Momo - Mayfair

Mourad Mazouz clearly knew what he was doing when he opened Momo in Mayfair, but it must have been a bonus when Madonna decided to hold her birthday bash there during the early days. That helped to secure its reputation, and it's been rolling as an A-list destination for glitterati ever since.

When this Moroccan invasion hit Mayfair, it brought with it a taste for exotic brass lanterns, rugs of many colours, wooden screens and all sorts of North African paraphernalia. It's a designer's dream and the food reinforces the illusion of exotic travel-magazine destinations right in the heart of the capital.

Tagines and couscous form the centrepiece of the menu, although the kitchen branches out for things like marinated duck with chive mash, quince and orange sauce. Start with mixed meze or pastillas (cigar-shaped savoury pastries filled with pigeon or chicken, spices and fruit) and finish with sweet Magrebi pastries plus refreshing mint tea poured from a great height with deliberate theatricality.

If you're really hooked, visit Mô – the tea room and shop next door where you can nibble goodies, sip delectable brews and even purchase a few desirable accessories.