Noura Mayfair

At first glance, this branch of the Noura Lebanese chain looks & behaves like a bright, open-fronted, café-style venue, but head downstairs for a more familiar, pseudo-decadent, mirror-lined culinary experience. The menu adheres to the tried & tested formula of cold & hot mezze (from pickled aubergines stuffed with walnut & garlic to sojok sausages with eggs or standout Lebanese ‘pizzas’ of minced lamb, thyme & tomato) supported by grills (lamb cutlets are a must). Set menus (£22.50-45) are good value if you have the appetite of a starving horse, although choosing with restraint from the carte seems more advisable for everyone else. You can also expect a clutch of Lebanese wines, shisha pipes & the occasional belly dancer. Service is efficient, if hardly welcoming.