Levant would be worth a visit even if it weren’t for the interesting and delicious food. Going through the heavy wooden doors at the bottom of the stairs you enter into a different world and are immediately transported to the middle east. That’s what it felt like anyway, with loud music, belly dancers and hookahs (smoking device) in evidence. Visit www.levant.co.uk for at least an idea of the music and menu (make sure your volume is not up too loud when you visit the site!).

Originally booked for 2 people, the staff were accommodating in being able to extend the booking to 3 at fairly late notice. Dodging the young and trendy of the West End, we deposited our bags and coats in the cloakroom and were then escorted to our table, via vases filled with tea lights and rose petals. 

We were a little disappointed that we had to either order a set menu or from the prix fixe menu. The options for the prix fixe were either 3 mezze dishes each and a main for £29 or 5 mezze dishes each and a main for £34. Considering most of the mains were around £20 a pop and each mezze around £6, the prix fixe was relatively good value compared to the a la carte and the £29 option was the one all three of us plumped for.

The mezze options were plentiful, so much so, that one of our dining party didn’t even bother to turn over to the second page as he’d assumed that the first page was exhaustive. There were many interesting dishes I wanted to try and could have easily chosen more than the three I was allowed (although that may have proved my eyes were bigger than my belly. Probably not, actually). In the end I chose the spicy prawn sambusak (pastry),  fatayer bil-batta (pastry filled with braised duck, dates and pomegranate) and almond coated deep fried squid. Each were tasty morsels and although a little sauce or dip would have really completed them, I could quite happily eaten them again without.

Fortunately, I had my dining companion’s mezze to prey on and ‘mistakenly’ poached some cardamon spiced, minced lamb ‘pizza’ (excellent) and spicy sauteed potatoes with fresh coriander (very good) before being offered some grilled haloumi cheese (so, so) and hommus (fine).

In between courses, two attractive belly dancers came to our table which certainly stifled the conversation until they left. Two of us were then unable to persuade our more rotund companion to perform the ‘truffle shuffle’ in their absence.

The arrival of the mains, consisting of two Laham Meshwi (lamb cubes marinated in lemon juice and spices and grilled on a skewer) and  Grilled Salmon marinated in sumac and served with pomegranate and fennel salad again stifled the conversation. The waiter’s rather incomplete description of sumac had not deterred me from ordering the Salmon, although it’s effect was less on the taste and more visual. Having just wiki’d sumac, it is apparently a spice cultivated from the hair of the fruits from the plant genus, Rhus. There you go. As you can see, it turned the salmon a rather dark, reddy, browny colour and the dish was well cooked if rather uninspiring, taste wise.

Despite a determined attempt by one of us to order an Irish Coffee, the waiter rather successfully persuaded not just one, but then all three of us to finish our meal with an espresso martini. I was rather glad he did, as it was refreshing, energising and despite not being a fan of the main alcoholic ingredient of vodka, I could quite happily have drunk espresso martini’s all night.

The bill was not a cheap one and I do think the food was a bit overpriced. With the cocktails at the end and a bottle of wine plus water, the bill including tip was about the £50 a head mark. I guess the entertainment knocks up the price of the food and despite the expense, it may be worth the extra to be so completely transported away from the busy streets of London.