Black Sheep Bistro

The 2012 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2012) edition.

Tucked into a side street near St George’s Cross, this tiny family-run bistro has a stylishly mysterious exterior but inside bursts out in a riot of cheerful chintz, plaques with homely sayings and ornamental hearts: it’s like Mumsnet and Etsy rolled into one. By day it’s a coffee and cake haven, but by night it’s rather more exclusive, serving a sophisticated take on home-made meals in a bustling atmosphere. They’re good at staples with a twist, like a stunningly rich roast tomato and red pepper soup which avoids heaviness, while also serving hearty versions of mince and tatties, macaroni and beef olives. A butternut squash and feta filo pie is tangy and filling, especially with a generous heaping of vegetables and salad, but a promising-sounding haddock wrapped in Parma ham and pesto, topped with parmesan and pinenuts, is rather dry and overdone, while the accompanying green beans are sadly bland. Indulgent desserts, including a gooey chocolate orange fudge cake, shockingly sweet home-made puff-candy ice-cream and moist clootie dumpling, more than make up for it.

• High point: Genuinely friendly family service
• Low point: Can be tough to get a table