58 James Street,
London,
W1U 1HG
0871 971 7193
The ViewLondon Review
For an Arabian Nights-themed dining experience in the heart of shopping central, Ayoush does the job just fine.The VenueAyoush is a Moroccan and Egyptian retreat a stone’s throw from the shopping hordes of Oxford Street. The colour scheme is North African rustic ochres and browns and the ground floor room is open and light with the seating sporting big, colourfully pattered cushions. Downstairs is a darker, more exotic affair. But perhaps the coolest thing of all about Ayoush is that Marvin Gaye used to come here when he lived in London in the ‘80s and was a friend of owner (then and now), former male model Omar Elawadi.
The AtmosphereThe staff at Ayoush are charming and helpful. While upstairs is light, downstairs is more intimate with its low ceiling, patterned metal lanterns, low seats and tables and Arab music in the evening, which gets louder as the night progresses. There is a bar downstairs too and the large alcoves are perfect for groups of friends out for a good time. There’s also belly-dancing at weekday lunchtimes. Depending on how much wine you sink, it can all get a bit intoxicating.
The FoodNorth African food is well known for the variety of mezze-like starters: indeed there are so many, they could actually make for a full meal. The dishes include moist falafel with a daub of sesame sauce on top, samboussek (fried homemade pastry filled with feta and parsley) and spicy cubed potatoes (batata harra), a sort of Moroccan patatas bravas which are particularly good. The tabouleh is fresh-tasting and heavy with parsley, the mini Merguez sausages are a little bland, but the foul akhtar (broad beans) are lovely with their subtle tomato, garlic, parsley and cumin coating. And the fattoush—a lettuce, cucumber, radish, tomato and mint salad is a refreshingly zingy foil to the other dishes with its sommak and lemon dressing. Mixed mezze are £19.50 per person.
For mains, if you have space, a tagine or couscous are the recommended options (lamb, chicken or vegetarian), but there’s also shish tawouk—yoghurt-marinated grilled chicken wings with rice—or pan-fried aubergine filled with mushroom, onions and chick peas. For dessert, a platter of sliced fruit (pineapple, apple, orange, mango) is the perfect way to finish off the meal. But if you like that Middle Eastern sugar hit then go for some super-sweet baklava. Prices reflect eating out in this part of town, but there’s a set price weekday lunch menu for £12.50 for two.
The DrinkThe wine list is adequate and the Cabernet Sauvignon Moina Echeverna 2005 is quite tannin-y, but a decent accompaniment to the food. Mint tea works well to wash down the savouries and sweets. Other hot drinks include Turkish coffee (extra small, thick and black) and they also do a latte with a kick—made with Bailey’s, espresso and milk.
The Last WordAyoush is a decent place to come with a group of friends, to have fun and share lots of plates of tasty North African treats.
Ayoush has been reviewed by 18 users