Hummingbird Cafe

We recently got hold of a Tastecard and noticed that a local restaurant, Hummingbird Cafe in W12, was listed as a featured venue. The menu sounded delicious - lots of simple food at ridiculously reasonable prices - so we decided to check it out earlier this week. The cute little eatery is owned by a New Zealander/Moroccan couple, and the food is influenced by both cultures.

As it was a Monday night, only one other table was full, but the staff were so friendly and the decor so lovely (think vintage inspired prints and carved wooden furniture) that we felt completely at ease.

Ordering a glass of red table wine each, we made our selections. To start, we went for the ham hock terrine with apple and grape chutney and sage and onion toast. The starters and mains at the cafe are served on gorgeous wooden boards, which we loved. The chutney was delicious, with a great tang that perfectly complemented the ham.

The mains at Hummingbird Cafe are presented as 'small plates' and you're encouraged to choose three or four to share at once. We were a little disappointed that the homemade ravioli with butternut squash and dukkah spices weren't available but were excited to get our mitts on the other dishes on offer: confit salmon with cucumber and beetroot salad, and mustard and dill dressing, seabream fillet with saffron potatoes and tomato chili chutney, and slow-cooked lamb shoulder with cranberries, plums and pomegranates.

Since they all arrived at once, we barely knew where to start. Everything smelled absolutely delicious. We were like indecisive headless chickens, flitting from one dish to another.

The salmon was brilliant. I don't usually love beetroot, but it worked so well with the wonderfully salty and fresh fish, particularly when combined with the crisp cucumber.

The seabream was cooked to perfection and worked very well with the tangy tomato chutney. The saffron potatoes were definitely the nicest part of this dish, though - absolutely delicious.

The lamb shoulder was probably my least favourite dish, but was still great nevertheless. The pomegranate seeds were a wonderful touch, each one bursting with fresh flavour to complement the tender meat.

After stuffing ourselves, we took a little break from eating by sharing an espresso. Hummingbird Cafe prides itself on its coffee, not a single grain of which is pre-ground. The espresso was predictably lovely - rich and aromatic.

We were then ready to get stuck into the puddings. Our waitress told us to go for the Earl Grey crème brulée and shortbread, and we were more than happy to follow her suggestion. We also decided to share the chocolate fondant with berry compote and homemade ice cream.

The creme brulée was served in a gorgeous vintage teacup and saucer. It was mouthwateringly good and the Earl Grey flavour was amazing - very obvious without being overwhelming.

The chocolate fondant was my favourite, though. It was a warm, gooey plate of chocolatey deliciousness, topped off with some great homemade vanilla ice cream.

All in all, we were absolutely chuffed with the meal. With the Tastecard, and including a tip, the whole three course meal came to just £30 - a complete bargain. We almost felt bad for paying so little!

My only complaint was that it was a little chilly in the restaurant, which explains why I had to wear my fur hairband as a makeshift scarf.

Despite this, we will definitely go back. The brunch and lunch menus also sound amazing and I am still desperate to get my hands on those elusive ravioli!