It’s a week before Christmas, regent street is packed and all our usual haunts couldn’t get us in so as two vegetarians we ended up in Toum.

It’s principally a Lebanese rotisserie. The French influence has meant instead of cooking the chicken directly on charcoal it’s rotated on a spit. This is Toum’s thing – chicken drenched in Lebanese flavours, and cooked in the French rotisserie style.

Of course we didn’t try the rotisserie.

It’s on Maddox St just off Regent Street, in a surprisingly quiet little corner down the road from the Coach and Belstaff stores, and a few doors down from the luxury jeweller Kettle Kids.

The restaurant is beautiful when you walk in, and all the staff were great. You’ll find the kitchen open flanked by counter seating. Downstairs in the basement they’ve got an amazing cocktail bar, which would be perfect for a party or event.

Even though our needs were different, and it’s not really their bag, the staff were amazing. And the vegetable options they produced especially for us were delicious.