This prettily tea-lit organic wine bar feels right at home on Queen’s Park’s prettiest street. Originally launched as an Australian-style brunch venue by two coffee obsessives, Milk Beach transforms into a night-time eatery serving a short menu of cool but casual sharing plates from Wednesday to Sunday.
The menu roams around the globe to compelling effect. Gorgeously ribboned beef cheek pappardelle and huge, wobbly burrata with figs, parsley and honey sit next to the likes of Asian ‘cheeky chicken’ rice, ‘Shaoxing’ poached sea bass and a homemade take on taramasalata that punches well above its fairly meagre-looking weight. The wine list brilliantly explains what to sip with each plate – or you can ask one of the owners for their recommendations.
A few basic housekeeping details need sorting out, but small touches such as the homemade truffle and pecorino nuts and the superb sourdough delivered from Little Bread Pedlar in Bermondsey show what a thoughtful first venture this is. It's not quite as hidden as its Australian namesake (a tiny cove tucked halfway along Hermit Bay in Sydney) but this Milk Beach is still well worth seeking out in a corner of north London with few decent places to eat.