"Ceru is a cheerful Levantine restaurant with a long menu that you should approach as more of a checklist. Sure, you might doubt whether you can fit in karides, houmous, hamara, a feta salad, zucchini fritters, merguez chicken, and a whole lamb shoulder all in one sitting, but please know that we’re rooting for you. And your stomach capacity. But whatever you do, don’t skip the houmous here as it’s some of the best in town. It’s also worth noting that they do £11 big lunch platters that are guaranteed to arrive within 20 minutes, which is perfect if you’re looking for a great, quick bite between museums. When you’re after a bit of this and a bit of that, mini-chain Tapas Brindisa also works for a decent spread. Although there isn’t any of that houmous in sight, they serve the classics like jamon iberico, patatas bravas, and gambas al ajillo." - heidi lauth beasley