Del' Aziz Review

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Best for: Posh kebabs; mood lighting; a crazy mixture of cuisines.

Great: Polish cake.

Ah, London town. As any local will brag, it’s crammed with places where you can stuff your face with whichever international dish suits your mood. Fancy a boozy curry? Pop along to Brick Lane, or Drummond Street if you crave crumbly Indian sweets and fewer crowds. Gonna keep it real in a Turkish cafe? Grab a hoodie and take your man dem to Green Lanes. What about pricey organic fare? Borough Market, of course.

And for a truly global smorgasbord you may just want to head to…Clapham.

Clapham is not somewhere that, compared with the rest of London, screams “foreignness”, unless you count the local branch of Jojo Maman Bébé. Without being churlish about the home of London’s largest bandstand, it does seem to attract a disproportionate number of trainee accountants not long out of the shires. It isn’t the sort of place you expect to find a Polish-bakery-cum-Arabic-restaurant-cum-shisha-cocktail bar-cum-Italian-deli. But then, where is?

On the evening of my visit, locals are swarming past Del Aziz, looking straight ahead without even glancing through the window; although this is possibly down to the lack of any signage. In more than one sense, Del Aziz is hard to pin down.

Once cocooned inside the restaurant’s pleasant shadowy, if rather empty, interior, with its dark wood, oriental swirls and sequinned curtains, I almost feet like I’m in a Kasbah, somewhere exotic and sweaty. But then the besuited man on the table to my right utters nasally to his partner: “I won’t be getting that one, it’ll be full of garlic”.

Despite the slightly provincial clientele, our surrounds are dolled up as if a member of the Clapham: Global Foodie Destination delegation has been in for a recent spot-check. We opt to eat in the main restaurant area, but are also given the choice of sitting in the deli to our left; stacked to the brim with bottles of balsamic vinegar, tubs of Turkish delight, olive oil, jars of pickles and Polish pastries. In the other corner is a decadently seedy lounge bar area, all flickering candles and mosaic effect tiles for that Arabian Nights feel.

As a concept, it’s ideal for those occasions when you wander into a restaurant looking for a couscous salad, end your meal with a few rounds of pina coladas, then, staggering out, make an impulse gherkin purchase. No? Me neither. Alternatively, it’d be handy if you’re ever planning an evening out with an awkward group of friends who can’t agree on a suitable rendezvous. It even holds comedy nights downstairs, and belly dancing evenings if you’re into that sort of thing.

But being an everyman’s gastronomic destination has its drawbacks. After flicking through the frankly enormous menu for 10 minutes, my companion flops back in his chair and declares himself “exhausted”. The choice varies from Turkish style grilled meats to Scottish beef burgers, soup, salads, pocket pitas; oh, and shisha, “with two sprits of your choice”. Eh? Call us conventional, but we go for the meze, shish kebab and lamb shank tagine, which are well spiced and sized, and reasonably priced. Considering our surroundings, our menu choices feel a little ethnically monotonous, so we wash everything down with a bottle of French plonk.

The mains are fine but the real showstoppers are the gigantic, squidgy desserts from the adjoining Polish bakery; the banana and pear cake deserves a special mention.

Would I return to Del Aziz? If it were a style of dance music, experienced aurally by a synaesthete and/or introduced by DJ Plonker on late night radio, it might be described as a “multicultural mash-up”. And in this sprit, I’d happily return to sample the deli food, maybe followed by a slab of Polish cake and a shisha, before moving to the bar for a sleazy French digestif.

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Charlotte Santry 21 Mar 2012

Del' Aziz Description

Comprising a delicatessen-café, gift shop, restaurant and two bars, this Del’Aziz provides Clapham Old Town with the perfect all day foodie destination serving fresh and authentic Eastern Mediterranean cuisine within a fun, buzzing and relaxed atmosphere.
 
The spacious interiors at Del’Aziz in Clapham have been designed by award-winning designer Shaun Clarkson and, like its sister sites, mix warm tones of red, pink and saffron with wooden and copper features to bring a touch of Eastern Mediterranean charm to the heart of South West London.
 
Serving food from 7am until 11pm, Del’Aziz’s wide and varied all day dining menu offers an abundance of choice to suit all budgets. The extensive breakfast and brunch menus present an array of traditional English favourites, from a full English to bacon and egg baps, alongside Eastern Mediterranean classics, such as Berber pancakes, a Moroccan spongy pancake with honey and roasted almonds.

For lunch and dinner, there is a fantastic choice of hearty and homemade dishes from hot and cold mezze platters to share, to traditional tagines and couscous, fresh fish, meats from the charcoal grill as well as an excellent choice of burgers and stuffed pitas. Accompanying the food is an extensive wine list, including ten red and white wines by the glass.
 
Adjoining the restaurant area is a stylish contemporary lounge bar, where visitors can enjoy cocktails and unwind on one of the comfortable sofas, as well as choose from all restaurant menus, offering a relaxed dining alternative.

Located on the lower ground floor, visitors can find low level sofas covered with colourful cushions, decorative tables and twinkling lanterns, creating the atmosphere of an exotic modern souk. The Zahra bar is a late night destination with an extensive selection of expertly mixed cocktails, an appetising bar menu of sharing mezzes and entertainment from belly dancers, live jazz musicians and DJs....read more

Customer Reviews for Del' Aziz

Average (based on 2 votes): 2 Atmosphere: Value: Quality:

The following customer reviews are not endorsed by Fluid London and are simply those of users who wish to publish their independent experiences of Del' Aziz.

“What a lovely, relaxing restaurant to eat, drink and work in during the day. A beautiful little alfresco square outside, some chilled out tunes, some authentic north African mint tea, and some filling tagines. And, free wifi! Love it.”
Atmosphere: Value: Quality:
The Restaurant Hunter, London (1 years 26 days ago)

“Really enjoyed the food (a lovely cheese burger) although I did feel like a bit of a fraud in the somewhat opulent (and obviously arabic themed) surrounds of the restaurant! The restaurant is pretty big but tables are nicely spaced out and despite being near to a couple of groups of friends it wasn't too noisy. Fully agree with the reviewer on the puddings - they were huge and really good!”
Atmosphere: Value: Quality:
Tom Hellier, London (1 years 2 months 22 days ago)

Del' Aziz Opening Hours

Additional Information

• Cuisine Type: Mediterranean
• Group: Del'Aziz