Azou

Over the last decade, this well-respected North African restaurant has become one of Hammersmith’s more comfortable culinary fixtures. Inside, it resembles the back room of an Istanbul grill joint – intimate, chilled-out & cheery, with brass-topped tables, ethnic ceramics, sultry lighting & warm, cinnamon-hued colours. The menu treks its way through the native repertoire, from easy-priced starters (think brik, briouat & bourek pastries, falafel & chakchouka salad with merguez sausages), via a selection of tagines, couscous & grills, up to mechoui (a whole-lamb feast available for group bookings). Azou makes a thoroughly pleasant place to sit & while away an evening over an array of affordable dishes plus a couple of glasses of fresh pomegranate juice; choice for beer & wine drinkers is rather limited.