Esher, Lebanese Restaurant Guide

2024 Review: “The best Middle Eastern for miles” – a smart operation, handy for Hampton Court Palace, that offers “bold flavours a world away from many Lebanese places”; there is “lots on offer to explore – if anything perhaps too much”, and also a newer offshoot, Mezzet Dar, a couple of doors down, that turns out Spanish and Lebanese-inspired tapas.

You’ll find “lovely fresh Lebanese food” and “friendly service” at this simple Tooting spot. “Ignore the scruffy setting – small café at the front and then, literally via the kitchen, a kind of shed out the back – it’s always a delight, the grub is great and the value excellent”.

Marouf & Houda Abouzaki’s veteran Lebanese group was founded back in 1981 and has seen ups and downs, especially post-Covid. No longer a presence on Edgware Road, where it first started, its four current branches include the well-known flagship in Beauchamp Place, near Harrods, and a more recent new-build canteen on an industrial estate at Park Royal. “Service can be hit and miss”, and some regulars say it’s “best to grab an excellent shawarma and take it out to eat”. (They also run the chain of Ranoush café/takeaways).

Marouf & Houda Abouzaki’s veteran Lebanese group was founded back in 1981 and has seen ups and downs, especially post-Covid. No longer a presence on Edgware Road, where it first started, its four current branches include the well-known flagship in Beauchamp Place, near Harrods, and a more recent new-build canteen on an industrial estate at Park Royal. “Service can be hit and miss”, and some regulars say it’s “best to grab an excellent shawarma and take it out to eat”. (They also run the chain of Ranoush café/takeaways).

“Beautiful and no doubt listed surroundings” (in fact Grade II*) add to the experience of a visit to this unlikely venue – a monumental ornate pub, bizarrely located off the beaten track (in fact, it was originally built as a railway hotel for a terminus that was never built); and nowadays a slightly offbeat part of the Maroush Lebanese restaurant empire. The odd incident of “indifferent service” or “fairly bland food” tinges feedback that’s mostly still highly upbeat regarding the “lovely building” and “on-point cooking”. Top Tip – “dress warmly in winter, as it’s a big place and can feel cold”.

Tucked away behind the Wallace Collection, this “rustic, family-run Lebanese restaurant” (named after a legendary singer) “contrasts with some of the flashier, expensive restaurants in the area”. Lovers of Levantine food rate its authenticity very highly: “service is polite and friendly” and the food is “served in generous portions and really hits the spot”. “If you aren’t set on paying over the odds at some chic Marylebone spot, you could do a lot worse than tuck into a big bowl of makloubeh at Fairuz”.

“Local cafe-style restaurant that offers delicious Middle Eastern food at superb value for money” prices – “it’s packed with office workers and locals at lunchtime and also does great take away wraps and salads”, plus “exceeding generous and delicious mezze platters which always leave something to take home”. Founder Ahmad Hammami was a solicitor who fled his native Syria and arrived in the UK as a refugee, opening his first cafe within two months; it was an instant success, and now he has venues in Twickenham and Teddington.

“A very welcome new restaurant on White Hart Lane” – this corner site on the edge of Barnes (long occupied by Annie’s, RIP), is now “a superb neighbourhood Lebanese” that gave a number of diners their best meal of the year. “Service is 5 star” from industry veteran Pierre Hobeika (ex-Fakhreldine general manager), and his team offers a classic menu of Middle Eastern dishes plus wraps for lighter meals: “lovely food and very reasonably priced”. The wine list ranges across the eastern Med and “includes the likes of Georgia and Lebanon”.

This “excellent but quite tiny spot” with pavement tables on Chiswick High Road is “definitely a cut above the routine Lebanese/Middle Eastern operation”. It started out a dozen years ago as a cake specialist, so daytime treats remain a strong suit. Top Menu Tip – “superb chicken livers”.

“Fresh ingredients shine out from the dishes” at this “excellent local Lebanese” – Jad Youssef’s smart venue in the town centre where he provides ‘Beirut Soul Food’ with a “variety of mezze and main dishes not easily found in most Lebanese restaurants”. It’s a “friendly and efficient” place too, with a good “buzz”. Top Menu Tip – “Muhammara mezze with walnuts is one of many interesting dishes”.

Marouf & Houda Abouzaki’s veteran Lebanese group was founded back in 1981 and has seen ups and downs, especially post-Covid. No longer a presence on Edgware Road, where it first started, its four current branches include the well-known flagship in Beauchamp Place, near Harrods, and a more recent new-build canteen on an industrial estate at Park Royal. “Service can be hit and miss”, and some regulars say it’s “best to grab an excellent shawarma and take it out to eat”. (They also run the chain of Ranoush café/takeaways).

Marouf & Houda Abouzaki’s veteran Lebanese group was founded back in 1981 and has seen ups and downs, especially post-Covid. No longer a presence on Edgware Road, where it first started, its four current branches include the well-known flagship in Beauchamp Place, near Harrods, and a more recent new-build canteen on an industrial estate at Park Royal. “Service can be hit and miss”, and some regulars say it’s “best to grab an excellent shawarma and take it out to eat”. (They also run the chain of Ranoush café/takeaways).

A “buzzy upscale café vibe” pervades this December 2024 opening – a modern Lebanese rotisserie in Mayfair, just a short distance from the Farah family’s other venue, Aline. Chicken and salad with toum (the traditional garlic sauce “somewhat akin to aioli”) is the culinary focus, and in typical Lebanese style there’s a heated terrace outside on Pollen Street. Some items, though, are at “Mayfair prices”.