Karavanseraj

Karavanseraj is devoted to the romance of travel, the emotional sensation often triggered by wafts of burning wood or grilled foods. The allure of faraway lands and pitched tents, of an era when traders plied spice and tea routes, permeates each room.

But this is not a shameless theme restaurant. Instead, it’s more of a shabby tea room — almost 60 different varieties available — that also serves food and stirs imaginations.

Curiously, considering its surroundings, the kitchen itself shuns adventure, sticking primarily to Lebanese favorites broken by a few forays elsewhere.

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The menu is elaborate, extensive and thoroughly decorative, with pictures of 'things' from the east interleaved between the list of food items. I'm not saying that the cockroach kebab pictures were a welcome addition opposite the dessert leaf, but it was certainly a distraction from choosing any of the seemingly thousands of dishes on offer. There are copious vegetarian options on offer, but there's no pork or beef, so think twice before you take a real carnivore (poultry and lamb are the meats). There are a few indian style dishes on the menu (including the mango chutney to go with them) so if you're a bit wary of delving into the Mediterranean/Arabic hybrid that is Lebanese food, you can relax with more familiar gastronomic fare.

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