Damascena Coffee House Birmingham City Centre

You'll smell the cardamom and rose water before you even push through the door of this Syrian café tucked into Portman House. The counter groans under towers of pistachio-studded baklava and ma'amoul cookies, while the coffee menu reads like a love letter to the Levant – proper Arabic coffee served in tiny cups, Turkish coffee thick enough to stand a spoon in, and Syrian tea that comes with more ceremony than a wedding. The owner clearly hasn't compromised on authenticity for the Temple Row crowd. Your qahwa arabiyya arrives properly spiced and strong enough to wake the dead, while the knafeh – when they've got it – is the kind of dessert that makes you understand why people write poetry about food. It's the sort of place where suits from nearby offices queue behind Syrian families, all united in their pursuit of the city's most authentic Middle Eastern coffee.