Baraka Café

Small wonder this vivid, richly colourful North African cafe remains unknown even to many Central Square locals - with only 25 seats, this is one little secret that devotees tend to keep to themselves. And once you've tasted the complex yet zesty spicing of meze like merguez (lamb and beef sausage) and karentika (harissa-laced chickpea custard), washed down with stellar cherbat (lemonade infused with rose petals), you'll be hard put to blame them. Well-organised types can call three days before their visit to order the remarkable bastilla, a fragrant squab pie.