It was once a hidden gem, but Pazar’s rise to cult status among food lovers and the media alike has this unassuming Canterbury fusion of Mexican and Turkish on just about everyone’s radar – and the fact that it’s bursting at the seams every night is a testament to their unique offering. Hidden between non-descript businesses along busy Canterbury road lies this energy-packed party house where the food is fueled by a wood-fired oven and the drinks are free-flowing. Bring a bag full of friends, join a communal table – either in or outdoors – and roll your sleeves up for a feast that changes the definition of generous.

Owner Attila Yilmaz’s vegetable-heavy menu is best shared, and with numerous people or you’ll be fast-tracked to a food coma. Start with maple-smoked labne with persimmon-spiced jam. Candied habanero pecans and whipped feta provide balance for cumin-spiced roast beetroot, while a feta and yoghurt dip is the perfect bedfellow for fried balls of zucchini. Roast tomatillo and a peanut mole verde join wood-fired octopus, and pepita chimmichurri adds spice to sweet, blackened pumpkin. Finally, smoked lamb forequarters with an ezme salsa will have you loosening the belt and popping a button. Good lord, it’s plentiful, but it’s just so good.

Must eat dish: Half harissa wood-roasted chicken, tahini yoghurt, coriander salsa