A pretty sweet spot

Barnsbury is a pretty sleek spot - the map places it close to the Caledonian Road and it's handy for Pentonville jail, but the elegant houses are very much top-end Islington. You'd expect the local restaurant of such a neighbourhood to be very chattering classes, so finding somewhere that's unpretentious and informal, such as Fig, is a massive bonus. And the food is very good indeed.

Until recently Fig was a tiny restaurant called The Dining Room, then it was taken over by Annie O'Carroll and her partner, who renamed it in honour of the fig tree in the garden. As a chef, Ms O'Carroll has serious form, having worked with Peter Gordon and then gone on to run a very decent local restaurant called Luca in faraway Surbiton.

There are about 30 covers at Fig (with the promise of 20 more in the garden at the rear should we get a good summer) and the dining room is painted a restful, mushroomy sort of brown. There's a kind of bar-alcove and a coffee machine at the back of the room and then, through a doorway/hatch, there is the kitchen where Ms O'Carroll plies her trade virtually single-handed. This pared-down kitchen brigade is reflected in the shortness of the menu, which changes daily - five starters, five mains and five puds.

Dishes are confident and hearty, with upfront flavours, and portions are enormous. Grilled scallops come with cured salmon, fennel and horseradish breadcrumbs --a brilliant plateful, two large perfectly cooked scallops the size of satsumas, plus pale and delicate homecured-fish. Or how about scrambled duck eggs on toast with asparagus and truffle oil? Buttery scramble, crunchy toast, peppery rocket, chunks of asparagus - all this for £3.80! Chicken livers, ruby chard, grilled haloumi and fig argan oil dressing is another satisfying combo --the marriage of liver, fig and cheese working particularly well.

Mains range from grilled chermoula bream with wok-fried pea shoots and yoghurt, to grilled lamb with couscous salad and roast carrots. The veggie option is an interesting dish where arancini meets risotto cakes. Imagine balls of sageflavoured rice stuffed with chestnuts and then deep-fried, crisp outer, very filling inner. A star dish is the saddle of venison, served with Judion beans, wilted garlic leaves and mushrooms. Two large chops cooked pink, saucersized field mushrooms, the gentler tang of wild garlic and large beans for texture --accomplished stuff.

Puds are equally fine. Raspberry jellies with ice cream and Turkish delight, or 'Atari goma' panna cotta, honey sesame wafer and pink grapefruit. This is a panna cotta made with the Japanese equivalent to tahini and the wafer is a honeysesame brandy snap. The wine list is strong at the gentler price levels, the service is friendly and, bearing in mind the very few staff involved both in the kitchen and out front, this restaurant spins along merrily. A good place to eat.

Fig
Hemingford Road, London, N1 1DA