La Cuchara Negra

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops. This review is taken from the 2007 edition.

La Cuchara Negra (the black spoon) has been something of a work in progress since it opened in spring 2006, and with lunchtime trading planned for mid-2007, this tiny Latin American restaurant is showing it has a big heart. There's no trace of a tacky Tex-Mex theme here; the understated décor and soft lighting let the food, with influences from Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, do the job. A super-simple nachos starter gives no hint to the feast that lies ahead, so be warned: you have a lot to get through. The Argentinean BBQ (£3 supplement), although a little dry, packs portions of marinated beef, chicken, pork and chorizo, plus potato wedges, a flour tortilla, salad and spicy minero sauce all onto one plate. Brazilian chef Daniel da Silva's take on feijoada, his homeland's national dish (he pinched his granny's recipe), is a flavoursome stew of black turtle beans, pork, bacon and sausage, served with rice, crunchy cassava with chorizo, and sweet spring cabbage. Other equally authentic dishes on the rotating menu include chicken breast in peanut butter and mushroom sauce, and garlic and sun-dried tomato roast lamb. With just 27 covers, cosy can mean cramped (you have to trek through the kitchen to get to the toilet), but it's a small price to pay for adventurous fare served in a laid-back atmosphere.

• High point: At £11.95 - for a nachos starter and a main - this is serious value for money
• Low point: Don't plan on doing any vigorous exercise afterwards