IS this the age of the shakshouska?

What was once a niche offering in cafes and restaurants drawing on a Middle Eastern arc now feels like a must-have on any self-respecting menu with a breakfast to share.

Ali and Ozgen, who opened Lime in Dartmouth Park earlier this month, enjoy the tomato and egg combo themselves and know how doing the simple things well is the key. Settling into the new Chetwynd Road diner – formerly a fish and chip place called Lure, which has undergone comfortable re-fit – they’ve brought to the neighbourhood a nicely executed menu.

Opening at 7am for a range of breakfasts, you can go for a full English, something lighter pastry wise, or opt for the rich and peppery shakshouska.

This Dartmouth Park patch enjoys a village atmosphere: a general store and butcher, a deli and a vet, a cafe, pub and a curry house. Lime joins this collection and, with this part of Camden having a higher than average number of people who work from home, Lime’s hefty breakfasts and delicious lunches will draw those needing a different view for an hour in the day. And it helps that Lime complements Truffles and Bold, two popular places to get great coffee and food.

The evening menu focuses on pastas, burgers and wraps. It’s straightforward but the trick is in the care and quality – the eight-year-old dining with us took one bite of a chicken burger, closed his eyes wistfully and declared it his the “best ever”.

Ali and Ozgen, who opened Lime in Dartmouth Park earlier this month

Burgers include beef and, for the vegetarian, a griddled mushroom and halloumi combo with a deep-spiced relish and deliciously crisp salad. The marshmallow soft brioche bun was too good and wrapped itself around the fillings, offering a satisfying sandwich to grip and take lustful burger-bites form.

A side of fries – lightly salted, with a decent mix of those finish-me-off crunchy bits at the bottom – were also made in a way that differentiates what is a fast-food made by someone who is a genuine chef, compared to a hot plate operator.

These were stacked burgers made with care, and also, not made for show, but made for eating. There was no towering need to whack as much as possible between two slices and then make the process ungainly.

Instead, you could squidge the brioche down nicely and tuck in.

A pudding of rich french toast – a fried dough and syrup concoction, with fresh fruit and a greek yoghurt, finished it all off.

A pause followed by a mint tea restored prospects of making it home before dawn.

Lime has character and class, it has charm and has been created with a lot of love. That comes over in the wonderfully warm service, the unashamedly straightforward menu that does everything to the best it can be, and the fact that once you cross the threshold you will feel inclined to pull up a chair and stay a while. That is the sign of a neighbourhood bistro that deserves to become a much-loved landmark in the areas eating options.

A neighbourhood eaterie should have that linger effect – a place where after you’ve scraped the last of the cream and syrup from the empty plate you sit back and feel as much at home as you would in your sitting room. The temptation to kick off your shoes may become almost overwhelming.

An excuse to remain can be found by indulging in a digestive fresh mint tea, before stepping out from the warmth into a December night. Lime Bistro keeps it simple and does it very well.

Lime Bistro
56 Chetwynd Road NW5
Tel: 020 7267 0163