Ruff's Bistro

Ruff's Bistro brings a polished yet down-to-earth bistro sensibility to North London. It is a place for unhurried meals and honest flavours, where the opening act might be warm focaccia with basil butter or a bowl of pitted Gordal olives, setting an easy rhythm for the evening.

The kitchen looks to Europe for comfort and clarity. A goat's cheese salad comes jewelled with roasted beetroot and figs, sprinkled with dukkah and glossed with balsamic. Butternut squash ravioli arrives in a nutty brown butter with sage and toasted pumpkin seeds, while mains range from a crisp chicken schnitzel with roasted red pepper, garlic purée and sun-blushed tomatoes to a dry-aged Hereford sirloin, crowned with peppercorn sauce and a peppery tumble of watercress and shallots, all with fries for proper satisfaction.

Sweet endings are classic and assured: Basque cheesecake with blackberry compote, or a generous slice of tiramisu. Little diners are looked after too, with straightforward plates like chicken and chips or tomato and cheese pasta, making it as handy midweek as it is for a leisurely weekend get-together. Head to Ruff's Bistro for familiar dishes polished with care, convivial pace and plenty of flavour; book in, pull up a chair, and let the evening unfold deliciously.