Mama Ganoush

Expect a touch of the exotic at Mama Ganoush. The narrow dining room is emblazoned with elegant Arabic motifs, and the menu boldly swings across the Middle East and back again. There are Maloufs at the helm (Geoff works the floor while wife Amal takes charge in the kitchen) so expect confident, well-tuned flavours and humming service. You'll be encouraged to share dishes rich with Lebanese, Turkish and Syrian flavours. Perhaps tender, cumin-dusted calamari with tahini mayonnaise or mammoth, yoghurt-smothered Turkish dumplings filled with spiced lamb. A fattoush comes with chunks of chevre offset by sweet baby beets and the welcome crunch of fried pita squares. There are two perfectly executed tagines to choose from (chicken or veg), and there's a crisp-skinned duck that's braised then fried and served with an almond rice alight with pomegranate jewels. The buttery baklava might be pure melt-in-the-mouth goodness but bolder dessert fanciers will be rewarded by choosing the chocolate and Turkish coffee flavoured icecream.