Mes Amis in Hammersmith

Mes Amis is where I go when I stay at my friend Anna's house in Hammersmith. It may be close to impossible to find if you don't live in the area. For those who do, it's a well loved little restaurant, and always full to the brim. Going there for dinner is like going to visit your eccentric uncle. Who lives somewhere in the Turkish/Greek mountains (I imagine). The owner James has decorated it in his own eclectic style and cooks the food behind the counter while happily chatting to his customers.

You can order from a menu, however, whenever we have been, he offers us a selection of starters to begin with, and then asks whether we would like lamb, chicken or fish for main. Last night, we had smoky aubergine dip, hummus, tangy, crunchy cauliflower florets, feta pastries, tabbuleh salad... the most surprising for me out of the starters were the meatballs, which didn't look like much, and I didn't think I was going like particularly, but they were amazing - tender and flavoured strongly with cinamon.

For mains, I had chicken, Anna had lamb, and we shared. I wouldn't normally order chicken in a restaurant, but James persuaded me, saying his chicken was like no other.. and he was right. It was chargrilled and yet not at all dry, covered in a refreshing cucumber and mint salad and some kind a yoghurty sauce. The lamb in a tomato and cinamon sauce was fantastic as usual. Both were served with a blend of chickpeas and couscous. I have no idea what James does to his couscous, but it's better than any I have ever tasted!

For desert: a selection of baklavas, which were ate only through complete and utter greed, as we were already stuffed! We went home feeling happy and relaxed, if a little over full. Everyone should have an uncle like this, and because most of us don't, coming to Mes Amis is a close second, and much cheaper than a flight to Turkey/Greece.