With its spacious crazy-paved terrace, wisteria-clad facade, ice cream kiosk and kids’ play area, this cottage café within Highgate Woods is a perfect warm-weather pitstop for families and sun-seekers looking for a slice of the countryside without leaving the city. However, it’s just as enticing during the rest of the year, when its other assets can be more fully appreciated: namely, top-notch daytime dishes, from eggs royale at breakfast, to specials such as homemade fishcakes or seed-sprinkled butternut squash risotto at lunch, and excellent cakes with proper coffee as the afternoon draws to a close. Staff are genuinely friendly, even when the heat is on and demand challenges supply, and there’s always something going on here, from weekend jazz performances to tree-climbing competitions for kids and adults alike. A woodland gem.