Mimino

An unprepossessing entrance off Kensington High Street leads to you to Mimino, a home-from-home for expats from the Caucasus. The plain room is perhaps a bit of a letdown for those expecting a raucous ethnic bolthole, but the gutsy cooking more than makes up for any decorative timidity. Russian-style mezze is the order of the day, so go for leeks cooked with walnuts in Georgian spices or a khachapuri ‘pizza’ with cheese & egg. Borscht also stakes its claim (of course) & chanakhi (a lamb stew with aubergines, basil & spices) is there too. Fizzy green lemonade (tarhun) should satisfy the abstainers, while Soviet ‘Champagnes’ & esoteric wines from the region make boozing here a fascinating game of chance. There’s live music at weekends for those in party mood.