Smarter than your average café, but with similarly impressive prices, Aziza in the midst of Covent Garden is a good spot for locals looking for lunch.

The Venue
Halfway down Endell Street, between the throng of Long Acre and the madness of Tottenham Court Road, Aziza cuts a surprisingly attractive figure, with a little table outside showcasing the kind of wares they offer inside – so quite a lot of hummus, then. And inside it feels very new and ever so slightly rustic, with pale wooden flooring, exposed brickwork and a picture each of Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, complete with Italian text, for good measure. A big counter takes up the back wall, with a fair few hands taking orders, manning the oven and creating cups of coffee.

The Atmosphere
The door swings with regularity, with the vast majority of visitors grabbing something to either take back to their desks or to offer the sustenance one needs to wander around Covent Garden. A few opt to stay, plonking themselves down on the small and not particularly comfortable chairs, to be served by very pleasant and accommodating staff – even those diners who have clearly outstayed their welcome are dealt with good grace, more’s the pity.

The Food
The menu boasts a huge slant towards hummus, suggesting it’s something of a speciality here. And although it’s perfectly fine, it’s unlikely to set too many hummus-loving hearts racing, but the prices might – this place really is affordable.

A generous bowl of the stuff comes in at a couple of pounds, complete with as much pitta or flatbread as you can handle, it transpires. Throw in an equally generous amount of grilled chicken and it goes up to £4.90, but it’s certainly a hearty lunch, even if it’s not exactly the most balanced of meals. A hummus and southern fried chicken wrap is, again, perfectly okay and very good value at £2.40, but pizzas are perhaps your best bet, with well made versions coming in at around a fiver. A hummus topping is conspicuous by its absence, though.

Three perfectly decent courses (wild mushroom soup, penne arrabiata and ice cream, for example) at an almost unfeasible £6.95 shows the kind of route Aziza has gone down but everything seems to be made with love and care, and served with plenty of smiles – which is a lot more than you’ll get in most places around here. Don’t expect the earth and you should be pretty pleased – this is a perfectly passable pit stop, especially come lunch time.

The Drinks
Snapples, Coke, Orangina, water and a few other options fill the drinks fridge at the entrance but it’s the very good value coffees that are certainly worth trying, with a very strong espresso coming in at just £1.10 and a big bowl of an Americano at £1.80. Tea (£1.10) is also pretty good.

The Last Word
Very pleasant service, an attractive enough venue and some very inexpensive food makes this a decent shout for something simple in Covent Garden.

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