North Star

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The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2011) edition.

A friendly little café on Queen Margaret Drive, North Star is well loved beyond its neighbourhood. Long and narrow with the open kitchen at the back, diners sit at high stools in the window or at one of the red-topped formica tables facing deli shelves stacked with olive oil, free-range eggs, fruit juices and sardines. The menu, scrawled across the white wall tiles in black marker, is vaguely Spanish, with patatas bravas, tortilla and a hearty stew of chorizo, chickpeas and tomatoes, all served with a black olive and tomato salad. The French toast is the best in town – huge chunks of organic bread and free-range egg, smothered with maple syrup, bacon and black pepper. A range of home-made cakes rests on shelves along the wall, carrot cake and pear and almond tart, chocolate brownies and lemon drizzle cake. The orange and polenta cake is especially good, light, crumbly and deliciously gummy on the tongue. With relaxed friendly service and cooking this good, North Star is an out-of-the-way gem well worth seeking out.

• High point: Excellent cooking
• Low point: Well-hidden toilet