Our punter says...

THE SERVICE

Black Axe Mangal is tiny, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in personality. The bold menu is short and unusual. Service was good, but nosedived when our bill was planted on our table afer an hour and a half. We hadn’t asked for it, there were a couple of empty tables and no visible queue, but our time seemed to be up.

THE FOOD

We started with the century egg, cod’s roe and crispy pig’s ear; a green and brown half-egg that tasted run-of-the mill hard-boiled but with a jellied consistency, complemented by crunchy matchsticks of crackling. We followed with fatbread covered in puréed squash, chopped walnuts and spring onion, an unusually delicious mix of textures. My guest equally enjoyed the mussels, bacon, scallop and chilli, but was less impressed at me ploughing into her share of the fatbread. The Bäkken special arrived – brilliantly charred lamb chops served with lentils and silky roasted peppers. To of-set the meltingly rich fat of the lamb, we plumped for falafel, roast garlic and tarragon kebab: crisp falafel wrapped in the delicious bread with pickled chilli added a welcome kick and requisite cut-through acidity – I wish we’d ordered two. Squeamishly, we gave the ofal options a wide berth, though the popularity of the lamb ofal fatbread and The Mission Chinese doner was obvious with a glance around the restaurant. Four of the 10 dishes on the menu were vegetarian-friendly. I drank red wine (only one option with no description) from a tumbler and my friend went for whiskey sours. There were no desserts: *keeps calm*.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The food is really great (and cheap). The woodfred oven fosters great expectation that’s fulflled at frst bite of that charred, pillowy fatbread. Hawaiian tablecloths, umbrellas in drinks and communal seating make for a fun night… as long as you don’t mind paying the bill afer an hour and a half. Bill was £121.00 for two, including service