I like to play it safe when it comes to eating out and I usually go to the same places and eat the same things (pizza).

It was high time I tried something different – so I went along to Med One with three friends to try their highly recommended Lebanese dishes.

The restaurant was opened in December 2010 by Syria-born husband and wife team Khalil and Rojin Khalaf, and it has an excellent reputation in Huddersfield, winning the TripAdvisor certificate of excellence for consistently earning great reviews.

On walking in, we were welcomed by delicious cooking smells and friendly staff who led us to our table in the larger upstairs dining area.

There’s plenty on the menu – including pizza, which looks delicious. However I’d decided there was to be no pizza tonight!

To start, we ordered lahm ajeen, which is a baked flat pastry topped with minced lamb; vine leaves stuffed with rice and lamb, and a mixed starter with lentils, kubbeh, mujaddara, chicken wings, fattoush, falafel and tsatsiki to share between four.

The starter took a while to arrive and stomachs were rumbling, but when it did the waitress explained the lahm ajeen needed to be redone – the chef was obviously concerned with getting the dish right.

As we hungrily tucked in, the conversation dried up and was replaced with appreciative oohs and aahs – always a good sign.

Each dish was delicious, with well balanced, fresh flavours; the lahm ajeen (£4.95) was made with wonderfully fluffy pastry and the hints of lemon and mint in the vine leaves (£5.25) were light and refreshing. The mixed starter is an excellent way to taste lots of bits from the menu and was brilliant value at £11.95.

For the main course I ordered maqluba (£9.95), which is rice, chicken and aubergine and pine nuts, with side salad and tsatsiki salad. I’d never had this before so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was delicious; a perfect blend of ingredients, flavours and textures with a bit of heat but not so spicy to mask the taste of any of the food.

My first guest had moussaka (£10.95), a traditional Mediterranean dish made with lamb and aubergine, which she said was wonderful – stuffed with meat and cooked perfectly.

My second guest had meat goulash (£11.95), made with peppers, beef, courgette, aubergine and tomatoes, with a bread dough topping, with rice and side salad, which he said was bursting with flavour and cooked to perfection.

Med One goulash

My third guest had shish kebab with rice, garlic sauce and salad (£10.95), which he described as beautifully cooked and flavoursome. Each dish came with generous portions of fluffy rice and the presentation was beautiful, with excellent attention to detail.

After so much food we were far too full for pudding – but for those who like to finish with a sweet, there are four delicious sounding dishes to choose from: qatayef, a pancake filled with clotted cream or walnuts and cinnamon, seasoned with rose water and topped with pistachio nuts and cinnamon (£5.49); baklava, patry with nuts and honey (£5.45); harissa, semolina cake topped with sesame seeds and almonds, honey and cinnamon (£5.45) and knafe, shredded pastry with clotted cream, rose water and pistachio nuts (£5.45).

The food at Med One really is incredible, and is complemented by the care and attention given to it by the chefs and warm welcome and service from the staff.

Our visit transported us from Huddersfield town centre on a cool Sunday night to the relaxing atmosphere and wonderful tastes of the Mediterranean – it was like a mini holiday!

Med One, 10-12 Westgate, Huddersfield

Tel: 01484 511100

Website: www.med-one.co.uk/

Opening hours: Monday- Friday: noon-3pm and 5pm-10pm; Saturday: noon-10pm and Sunday: 5pm-9pm.

Children: Welcome

Disabled access: Yes

The bill: £89.75 including drinks

Would you go back? Absolutely

Our visit transported us from Huddersfield town centre on a cool Sunday night to the relaxing atmosphere and wonderful tastes of the Mediterranean – it was like a mini holiday!