Le Bab (Kebabs) – Kingly Court, Carnaby Street

With an al fresco food court and three floors offering a plethora of cuisines and dining styles, our destination was straight to the top of Kingly Court in London’s Carnaby Street and “gourmet” kebab specialists Le Bab.

The restaurant caters for Halal lamb and chicken which it preps and cooks entirely separately from any of the beef and pork on the menu.

Claiming to combine the ingredients and flavours of the Middle East, near East and South Asia, Le Bab says it’s “reinvigorating kebabs with provenance, seasonality and technique honed in Michelin starred kitchens”.

The 45-seater eatery offers an acutely-intimate dining experience having, it appears, made optimum use of every available inch of space available.

With a small cocktail bar immediately to the right of the entrance, and an elaborate wood and charcoal-fired robata, which offers an interactive grill seating area up close and personal for around eight persons, setup directly opposite, it’s safe to say you’ll be rubbing shoulders with your neighbours in a lively and bustling environment.

Cucumber & Mint Cooler £4 and Berry Garden £4.50

The Cucumber & Mint Cooler was fairly fizzy, with the mint coming through far more strongly than the insipid cucumber.

And while the Berry Garden was larger, its volume of ice (we’d estimate around 70% ice) was equally so, culminating in the apparent flavours therein, as well as any fizz, being positively drowned out. Nevertheless, we were able to pick up a possible hint of ginger perhaps, with blue berry that was barely discernible.

It’s safe to say that mocktails aren’t exactly the mixologist’s forte.

Cauliflower – Deep-fried with Labneh, sumac, coriander seeds and nuts, £5.00

A simple yet tasty little starter where, in spite of its lightly charred exterior, the cauliflower managed to retain a nice bite.

The labneh had a pleasing tangy edge to it, thanks to the pinch of sumac spice, and was sprinkled in almonds that provided that touch textural crunch.

Grilled Cod Cheeks – Charcoal grilled cod cheeks, lemon hummus, wilted spinach, szechuan pepper and dukka £6.50

An interesting little dish this with the beautifully tender Grilled Cod Cheeks undoubtedly being the star of the show.

While we couldn’t quite pick up on the lemon in the creamy, though slightly grainy, hummus base, we enjoyed the touch of smokiness provided by the crunchy nuts.

And tucked away neatly neath the cheeks, was the soft, wilted spinach which, aside from its vibrant green providing a visual contrast, didn’t really bring much else.

Chicken Nuggets – Coriander and cumin breaded free range chicken thigh, with paprika may £4.50

What an absolutely delightful bag of Chicken Nuggets!

It would be cliched to evaluate this upon the obvious, not to mention boring. Yes, the chicken was, indeed, perfectly cooked yadda yadda yadda; but what we marvelled over, believe it or not, was the fantastically light and airy, mildly spiced crispy batter. Had with the paprika mayonnaise, these nuggets were astonishingly good and one hell of an addictive munch.

Paneer Kebab – BBQ paneer, beetroot puree, crispy onion, pickled celery, curry mayo £11

The interplay of flavours and textures is what made this well conceived Paneer Kebab.

It was the way in which the sharpness of the pickled celery married with the sweetness of the smooth beetroot puree base, before gently giving way to the subtly familiar taste of the curry sauce, which we enjoyed the most.

Add to that the generous addition of the dry and crispy onions, and this was a wonderful kebab roll.

Corn Fed Chicken Shish – Free range chicken shish, squash hummus, pickled heritage carrots and toum £12

The unmistakable heat of the cumin from these strongly marinated cubes of chicken is what came through first before lingering pleasantly upon the palate. And while the taste of garlic was there in the background, the pickled carrots failed to counter said heat.

Despite the chicken being tender and moist, this Corn Fed Chicken Shish was the weakest of the three kebab rolls, though, nonetheless, tasty in its own right.

Herdwick Lamb Adana – Carrot and cumin puree, curry mayo and crispy parsnips £12.50

This was the highlight of the review though!

A superb kebab roll that was ultimately defined by both the sheer quality of the Herdwick lamb – a breed that’s native to the Lake District of Cumbria – and its cooking. Not only did it boast a beautifully charred and attractively dark, glistening exterior, but was, contrary to appearance, wholly soft and juicy on the inside, and expertly spiced without being overpowering.

As such, not only was it rich in flavour, but the few pickles therein coupled with the curry mayo helped to dampen the heat of the spices, with the crunchy parsnips being an enjoyable textural contrast.