Korova Restaurant

North Londoners should be overjoyed that this family-run French bistro-cum-cocktail lounge has opened in their back yard. Tucked down a side street, Korova is a lovely place to spend an evening – complete with blackboard menu, vintage chequerboard tiles and aged wine bottle candles. We’d recommend starting with a Hemingway Daiquiri (rum, grapefruit bitters and Maraschino), before moving on to a glass of the Korova white: a perfect accompaniment to seared scallops with Bayonne ham and roasted red-pepper sauce. To follow, lamb with Jerusalem artichoke and redcurrant sauce is succulent and hearty, while the Béarnaise sauce with the rib-eye was one of the best we’ve had. Service is warm and attentive, both at dinner and weekend brunch. If you’ve room, the banana, pineapple and rum tarte Tatin – served with wonderful caramel fudge ice cream – is well worth the indulgence (although the pastry could be crispier). An intimate gem of a restaurant.