Le Moulin

[rob]

I've lived a two minute walk from Le Moulin for about seven years In that time I've been - at least once - to probably every restaurant within a two mile radius (including Mr Lui's Peking Cuisine, but not including Kebab & Wine, though I've been sorely tempted). But every time I walk past Le Moulin I see the peeling paint and ignored frontage and rotten, rain-soaked, condensation ruined menu board and wonder why the owners don't pull their collective finger out and make the idea of actually walking in one night a little less unnappealing. Anyone actually ever eaten there?

[Mark]

I have, although the food was average it's an experience and was overall great. Here's the post I wrote about it (from this thread)

Le Moulin (up by the Plough/Library), we went there on Valentines day and it was great (not a heart shaped balloon in sight). It's a quiet, small French restaurant run by Margaret and Eric and it's a step back in time (about 20 years). Client?le was generally 50ish and regulars ("bottle of the usual white please Margaret"). Decor is pleasantly brown but it's very clean and they obviously look after the place. Food was OK, had a rack of lamb which was pleasant but the fact the protruding bones had those little, white, paper things on them that looked like small chef's hats made it more enjoyable. The lemon sorbet had a fanned out wafer in it like when you were a kid.

It's not going to match other places for food but the experience was different and enjoyable. Like I said, there are regulars there and they're regular for a reason. It's a little gem of a place; we can't wait to take some visiting friends there for the experience.

2 of us x 3 courses + ?16 bottle of wine = ?46 + tip (it wasn't called a 'service charge' in the 80's) so no complaints there.

[val]

We have been eating there for many years and the food is good, reasonably priced and good portions. The owners are pleasent and make you feel welcome. If it were not so good they would not have as many regulars as they do.

[Jeremy]

Still... no excuse for not taking a bit of care over the appearance of your premises...

[Louisa]

I dont get this snobby idea that you shouldnt eat somewhere because it may look a bit dated or need a lick of paint. That restaurant has been there many years for good reason, it offers superb customer service and the food is very good. Half of these places along LL have not been around for five minutes and probably wont be lucky enough to reach a stage where the paint on the outside is starting to peel.

I wonder sometimes if ED is turning into Islington heaven forbid.

[Jeremy]

Snobby? Islington? Stop being absurd! If you think it looks OK, fair enough, but I expect you're in the minority.

[macroban]

> Half of these places along LL have not been around for five minutes and probably wont be lucky enough to reach a stage where the paint on the outside is starting to peel.

Good point.

Which is the longest surviving restaurant in Lordship Lane?

[Mark]

I know Surma's been there for 31 years, I expect Le Moulin's been there for at least 15 - 20

[*Bob*]

If you've been a regular patron of Le Moulin over the many years, no doubt the frontage and interior are (in your own mind) as fresh as the day they were last updated (in 1973).

But it's not unreasonable for someone who doesn't know the place to think "if the owners don't care about what's on the outside, I don't think I'll take my chances with what's on the inside".

[Jah Lush]

I can remember going there when it was a Turkish restaurant back in the 70s. Washed the food down with bottles of Buzzbag. Marvellous!

[val]

That their loss, I agree with Louisa.

I think the longest restaurant if not the Moulin is Currey cabin which was a chinese restarant before Curry cabin, Yilmaz has also been a long standing take away with restaurant at back before opening the one next door

[rob]

Is it "snobby" to expect to be able to read the menu? And if you don't care about the grim state of the outside, why should I trust you to care about what goes on inside. Still, if they can make a living banging out early-bird trout and almond specials to the silver-surfers up from Penge, then good luck to them!

[Louisa]

Jeremy if I am in the minority then so be it, it's obviously a successful minority if it's managing to keep Le Moulin in business after all these years. Perhaps the majority who take your view could offer Eric and Margaret some business advice if you believe you know how to run a restaurant better :)

Bob that is a good point, but usually word of mouth will spread and people will visit regardless, if the food is upto scratch.. the decor and peel of the paint add to the charm of this little place, which has stood the test of time unlike many along LL.

[Jeremy]

If they paint the outside and stick up a readable menu, I will try it. I expect Rob will too.

Proof that they have already lost customers.

There's your business advice!

[louisiana]

I've been kicking around ED since the mid-80s, and live 3 mins walk away from this place, but have never thought to go there. It just looks grubby and run down. If they are making money, fine, but the impression it gives is of a business on its last legs (though it's looked that way for some time).

[Louisa]

I believe the whole tone of this thread is a bit snobby to be honest rob. If we are going to point the finger at somewhere for bad service and awful food, why not pick a place like GBK or Caffe Nero.. Older people do still have taste buds, and we do recognise a good quality restaurant.. Le Moulin is everything you could want from a restaurant and it's good value. I know it's verging on the disgusting for some people to enter into a building which is showing it's age a little too much, but I can assure you that it's clean and the food is always fresh.

[Louisa]

Jeremy you know your stuff! you could have Le Moulin back on it's feet in no time at all..

[val]

Hear Hear Louisa,

[rob]

I would rather eat my dinner off the grimy concrete in Le Moulin's front yard than go in Caffe Nero or GBK, tbh.

[SimonM]

I came to ED in 1975 and the only restaurant that was there then and is still there now was The Curry Cabin - which is odd really as it always seemed one of the worst Indians in ED - The Surma opened either late '75 or '76 I think

[macroban]

> I believe the whole tone of this thread is a bit snobby to be honest [...]

Incomers versus residents?

[Mark]

I was always put off by the condensation on their menu out the front too but we tried it and we liked it (the restaurant not the condensation). I guess there's some people on the forum who go there regularly and perhaps they could mention to Eric and Margaret that a bit of a spring clean outside would make the place more appealing. Sometimes people don't see the obvious when everyone else does and I think that a gentle and polite nudge in the right direction would do them the world of good.

[edited once]

[capt_birdseye]

I really don't see how this thread can be seen as snobbish! It's a fact of life that passing trade are unlikely to stop off at a restaurant with a shabby exterior. If we've never been to a restaurant and nobody has recommended it to us then all we have to judge it on is its appearance. Yes that may mean potentially missing out on a good meal and also spending money on bad meals at better looking restaurants, but if I'm going to take a chance on a new restaurant then I doubt it would be on one that looks grubby from the exterior as, has been mentioned above, it suggest grubbiness on the interior.

[*Bob*]

Of course there's always an exception to the rule.. that 'hidden gem' that serves up top-notch food behind a jaded exterior, but unfortunately, in London anyway, this is an exception.

In general, restaurants need all the help they can get - both to keep their existing customers and get new blood in through the door. Just on the basis of this thread, if it looked more appealing from the outside, they'd have at least four or five new customers immediately - at least to give it a go!

And without wishing to be rude (although no doubt I will be.. as usual) there is a difference between what youngER diners and what oldER diners consider to be 'good food'.

[rob]

They should invite us in - Green and Black-style. Though I'd want it professionally cleaned first.