Zahra Bar

The Clapham branch of mini-chain Del’Aziz also boasts an intimate ground-floor cocktail bar – a potentially austere, concrete cavern warmed up by lurid Turkish print wallpapers, twinkling night-lights, vibrant furniture and cosy recesses behind beaded curtains. Good shouts from the cocktail list include aviation no.1 (a sweet-and-sour Calvados, cassis and absinthe martini) and shanoush (cinnamon-infused tequila with pear cognac, apple juice and green grapes), while the well-stocked cellar yields some interesting finds from Georgia, Morocco, Turkey and the Lebanon, with plenty of attractive sub-£20 deals on offer. There’s also a decent range of beers, plus a large selection of teas and shisha – if you like that sort of thing. Beetroot falafel with spicy saffron dip and squid beignets in almond batter are recommended from a medley of mezze. Meanwhile, live music and occasional belly dancers are already connecting with Clapham’s Mini Cooper set.