The Thousands

If you consider a falafel at four in the morning the pinnacle of success in Middle Eastern cuisine, you should probably arrange to spend some time at this place sooner rather than later.

Raah is the most recent addition to the beloved Beaufort Street strip. Every mouthful of each dish brings out tangy flavours, delicate herbs and light dressings – but it’s never too much! I’ll risk people knowing I watch Masterchef by saying it’s balanced.

Everything is designed to share and no salt is added to any of the meals while cooking, making for a really delightful mix of flavours. My dining companion was not feeling particularly adventurous so we settled on a pre-cut sirloin and ras el hanout potatoes with nutty butter – amazing flavours added to an old classic. The hummus was garlicky, lemony and spicy all at the same time, and we made a mess of the gozleme – a puff pastry parcel of goats cheese and sucuk, which is kind of a Middle Eastern salami. All this and not a falafel in sight!