Fairuz

A small venue, with rough-hewn whitewashed walls, closely packed rustic tables and an open front with a terrace for summer dining, Fairuz is more Greek taverna than typical Lebanese restaurant. It's a lively and popular place - so popular that staff (somewhat annoyingly) dictate dining times to fit in two sittings a night.

We enjoyed the vibe on a recent visit, but the crowded space and slightly frenetic air made things less than relaxing. The food and service had something of a production-line feel. Among an all-vegetarian selection of mezes, there were some big splashes of flavour and texture: a thick, garlic-infused houmous; perfectly grilled, chewy halloumi; citrusy, herby tabouleh; and a crisp fattoush salad (with no sogginess in the grilled pitta squares). But spinach fatayer was burnt, and the spinach inside was a dark, dank green. Fuul was gloriously runny, mellow and delicious, with plenty of good olive oil, but it was lukewarm. Falafel were forgotten and (when finally served) tasted as if they had come from a supermarket, with none of the exterior crunchiness or spiciness we were expecting. In all, this was an enjoyable meal, but we felt Fairuz was resting on its laurels.