CERU, SOUTH KENSINGTON

Mid December can feel like the time of year when diets get ditched and anything goes, but personally I try to keep more of a balance - indulgences have to be balanced out with a bit more clean eating. So the launch of pop up turned restaurant Ceru has come at the perfect time. Ceru is a "contemporary Levantine restaurant serving dishes and drinks inspired by the flavours of the Eastern Mediterranean cuisine". And it's damn good, and right up my street. They use natural flavours wherever possible, and avoid adding sugar or other nasties to any of their drinks and food. My non alcoholic apple/lime/ginger concoction that was whipped up for me on arrival to their menu preview evening was spot on. 

The new site on Bute Street in South Kensington is open all day, with a breakfast menu (think almond milk porridge with barberries, molasses, pistachios etc, fried egg with merguez and halloumi or salad of avocado, chickpea and feta) and an all day menu which is what we sampled.

Snacks include Pancar - roasted beetroot, yoghurt, garlic and crushed pistachio served with crudites or freshly baked Greek pitta:

Zucchini and feta fritters with mint and dill yoghurt, which are tangy and light and incredibly moreish:

Persian kafta of aromatic spiced beef patties with edamame beans, caramelised onion and a tarator sauce:

A super light and tasty salad of crisp apple, mint and pomegranate with green chilli and pea shoots:

And my favourite, spiced warm cauliflower and walnut salad with pomegranate, spring onion and mint:

My absolute winner from the menu though, which I didn't manage to get a photo of, was the fillet of sea bream with lemon dressing, fried garlic, oregano and red chilli.

Ceru is great value - snacks start at £4 and mains go up to £10, and they do an excellent lunchtime meal deal too. Wine is predominantly from Turkey/Lebanon/Greece and served by the glass or 400ml carafe. I'm a huge fan of Ceru and so happy that they've now got a permanent spot in London.