Saltine

Summary

This cool-looking, new Highbury haunt is the latest from Mat Appleton & Jess Blackstone, who have opened a trio of cafés under the Fink’s name in the area over the past dozen years. There’s coffee, pastries and grab-and-go bites by day, with a short, seasonal dinner menu from chef Phil Wood (ex-St John and Spring) in the evening, along with cocktails and low-intervention wines. In his November 2023 review, The Evening Standard’s Jimi Famurewa hailed “a wonderfully-composed, sneak-attack of a neighbourhood hit”. Our reporters are a bit more cautious: “recently opened to a wave of social media posts, Saltine is trying hard but still finding its feet”, with “food that’s good but possibly not quite up to the hype around its opening? One or two dishes were exceptional but others were just ‘nice’”.