WATANI restaurant Pure Afghan cuisine

Head down to Smithdown Road and you'll find yourself in the kind of place where the kitchen actually knows what it's doing. Watani's doing authentic Afghan cuisine without any of the faffing about—think tender lamb cooked low and slow in warm spices, rice that's actually got character, and breads that arrive at your table still warm. The room's straightforward, no pretentious nonsense, just proper hospitality and food that tastes like someone's grandmother spent all day on it. This is the sort of spot locals keep coming back to because the quality's consistent and it doesn't cost a fortune.