The Little Chartroom

Pocket-sized bistro serving French-Scottish cuisine from former Castle Terrace alumni Roberta Hall and Shaun McCarron.

The 2019 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

Proving size isn’t all, this petite neighbourhood diner packs a bounty of gastronomic knowledge, creativity and talent into a café-sized space where blue wood and stone-coloured panelling set a nautical theme for the small row of tables lining the back wall. The prep counter also serves as a gleaming bar where a few diners can admire some nifty choreography as chef Roberta Hall and her skilful team weave silently around the tiny kitchen. Culinary alchemy abounds, with pickles, creams, seeds and gels lifting quality ingredients to sublime and sprightly heights. A starter of torched mackerel abounds with fresh flavour and smoky depth while a chunky portion of wood pigeon and chicken terrine surges with gamey notes, perfectly offset by the aromatic highlights of pickled rhubarb. Flat-iron steak is tender and juicy, strewn in slices across a mound of intense, slow-cooked shin meat. It's perched on a nest of zingy salad leaves laced with tiny marinated vegetables which somehow combine to bolster the meatiness of the dish. The chef’s expert touch continues in the desserts where poached pickled pears resonate on a bed of pine honey and blue cheese.