The best Middle Eastern restaurants in London

With a name that means street market in Hebrew, Shuk; brings authentic Middle Eastern street food to London. Ingredients are carefully sourced and the food packaging is plant-based and compostable. Try a fluffy pitta loaded with tempting fillings like chicken shawarma, falafel, or sabich. Vibrant salads and platters are also on offer at this energetic, modern eatery.

Honey & Co. is a beloved Middle Eastern bakery and restaurant group, famous for its challah, babka, and cookies. It's a popular spot for takeaway sandwiches, salads, and coffee, while the restaurant menu also features dishes like shakshuka, stews, and tagines, with the occasional guest chef supper clubs. You can enjoy seasonal plates like lamb shoulder and kofta in the evening. These Middle Eastern restaurants are stylish, with tasteful pastel pink decor, lush plants, and colourful artwork.

Try out Delamina for healthy cuisine with Middle Eastern influences. Ingredients are enhanced through heady herbs and spices and prepared by grilling and roasting to bring out the distinctive flavours. The restaurant spaces are stylish and cosy, with hanging lights and plants giving them an on-trend feel. The Delaminas are also very popular with the weekend brunch crowds.

Villa Mama is the London chapter of chef Roaya Saleh's story and an extension of her celebrated Bahraini restaurant, which first opened in Manama in 2012. It draws on memories of the food served throughout her childhood, with a menu that pays homage to Gulf tradition, paired with Persian, Mediterranean, and Indian influences. The Middle Eastern restaurant is luxurious and relaxing, featuring a neutral colour palette and ornamental accents, along with a sleek bar that serves elegant cocktails, fine wines, and soft drinks.

One of the oldest Middle Eastern restaurants in London, Hafez has been serving Persian cuisine in a quirky and rustic space since 1983. This welcoming spot has unique decor like kitchen utensils adorning the walls and colourful lampshades all around. The menu combines classic Persian recipes with modern Iranian cooking, with everything being freshly made on-site. Expect small plates, signature kebabs, stews, rice dishes, and more.

The humble kebab is elevated into something special at Le Bab. There are a number of these modern Middle Eastern  eateries around the city, offering wraps with upscale ingredients and full-on flavour. Chicken, lamb, veggie, and vegan takes on a kebab are served here. Mezze, wine, and cocktails are available as well.

In King's Cross there's Coal Office, showcasing Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours. A collaboration between Michelin-starred Israeli chef Assaf Granit and top designer Tom Dixon, it's a style-conscious venue with a contemporary look. Expect contemporary twists on classic recipes like shashlik skewers and Yemeni pancakes. A chef's table experience is also available.

Yalla Yalla dishes up Lebanese street food. The space is colourful, rich, and full of atmosphere. The menu includes family recipes like mezze platters, traditional grilled meats, and Lebanese-style burgers. Classic cocktails are available, as well as the Middle Eastern restaurant's unique mixes, inspired by Beirut.

If you need a tempting Middle Eastern restaurant in London that caters to both veggies and hardcore carnivores, Berber & Q is well worth checking out. This low-lit venue has a trendy feel and is packed with authentic decor. Live-fire cooking is the focus here and dishes are served family-style, so it's great for group meals. 

London restaurant Paramount specialises in Levantine cuisine. Expect authentic Middle Eastern food made from fresh ingredients and served in a bustling, casual setting. You can try out classic mezze plates like hummus, falafel, and labneh, or go for wraps or Lebanese-style pizzas. Fresh juices are also served.

If you like your meals with a side of debauchery, head to Kapara. This seductive Middle Eastern restaurant in the heart of London is inspired by the hedonism of Tel Aviv and it's open til late every day. There's a killer soundtrack, outdoor terraces, an underground private dining space, and a menu of vibrant and distinctive Israeli dishes.

Visit Bubala for a Middle Eastern feast that's completely vegetarian or vegan. The restaurants are elegant and low-lit, giving them a cosy and intimate feel. Traditional favourites as well as inspiring new dishes are on the menu, like halloumi with black seed honey, labneh, and crunchy falafel patties. A number of menus are available, including set selections.

Low-key family-run restaurant Yada's Kitchen is a top spot for Kurdish cuisine and shisha in Peckham. It's got a cool reputation and you're welcome to BYOB. The authentic menu includes things like hummus topped with olives or pistachios, simple sandwiches and wraps, grilled meat dishes, and veggie-friendly options like stew or dumplings.

