Stockwell, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

A “buzzy” atmosphere and “welcoming service” are the strong suits of this “expanding group”, with 16 branches in London and another handful nearby. While nobody disputes that they’re “lovely to sit in” and offer “value for money”, the “Middle-Eastern-inspired cooking” divides opinion, with some reporters “pleasantly surprised by the tasty food” and others bemoaning “underwhelming” dishes that “sound better than they taste”.

“Only just opened and very popular” – Dom Hamdy (of Bistro Freddie fame) looks to have another winner on his hands with this spring 2024 newcomer, which occupies part of the lobby of a Clapham studio complex: “the space is the entrance, at night disguised by brown curtains”. “Friendly staff” succeed in boosting the mood of what critics say “is not the best interior”; and they “serve small and large plates from a changing menu, which can sell out fast”. (In his April 2024 review, The Evening Standard’s Jimi Famurewa was reluctantly bowled over: “Hamdy and his team have done the unthinkable: brought cool, swagger and weapons-grade restaurant sexiness to an area that even locals are prone to decry as a culinary tundra”).