Northern Soul

The fingers of gentrification are creeping up High Street but Northern Soul still has'old Thornbury'at heart. Super-friendly service,simple decor and a communal table keep the locals chowing down on house-made baked beans with feta,or kid-magnet pancakes piled with chunks of honeycomb and mascarpone. Cauliflower fritters from the lunch menu can tend towards stodginess,but a poached egg atop smoked salmon and a potato roesti leaks perfectly beneath its doona of dill creme fraiche. The elaborate tea menu,carefully made coffee and array of sweets (like passionfruit cupcakes with spongy marshmallow peaks) make afternoon tea a spiritual affair.