Archie's restaurant Highgate Hill evening dinner review

With its cheerful green and yellow decor, Archie's in Highgate Hill has long been a haven for locals, mums, and visitors to the nearby Whittington Hospital.

Their all day brunches include huevos rancheros, breakfast burrito and a vegan 'green breakfast' with smoky beans and herby mushrooms, and from midday customers can choose from tacos, salads and wraps, served with beer, wine, cocktails, or Climpsons and Son coffee.Archie's serves Climpsons and Son coffee, wines, beers and cocktails including a watermelon margarita (Image: Courtesy of Archie's)

Now the neighbourhood gem is offering a well-travelled dinner menu on Thursday and Friday evenings, with the chef's South American heritage shining through in many of the dishes.

Tea lights glow on the tables, plants tumble out of pots and, pine and leather furniture create an intimate date-night feel.

The good value menu is short and sweet with huge bursts of flavour. It's also veggie and vegan friendly with choices including a Lebanese board of falafel and beetroot labneh, Vietnamese summer rolls, wild mushroom tacos, or smoked aubergine and tahini.The seabass ceviche with sweet potato and crispy fish skin comes in a lime coconut and basil soup (Image: Courtesy of Archies)

We opted for 'Kentucky fried chicken,' an absolute zinger of crispy, moist meat with a good chilli kick, sour pickles, and creamy aioli (there's a caulflower version for vegans too)

The picture-pretty sea bass ceviche was a palate-enlivening joy, cubes of lime-cured fish and torched sweet potato, crunchy red onion, and fried fish skin soused in a fresh yet complex soup of basil and coconut milk.

Mains include a vegan Sri Lankan coconut curry, chicken schnitzel with Caesar salad, and an unusual seabass dish with a cheese garlic and caper crust.

The hangar steak lavishly topped with chimichurri and toasted farofa, was a star dish - the savoury crunch of the cassava, the sour pickles, and sweetness of the red wine reduction elevated the well-cooked steak.

Rustling truffle and parmesan fries and chargrilled broccoli with lemon garlic and chilil were excellent sides.The hangar steak chimichurri with toasted farofa is a star dish (Image: Courtesy of Archie's)

The only slight disappointment was a pumpkin gnocchi with parmesan and toasted walnuts - too little sage butter left it floury and dry. But we were cheered by desserts of burnt Basque cheesecake with berry compote, and Tocino de Cielo a sweet Spanish creme caramel lifted by cheffy touches; blackberries, whipped yoghurt, and a terrific crunchy nutty oat 'crumble'.

It was all served by the friendliest of staff, and as a bonus the red wine by the glass (£6.70), a De Chansac Carignan from Southern France, was so good it sent me scurrying off to find it online. Desserts include a baked Basque cheesecake with red fruit compote (Image: Courtesy of Archie's Cafe)

You'd be hard pushed to find better value, inspiring cooking than this neighbourhood gem. Go along and try it.

Archie's is at 36, Highgate Hill open Monday-Friday 8-4, Sat and Sun 9-4 and 5.30pm to 11pm Thursdays and Fridays.