Odettes is the kind of cafe that makes you feel you’ve slipped away on holiday — somewhere warm, ritzy, and effortlessly relaxing. The spacious dining area is lush, with light wood finishes, blue-upholstered banquettes and lots of plush pillows, extending out to a sheltered front courtyard for al fresco dining. The menu leans Mediterranean and North African, with ingredients and techniques inspired by those parts of the world. At breakfast, you’ll see it in dishes like the wild mushrooms with black garlic toum or the menemen chilli-scrambled eggs. Weekday lunches are designed for sharing, with plates of woodfired bread, baba ganoush, duck shish barak with yoghurt and smoked duck fat, and the market fish made punchy by an Aleppo pepper red zhoug. All perfect for easy nibbling, between sips of coffee — or something stronger if you like, as Odettes is fully licensed. Whatever you choose, take your time. Pretend you’re on a little escape.

While you’re in the area: Victoria Park