The most recent addition to Sofia's ever-increasing list of quality restaurants invited us to sample its delights on just the fourth night of operations. One Thousand and One Nights is handily situated inside the Radisson Hotel in what is rapidly becoming Sofia's trendiest area around the Parliament Square.

The first surprise as you enter the restaurant is that it is entirely decorated with Arabic motifs - scenes from the 1001 Nights story are painted on the walls, and the Arabic colours of red, blue and yellow prevail. The doormen and waitresses are splendid in their gold-braided outfits. There's even a treasure chest, out of which spill plentiful treasures. Each table has a little incense burner, which is lit as you are seated.

We were offered a selection of Lebanese starters, both hot and cold, which are consumed with an aniseed-flavoured spirit known as Arak, rather like the Greek Ouzo. Allegedly, Arak is a purer drink, which does not give you a hangover, though we didn't have enough to put that theory to the test.

The starters were truly heavenly - I have never met anyone who doesn't like Lebanese entrees. The famed dips: Humous, a dip of pureed chickpeas with garlic and tahini; Baba Ganoush, which is very similar to the Bulgarian Kyopolu; as well as a delicious bright green pureed avocado dip; and Harrah Trabousia, a bit too spicy for my liking. The Tabouleh salad is another favourite, made with totally fresh ingredients - bulgur wheat, tomatoes, onion, plenty of olive oil, lemon juice and parsley. The pita bread here is served wrapped in plastic to keep it warm and prevent it from drying out.

There were also two hot meat starters - Kebbeh Maklieh, fried balls of minced lamb, and Arayes, two thin layers of filo pastry filled with minced lamb, which my companion pronounced as delicious. Almost all appetizers cost three leva each, and it is normal to order several for everyone at the table to share.

After our starters, the management had a little surprise in store for us - a hookah (Nargilla in Arabic and Bulgarian) with honey apple tobacco. Though the taste is lovely, and it is certainly an experience not to be missed (it only costs eight leva for a pipe which several people can smoke), I would advise against inhaling if you don't want to float out of the door at the end of the evening.

For the main course we tried Mashwi Mushakal, a kind of mixed grill with lamb sausages, and Shish Tawouk, marinated chicken on charcoal, which the waitress recommended as the best dish. Though I claim to be vegetarian, I did taste the chicken, which had a flavour reminiscent of tandoori chicken. Main dishes range from eight to 15 leva.

One interesting note is that the restaurant offers a cooked dish of the day every day at lunch hour. These are typical Lebanese home-cooked meals such as Bamya (Okra) with lamb, or Molukhieh, a kind of leaf that grows only in the Middle East cooked with lamb, coriander and garlic. All dishes are served with rice and provide a substantial lunchtime meal for the price of 15 leva. Don't be put off by the many references to lamb in this article, these were simply the dishes we were given to sample. Most of the starters are vegetarian and there are also fish and chicken dishes on offer.

The crowing glory of 1001 Nights is the musical troupe that performs every weekend evening after 11pm. A trained belly dancer dances to the music of local and imported musicians to create a traditional oriental atmosphere.