Rammed without reason?
Fairuz is nearly always rammed but it was actually empty when I arrived midweek, half an hour before our booking time of 7.30pm, and this seemed to throw the staff. After a panicked look around the empty restaurant they decided the most sensible thing was to sit me at the table we had booked but after that no-one wanted to lock eyes with the punctual oddball desperately trying to flag down a menu and a glass of wine whilst waiting for her less punctual friends. Over the next half hour the waiters steered a slew of bookings to tables pushed together in various re-arrangeble configurations in the tiny space; I can't decide if they are Tetris geniuses or just winging it. Our table for 3 was actually 2 tables pushed not only together but also next to 3 other tables which are all filled; it's a friendly atmosphere if you don't mind sharing your conversation with strangers but is definitely not the place for intimate dining, unless you want to be intimate with everyone other than the person you came with. As to the food, well, all the usuals are on the menu from mezzes to mixed grills, all are what you would expect and all are no better and no worse than the many other competent Middle Eastern restaurants in London. After the shaky start, the service was not bad and all the right dishes got to the right tables, which is quite a feat in itself. It's decent food, at a very reasonable price, with a pleasant enough atmosphere (for those who like crowds) but I can't quite account for why it's so busy: it's a decent “neighbourhood” restaurant but in this neighbourhood there are plenty of other options.