Lyon’s Seafood and Wine Bar, London: ‘An intriguing thing’ – restaurant review

Lyon’s may look like just another local restaurant, but it’s well worth the trip to Crouch End

Lyon’s Seafood and Wine Bar, 1 Park Road, Crouch End, London N8 8TE (020 8350 8983). Small plates £2.50-£9, main dishes £12.50-£17.50, desserts £7, wines from £21

Many years ago, I was a regular carol singer around the streets of Crouch End in north London, which was an odd pre-Christmas night out for an atheist Jew. Then again, very few of those in our group had much interest in the baby Jesus. We just liked the tunes and the potential for fundraising. From these repeated trips I learned two things about Crouch End. The first is that, compared to many other parts of London, it’s a right pain in the arse to get to. Tube and train lines have no desire to go anywhere near it, which means it’s a bus ride or nothing.

Salmon collars are tandoori paste-rubbed, then roasted until the skin is crisp

We end up with a txakoli, a crisp white from the Basque country which makes me feel travelled and adventurous