Nawroz Lounge

Nawroz Lounge is a popular Kurdish and Middle Eastern restaurant, meze cafe and shisha lounge at 127 Ballards Lane in Finchley. Reviewers are passionate about the food: "Hands down the best shawarma I have EVER had! The people working here are the kindest and they put a lot of care into what they give you -- you couldn't do better if you went to Kurdistan itself." Another writes: "Fresh, delicious, homemade breads. With a lamb wrap at £6 it is really hard to beat. Falafel and hummus were excellent as well." The restaurant draws customers from across North London, with some regulars making the trip specifically for the food.

The menu spans Kurdish and Middle Eastern specialities: chargrilled shawarma wraps, kebabs, falafel, homemade flatbreads, meze dishes including hummus, baba ganoush and stuffed vine leaves, and for dessert, traditional Iranian ice cream and pastries. A full shisha menu is available with all Alfakher and Starbuzz flavours. Vegetarian options throughout. Open daily from 2pm until 2am -- one of the latest-closing restaurants in Finchley. Halal.