Sumptuous designs

Safir's interior is done out rich - red fabric on the walls and ceiling, a heavy Arab door and traditional crockery and nick-nacks - to provide a Moroccan oasis for the diners of Hampstead.

The staff are charming in the extreme, starting shy but warming up. From Thursday to Saturday, there's a belly dancer; on the Sunday evening we visited, we were entertained by an enthusiastic organist and his pal on percussion providing foottapping instrumental covers of North African favourites.

The food itself is pleasant, if unremarkable. My harira, the traditional soup, tasted as if it had been hurriedly watered down to stretch to a bowlful; peppered water was the only aftertaste. Another starter of sardines stuffed with herbs turned out to be the best dish of the night.

A lamb tagine, with prunes and almonds, was over-salted, dominating even the toasted sesame seeds, while a brochette of merguez sausage with a basic salad and saffron rice was just okay.

Sweetmeats and mint tea brought our bill to around £20 a head; in Hampstead, with music and dancing, that's a pretty good bargain. And they're so nice, they don't even leave space on the credit card slip for service.

Safir
Heath Street, London, NW3 1DR