Green Cottage

The longstanding Green Cottage carved a reputation for its barbecued meat, which hangs in the window of this unassuming restaurant on a dreary stretch of Finchley Road. It’s still very good; the Cantonese roast duck with its lacquered skin & succulent meat comes in for particular praise, though the char sui pork is also very well executed – both are served over steamed rice with a dash of cooking liquor poured over the top. The rest of the menu doesn’t scale such heights but is a decently done line-up of stir-fried squid with chilli & black bean sauce, steamed pork belly with taro, plus noodle soups that are popular at lunchtime. Downsides include basic surrounds & grumpy staff.