm french, from Paris, in my late 30s. So i always wake up in a bad mood and you can imagine that Parisians think very little of british bread, not to mention... coffee. But even if it defies my greatest prejudices i must say that the homemade patisseries, the food (made in front of you by the most ravishing women) and the selection of excellent coffees manage to put me in a good mood every day. I even almost become amicable if i take a second serving. So i made it my HQ and all my friends are forever thankful. Try it, it might save your relationship!

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By Yuyu - Nov 17 2011

4/5

We visited maison d’etre this afternoon as it was mentioned in The Guardian a couple of weeks ago.
The place is very cute but perhaps too small to accommodate big groups. Luckily after a short wait we found a nice corner at the back yard.
Tea and scones left us all satisfied and the service was quick and sweet.
Will be back again for launch one of these days.

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By Rosemary - Nov 14 2011

5/5

Top little gem of a cafe fast becoming my top coffee haunt. Super cute with beautiful vintage decor and top quality coffee and cakes. It's all the little details I love- down to the little jars of tempting toppings and preserves on the tables, and the record player in the corner you can choose records for. I love this place.

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By James M - Nov 12 2011

5/5

Love this place, been a couple of times, and i have to say it's probably my favourite cafe in north London at the moment.

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By Victor Wood - Oct 8 2011

A wonderful little local café with good quality food, a very descent coffee and a warm and welcoming vibe.
Sorry Timeout but you got this one totally wrong.

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By Juliet G - Oct 4 2011

1/5

This place dissapoints! cupcakes were dry, coffee was mediocre, service was poor will probably go there again just incase I had a bad day.....

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By Michelle Donovan - Oct 3 2011

1/5

At first glance this place is sweet, quaint & current! However as Time out quite rightly pointed out there is very little else ... style over substance...

Disappointing : (

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By Jonny - Sep 20 2011

5/5

Go there too often, as it's like home for many people around the area.
Timeout, your reviews are really out of touch.
The people, the coffee, the cakes and all are great.

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By DGrey - Jul 17 2011

5/5

This cafe is amazing! The best coffee in London, lovely little garden out the back, great food and there's a record player where you can choose what musuc to put on! Love it.

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By Lucy Lou - Jul 15 2011

I love this place!
Vintage décor, homely atmosphere, fresh food and friendly people. A Chai Latte and a scone at the charming back garden is definitely a top choice for a lazy summer afternoon.