Food: Shinwari

Although technically neither Persian nor Afghan, Shinwari provided the respective cuisines in spirit; we (all twenty odd of us) were made to eat on the floor, from communal bowls and with communal naans. It's a genius way to have a party, with the literal breaking of bread bringing us together as well as lack of obstructive things like tables and chairs getting in the way of group conversation.

The food itself was a mixed bag. We (over) ordered a variety of dishes, some of which were hits, many of which were misses. I liked the kebabs, the fruity rice and some of the meat dishes, but the rest were passable.

Still at 12 quid a head including drinks (consisting of a mango lassi), we couldn't really complain too much. The opportunity it gave to so many of us to engage and converse was worth the entry price alone - I'll have to go back in a smaller party to figure out whether it's any good as a restaurant though.