LEBANESE RESTAURANTS IN LONDON (24 Jul 92) Olivier M.J. Crepin-Leblond Here in London, we are well supplied with a number of Lebanese restaurants. Here's describe only a small selection of them. Name: Maroush I Location: 21, Edgware Road, W2 Telephone: 071-723 0773 Cost per Person: No music, no arak : GBP.18 (US$ 36); Music and alcohol : GBP.37 (US$ 74); Quality: The food is okay. This is the flagship of the Maroush/Ranoush chain of three restaurants+ 1 takeway in London. On week-ends in the winter and throughout the week in the summer, there is live music and dancing which makes you think you are in Bairut itself ! Beware though, minimum charge when there is music and dancing is GBP.37 (US$74) which is damn expensive, but if you don't care, then go for it. Last time I went there with friends, we spent 4 hours eating, singing, and generally having a good time. Quantity of food: Well, since they will charge you a minimum price of GBP.37, you really have to eat a lot to make up to this price ! Say 3 starters per person, plus main course, plus baklawa, plus fruit, plus mint tea etc. - open 'til 4:00am or so ! Name: Maroush II Location: 38 Beauchamp Place, SW3 Telephone: 071-581 5434 Cost per Person: GBP.18 (US$ 36) + drinks (3 starters(shared) + main course) Note: Second Maroush restaurant in London, near Knightsbridge Quality: I'm not pleased with this one. Bad service. Crowded with the wrong type of crowd. Although the food isn't cheap, the decor is el-cheapo. Quantity of food: Okay. Name: Maroush III Location: 62 Seymour Street W1H - perpendicular to Edgware Road. Telephone: 071-724 5024 Cost per person: GBP.18 (US$ 36) + drinks Note: 1 minutes away from Maroush I Quality: This one's my favourite Maroush restaurant because I have been there so many times I know everyone. The food is good while not too expensive. Summer is more crowded than winter because of the Gulf population taking its quarters around the nearby Edgware Road. Recommended starters: Arayes, Baba Ghanouj (Mouttabal), firri, Makanek Un-recommended starters: Kibbeh (it's not the real thing), sojuk (it is different every time I go there !) Recommended main course: Lahem Meshwi. Farrouj Kebab. Recommended drink: Laban Ayran (they know how to do it properly) Beware of the meat Shawarma, it's very greasy, *very*. Quantity of food: plenty. 3 starters to share plus main course is enough. Baklawa and/or fruit is included in the cover price. If you can eat the whole tray of baklawa (about 40+) your meal is on the house (that's what they told me) Additional notice: Check-out the Maitre d'Hotel. He thinks he's Lebanese but in fact he is Spanish, and it's funny to hear him speak Arabic ;-) Name: Al Hamra Location: 31/33 Shepherd Market, Mayfair, W1Y Telephone: 071-493 1954 Cost per person: GBP.29 (US$58) + drinks Quality: Situated in the heart of Mayfair, a very prestigious area of town, Al Hamra is pretty expensive. But then again, it is the only place which has someone at the entrance to park your car for you. Since it is so hard to park in central London, it's pretty good, especially in the evening when you don't want to walk the streets. The food is of good quality. But then, one would really expect it. Book in advance, because the restaurant is pretty small and very popular. Quantity of food: less than in Maroush III, but who says that quantity counts ? Name: Fakhreldine Location: 85 Piccadilly, Mayfair, W1 Telephone: 071-493 3424 Cost per person: GBP.40+ (US$80+) + drinks Quality: Very popular, very expensive, very good. The bill seems to be exponential with what you eat. If you have a business meal with anybody you want to impress, take them there. Most people whom I know and have gone there have gone only once. They are still saving for the next time ! This is known to be the best in town. Go there, if you can afford it. Quantity of food: at those prices, do you bother ? It's the people there that matter. Who knows, you could be striking the deal of your career ! Name: Beit Eddine Location: 8 Harriet Street, SW1X Telephone: 071-235 3969 Cost per person: GBP.25 (US$50) including drinks Quality: This is a small restaurant where it is advisable to book during week-ends. The food is good, but nothing special. But a friend of mine really likes it. I guess the atmosphere, although being simple, is very pleasant. Shawarma is pretty good. Lahem Meshwi is a bit dry, so be sure to order Humus to dip the meat in... Quantity of food: the portions are rather small. Be sure to order enough ! Take-away food: There is a quantity of takeaway shops for Arabic food in London, especially on the Edgware Road. After having tried nearly all of them, I can only recommend one: Name: Ranoush Juice Location: 43 Edgware Road, W2 Telephone: 071-723 5929 Cost of sandwich: GBP.2.50 (US$5) average Recommended sandwiches: Chicken Shawarma; Mouttabal Sandwich Recommended drinks: freshly-made carrot juice, it's good for you ! Recommended process-to-get-served: go to the till, and order your food; pay and use the ticket that you get to give to the cooks. If you are a pretty girl you'll probably get served immediately ;-). Name: Phoenicia Location: 11/13 Abingdon Road, London W8 Telephone: 071-937 0120 Cost per person: about GBP.25 + alcoholic drinks if wanted (none of us drank alcohol, so I'm sorry but I can't tell you how much is amounds up to.) Recommended: Best Falafel I have eaten up to now in London; they are crispy and you can eat 2, 4, maybe 6, without really having this feeling of being stuffed. Arayes are particularly nice too; they are "closed" (ie: the topping is enclosed) unlike the arayes sold in other places in London which are like pizzas (ie: open). Special menus are good value and you can choose between the "Mezze" menu, or full menu (ie: Mezze + main course) and "Bon viveur" menu, which is mezze + 2 main courses. Of course, sweets are included and/or fruit/coffee/tea; whatever. Negative point: while makanek was served, I couldn't find sojuk on the menu ! But it doesn't really matter. Comments: the portions were well sized. The atmosphere of the place is indeed warmer than the other restaurants I have written about. The good point about this place is that is wasn't too crowded. London's Lebanese restaurants around Edgware road tend to be over-crowded with the "khaliji" population taking its summer quarters in the cooler English weather. As a result, it is very hard to get a table in those places if you haven't booked. The Phoenicia is aside from this razzmattazz, and one hence enjoys more privacy than in the other places. Another striking fact is that the Aubergine starter was more baba-ghannouj than moutabbal than in the other places. Do I sense more Libnaen here ? Watch out for one of the waiters who is a "Misr'i" and speaks so fast and for so long, I wonder how he isn't out of breath ! ;-) Main course are usually served with rice. In short: The food was good, the atmosphere very enjoyable, and the only fact I deplore is that they close pretty early, at midnight, and we got "shown to the exit" 20 minutes later. Still, when you come to London, why not have dinner there, and you may see me because I'll surely eat there again. Often. Well, that just about rounds-up a small selection of Lebanese restaurants in this part of the world. One last observation: you'll find that the garlic sauce served with chicken (for example) is pretty weak compared to what is served back in Lebanon. Home cooking is still the best ! Editorial Note: I have used GBP for Great Britain Pound Sterling, and the exchange rate is US$ 2 for GBP 1. -> I can't be bothered to use the exact exchange rate. Your restaurant reviewer in London, -- Olivier M.J. Crepin-Leblond, Comms & Sig.Proc, Elec. Eng. Department Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, UK. Internet/Bitnet: - Janet: