Ali Baba

Ali Baba functions largely as a takeaway with a restaurant at the back. Its USP is Egyptian food, and you’ll find the full repertoire here. We’re big fans of the fuul – fava beans mashed into a coarse paste with lashings of olive oil and plenty of spices – but the koshari (rice and vermicelli with chickpeas) needed more oil and onion. We also tried the grilled lamb and chicken (both well-cooked, tender cubes of meat), and the Egyptian national dish, molokhia, a soupy stew with a distinctive slimy texture served with rice and, here, chunks of lamb – it’s an acquired taste, but this was a good, robust version. You’ll need to bring your own booze.