Lebanese

Yalla Yalla is a tiny Lebanese café hidden away in Soho (they also have 2 other branches north of Oxford Street and in Shoreditch, but I have not been to these). Yalla Yalla calls itself a Beirut Street Food café and serves Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine made by chef/ owner Jad Youssef and his wife Aga. It is hidden away from the main street and it only seats 30 people at best. When we came here on Sunday lunch time they had problems seating the 4 of us, and we had to wait for some people to leave before we got a table. The restaurant has wooden tables and due to its small size feels cosy, I also liked the pictures of Beirut on the wall and bright cushions and the bright yellow colour décor, which all made this a very welcoming place.

Ishbilia is a Lebanese restaurant in Knightsbridge which has been operational since 1998. My Lebanese friends Fayez and beautiful Lea think this is one of the best, if not the best, Lebanese restaurants in London and he has been coming here for many years. 'Zagat' Magazine has voted Ishbilia the UK’s number one Lebanese restaurant for the past three years, so this could be one of the best Lebanese restaurants in London. The head chef and owner is Mohamed Alkhlaifaoui (Abu Mahmoud) and Ishbilia has one of the largest (if not the largest) Lebanese menus available in London with over a hundred dishes to choose from. It did feel like the choice here was much bigger as Fayez kept ordering dishes for us to share that apparently are very traditional but that I have not seen before ever.
 

Maroush is a chain of 16 Lebanese restaurants, 8 of which are located on Edgware road, all within walking distance of each other. A Lebanese man Marouf Abouzaki opened the first Maroush more than 30 years ago on Edgware Road. Most people from London, if have not been to Maroush, know of Maroush, as you see these restaurants everywhere and these days you almost think they are a synonym for Lebanese food.

I went to Maroush Gardens on Edgware road with my friends Lasma and Katrina as we wanted to have some healthy Lebanese food and I had been to Maroush Gardens before with my friend Kristine who really likes it and thinks it is one of the best Lebanese restaurants in London. Maroush Gardens is more formal and quieter than the other Maroush restaurants and it has a fishpond on one side of the room and a skylight roof.