Yara Altrincham

Tiny and usually packed to the rafters of its converted terraced house, Yara is one of those hidden gems that the locals keep trying to get us to shut up about.

With a large (and mildly overwhelming) menu of Syrian and Lebanese dishes, there is plenty for the adventurous to get stuck into, as well as a few Middle Eastern dishes that have made their way onto many people’s weekly supermarket shop – but here they’re done properly.

So yes you’ll find hummus and baba ghanoush, light and creamy and delicately adorned with a drizzle of olive oil and some deconstructed bits. Moussaka and lamb chops too will please the more conservative diner.

But for excitable types like us, you’ve got proper kabseh, the stuff that Middle Eastern students in the UK pine for more than anything. You’ve got keshkeh, a dip made from homemade cream cheese blended with wheat and herbs. You’ve got lahembajeen, a mouthwatering minced lamb, pastry and pomegranate number. There’s almost certainly something you’ve never got your chops around before, it’s all expertly prepared, and we heartily recommend it.

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