London: Famous Islington Restaurant?
 

On CSPAN last night they were interviewing a Brit who was a wag on Parliament, talking about the selection of Tony Blair as New Labour candidate after Old Labour candidate John Smith (?name) fortunately, for Tony, died after having the nomination locked up... in the bid to succeed the tired Tory rule

anyway... the wag was talking of a famous meeting between the leading two aspirants, Blair and Gordon Brown that took place in "a famous Islington restaurant" near the Blair abode. I think they called it Granita Restaurant but couldn't quite get name.

Anyway the restaurant was the venue of the now infamous bargaining between the two over a meal where some kind of deal was struck and though lots of speculation no one except the two i guess really know what that was. All that seems to be known is that Blair would step down in favor of Brown at some point... perhaps much earlier than this summer.

Anyway anything on that restaurant would be appreciated.

Thanks

It was called Granita, but it closed down several years ago.

I thought it was called Gallipoli (no kidding).

It's been through a couple of incarnations since, one as a Turkish restaurant. And there is a Gallipoli on the other side of Upper St, so fall06's confusion is understandable.

Gallipoli is, and has long been, a much better restaurant than Granita was. At the time of the (now of course much disputed by the Blairites) meal, Granita struck me as mediocre and overpriced. But it was handy for Tone's Richmond Ave house

Ah, thanks, flanneruk. I thought I was losing my mind.

Granita is now a tex-mex place. I haven't graced either incarnation.