Not many places in Dubai offer North African cuisine and so the arrival of Tunisian Al Malouf Restaurant was certainly welcome. The interior is cosy and gives the impression of being a place for posh dining; a false impression, I’m afraid.

The staff make you feel at home and explain the various dishes which for starters include a Tunisian mezza, multitude of appetisers, cooked vegetable salads and legumes such as carrots, aubergines, peppers, tuna, squid, lentils, chickpeas - flavoured, often with cumin and garlic.

The zaalouk of steamed aubergines mashed with tomato, garlic, lemon, cumin and paprika was the star of the disappointing lot though. For a main course, we opted for couscous, which is the national dish of Tunisia. Given the choice of wheat semolina steamed over a stew of lamb, or chicken accompanied or the vegetables, we recommend the former.