Where? Up on leafy Haverstock Hill, next door to the Everyman Cinema. It was, for many years, the steak restaurant Black & Blue, but it’s been in its present incarnation for a good few years now. The vibe is kinda New York diner with booths, dark wood, cocktail bar – and yawning outdoor terrace.
What? The daytime £10.95 menu. You get two courses of not-bad-at-all bistro grub. For starters think decent avocado, spinach and bacon salad, or devilled whitebait; mains might include pan-fried plaice fillets with caper and shallot butter or tortelloni. We enjoyed a blackened flat iron chicken served with fries and garlic aioli, its tender breast packed with chargrilled flavour.
Why? It’s rare that you can eat on a budget in NW3 (go for chilled tap water too to keep the cost down), and yet gems do exist. Don’t miss an aperitif at the useful Wine Rack bar opposite, with its bargain £3 beers, wines and well-priced cocktails.
Don’t: Forget it’s only available between 12 and 8pm, but that should still work out for an after-work midweek treat – or leisurely, work-dodging lunch. And it’s not highfalutin fare, just a decent sit-down in a relaxing spot.
Notes: The full evening menu could be yet more ambitious as there’s a gap on this stretch for somewhere more destination, especially since the demise of the Truscott Cellar opposite.
