Bistro Laz and Al Parco
1 Highgate West Hill London N6 6JS
Bistro Laz occupies the redbrick building on the side of the Heath that proclaims, in faded paint from the 1950s, ‘Lunches’, ‘Dinners’, ‘Cigarettes, Teas and Snacks’ and, rather splendidly, ‘Beanfeasts’. Now a Turkish café and meze restaurant, it still delivers pretty well on all of these, with full breakfasts and a lunch and dinner menu of Turkish and Italian dishes – or pizzas, if you prefer, brought in from Al Parco next door (it’s under the same ownership). The Turkish dishes are good, solid beanfeast fare, with an excellent and generous vegetarian meze plate (£6.95), quality calamares and octopus, and a range of grilled meats, fish and casseroles. It’s not ambitious cooking but Laz – and Parco – are very friendly, relaxed and altogether a fine neighbourhood local. There are a handful of outdoor tables, too, for summer days.
