Based on Newington Green, the Mediterranean-inspired menu at Brasserie Acoustic truly has something for everyone. If you walk past on a weekend, you’ll see the Cafe’s patio packed out with brunch lovers enjoying their mix of their famous eggs Benedict, full English breakfasts and menemen bakes relaxing al fresco and lingering over a coffee. But visiting in the evening for dinner, it’s a more relaxed affair – and a good thing too, because you’ll need a while to indulge. There’s no sign of hipster pretension, with relaxed wooden tables, an intimate atmosphere and friendly staff, making it the ideal place to host a catch-up with friends or family.

The homely feel extends to both the amount of choice available on the menu, and the wonderfully generous portions. The starters list is dominated by the sharing dishes – indeed there are so many it would be easy to order the entire menu and share with a friend as your meal. We tried the smooth baba ganoush and the squeaky pan fried halloumi. The mains list will be familiar to anyone who’s had to cater for a range of tastes, and includes a hearty mix of burgers, pasta dishes and an amazing aubergine parmigiana – the cheese stretches for miles – presented in a golden dish on a wooden board.

Hungry customers should opt for the grilled skewers, served with rice and salad. Everything tastes freshly cooked, and could easily have come out of your auntie’s kitchen if you went round for dinner. And this is the true appeal of Brasserie Acoustic – it’s a home away from home. Showy-ness is pushed aside in the place of hearty, wholesome food which you will go back for time and time again.
60 Newington Green, Mildmay Ward, London N16 9PX www.cafeacoustic.co.uk  Words: Victoria Gray