Babylon Café

The 2012 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the 2011 edition.

This new Persian and Middle Eastern venture sits with an Indian curry house to its left and an Egyptian restaurant to the right – which sort of makes sense in world terms. It's nothing fancy inside – clean, crisp lines and tables hugging the walls on all sides – but even at this early stage in its life Babylon Cafe's customers give off a chirpy vibe of regulars enjoying a taste of the old country. Or countries, in fact, as the menu has Turkish, Iraqi and Iranian sections. There are salads and stews, but as is often the case with places doing cuisine from this region, it's all about the grilled meats. A special Iranian joojeh kebab has a subtle, savoury marinade and coating of saffron yellow that comes away to reveal gamey brown chicken. Lamb shawarma, a Lebanese version of donner, has satisfying fattiness – as it should do – and an aromatic quality discerning it from its Turkish cousin. Nans are thinner and without that curious sweetness of an Indian naan. These things all add to the appeal. As do the very reasonable prices.

• High point: Kebabs with a difference
• Low point: Too simple for some