We ate a clashing combination of hoummos and other dips with bread, Thai meatballs and monkfish in beer batter, hunched over a low table and, even before our skirts had dried, left this noisy and inept piece of fakery.Noura may not be the most exciting exponent of Middle Eastern cooking, but for £20 to £40 a head the risk of disappointment is low Shame that So.uk was so busy Full of So.ukers. There’s one born every minute.* Noura Brasserie, 16 Hobart Place, London SW1 (020-7235 9444) Daily 9am-midnight Lunch dishes £8.25-£14 Set menus £18.50-£28.50 Dinner typically £30 without wine Disabled access All major cards So.uk, 165 Clapham High Street, London SW4 (020-7622 4004). Al Fawar, 50 Baker Street, London W1 (020-7224 4777) Daily 12pm-12am. Typical of the glitzier tendency, one wall of this spacious Lebanese restaurant is dominated by a boldly-coloured desert scene. The cooking lives up to the drama generated by the decor and a full house of Middle Eastern diners. There’s a vast range of often unusual mezze (artichoke hearts, beetroot salad, lamb’s tongues, Lebanese fish sausages), and a special dish of the day for £11 Prices aren’t low, but the quantities are generous. The £25 set meal includes 10 mezze dishes and a main course, usually the mixed grill of chicken and lamb kebabs and kofte, pastries and coffee

Al Fawar, 50 Baker Street, London W1 (020-7224 4777) Daily 12pm-12am.

Typical of the glitzier tendency, one wall of this spacious Lebanese restaurant is dominated by a boldly-coloured desert scene. The cooking lives up to the drama generated by the decor and a full house of Middle Eastern diners. There’s a vast range of often unusual mezze (artichoke hearts, beetroot salad, lamb’s tongues, Lebanese fish sausages), and a special dish of the day for £11 Prices aren’t low, but the quantities are generous. The £25 set meal includes 10 mezze dishes and a main course, usually the mixed grill of chicken and lamb kebabs and kofte, pastries and coffee.
Al-Shami, 25 Walton Crescent, Oxford (01865 310066) Daily 12pm-12am.

Oxford can count itself fortunate to have one of the few Middle Eastern restaurants outside London, and a particularly good one at that. At this Lebanese place, a meal begins with a plate of beautiful raw vegetables, as is customary. The mezze are the main attraction, and range from fried cauliflower with sesame oil, parsley, garlic and lemon juice, to lamb’s brain salad, with more familiar choices in between. There are grilled meats for the main course from £6; baked cod in sesame sauce for £12.Al Waha, 75 Westbourne Grove, London W2 (020 7229 0806) Daily 12pm-12am.

Considerate staff, an attractive, though not glitzy restaurant and deft cooking all mark out Al Waha as one of the most appealing Lebanese restaurants in west London. The masses of mezze are zesty and varied, with raw lamb three ways, sweetbreads and grilled quail, and plenty for vegetarians; main courses stick to the char grills formula, adeptly cooked. Around £25 with your share of wine.Hanni’s, 4 Brooklands Road, Sale, Greater Manchester (0161-973 6606) Mon-Sat dinner. A family affair with warmth and good food in a bistro setting. The menu covers the Eastern Mediterranean, taking in Syria and Egypt but with an emphasis on Lebanese dishes.