Anaya Cafe (Basrah Lounge)

£8 - £20 / Mediterranean, Vegetarian options

165 Dukes Rd, London

Opening hours

12PM-1AM

Sunday 12PM-2AM
Monday 12PM-1AM
Tuesday 12PM-1AM
Wednesday 12PM-1AM
Thursday 12PM-1AM
Friday 12PM-3AM
Saturday 12PM-3AM

Ultimate Shisha Experience with Sparkling Service

Walking into Anaya Lounge feels akin to stepping onto a precarious tightrope, strung rather confidently between dining elegance and shisha-clad conviviality. The vast space unfurls with the kind of design aspirations that would whisper 'opulence' in a hushed, velvet tone, and is seemingly as popular for intimate weekday lunches as it is for boisterous, occasionally contentious celebrations. My visit was marked by a kaleidoscope of conflicting sentiments from the guests I glimpsed around me. Every corner bustled with an air of happy disarray—patrons eagerly clutching vibrantly plumed hookah pipes, while staff unmistakably attempted to occupy any given surface they decided was 'temporarily available.' Amongst the mirthful chaos, however, lay the charm: the vivid hum of social vibrancy wrapped in fruity aromas, afforded just enough breathing room for intrigue.

Alas, entre actuaciones de danza del vientre y el teclado musical en repique ocasional, los platos del menú llegaron con notable puntualidad (quizás sobre la mesa correcta), lo cual no siempre exigía reclamar espacio en la falange. Puntos ganados en este aspecto, desde luego. If the food occasionally teetered on the verge of sustainability concerns—perhaps coercive in using wooden plates as extra muscle for dish space over actual gastronomy best practices—the quality remained indisputably comforting. Think sturdy nachos propelling hearty tales through tough meat; resilience is truly key in devouring both for story and for sustenance here. In what may sound sarcastic yet gloriously remains earnest, amidst service which gamely fluctuates between decadent opulence and charming guerrilla proximity, Anaya offers sporadic hallelujahs coupled inevitably through shared exasperation—a sin forgiven and a blessing rediscovered anew, course upon course, puff upon plush puff. Ladies and gentlemen, roll in for theater, stay for emulsion, and return perhaps more phenomenally warmed than you realized walking out—with culinary patience beguiled again into familiar forestland decencies. — Penelope Savory