A restaurant from top Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi, Nopi is a bright and airy brasserie in Soho. Pre-theatre dining is popular here, and lunch and dinner are also served. The menus focus on fresh seasonal ingredients and bold flavours, changing regularly, with typical dishes including choices like coriander seed-crusted burrata or courgette and manouri fritters.

Try traditional Levantine family recipes in a modern environment at Aline Lebanese Kitchen. This popular Middle Eastern restaurant in Central London is bright and homey and serves contemporary takes on classic comfort dishes. You can sample everything from fresh bread and sujuk sausages to mezze and grilled meats. The wine list is exclusively Lebanese, and beer from Lebanon is also available.

Check out Berenjak for authentic Iranian food. The Borough Market restaurant is spacious but the Soho spot is snug, lively, and full of character. There are creative twists on old favourites served here, like hummus prepared with black chickpeas. Middle Eastern-inspired cocktails and wines from across the region are available as well.

Enjoy casual Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes in a bright neighbourhood setting at Ottolenghi. Takeaways are available but you can also take a seat at one of the communal tables. Food is served all day, including Middle Eastern breakfast favourites, heaps of fresh salads, and well-presented cakes and desserts.

Ceru presents diners with a distinctive fusion of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours. These bright London restaurants have some outdoor tables and serve food that's indulgent while still being health-conscious. Try sharing plates like sautéed mushrooms, braised octopus, and polenta and feta fries.

You'll find some of the city's most sought-after Middle Eastern food at Iran Restaurant in Mayfair. This smart and elegant venue has a private dining room and some outside tables. Luxury caviar is on the menu, as well as classic Persian recipes like lentil soup, curries, and kebabs.

Vegetables are the star of the show at Rovi. Fermentation techniques and cooking over fire are used to bring out Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours. Meat and seafood dishes are served but veggie dishes are more prominent, with options like charred hispi cabbage with almond XO sauce and grilled leeks with olive and caper butter.

Vibrant Middle Eastern grillhouse Honey & Smoke serves specialities like kebabs, octopus, and seasonal veggies, all barbecued or roasted over flames. Menus are seasonal and there's a set lunch on weekdays. Mediterranean wines and house cocktails complete a meal here. The restaurant itself is bold and contemporary, with large-scale graphic wall art.

Try Middle Eastern cuisine in an easy-going environment at Palestinian restaurant Mihbaj. This is a modern incarnation of Levantine cooking. You can stop by just for a coffee or enjoy a meal here with options like burgers, wraps, and classic dishes like stews and moussaka. Breakfast is also available, with imaginative options like a falafel waffle.

At Shakeshuka in Marylebone you get comforting Palestinian cooking. The restaurant looks bold with hot pink walls and matching furniture. At this casual spot you can try mezze, sandwiches and wraps, and main courses like lamb cutlets, kebabs, and shawarma. Palestinian desserts and fresh juices are on the menu as well.

Head to The Palomar for food that's inspired by North Africa, southern Spain, and the Levant. There's a lively atmosphere here that makes it a popular spot for weekend meals. You'll find a variety of Middle Eastern recipes on the menu, such as glazed octopus, harissa chicken, and cumin broccoli with za'atar yoghurt.

Inspired by Tel Aviv, Bala Baya is a style-conscious spot housed in a railway arch in Southwark. The Middle Eastern dishes here are designed for sharing and focus on vibrant fresh ingredients. Options include the likes of wine-glazed cabbage, beef brisket Moroccan doughnuts, and kebab dumplings. Signature cocktails and a lively party atmosphere complete the experience.

Chef Fadi Kattan is a leading authority on Palestinian cuisine and he brings all that know-how to his West London restaurant, Akub. British ingredients and distinctive herbs from the region come together and showcase the diversity of Palestinian cooking. Wines and cocktails inspired by Palestine are available here as well.

The team behind The Black Cow, which gave an American steakhouse a Middle Eastern twist, has extended the concept to an American-style diner. The Middle Eastern restaurant in Camden serves a variety of dishes, such as burgers, platters, and sharing plates, all with intricate flavours and made from high-quality ingredients. Epicurus aims to highlight the importance of simple pleasures and friendship through dining.

Sohaila is inspired by Lebanon, serving a selection of Middle Eastern small plates that are fab for sharing, alongside a curated range of low-intervention wines. This trendy spot in Shoreditch does good too. It's run by a social enterprise that provides support and work experience to help Londoners in temporary accommodation move into long-term homes.

A go-to for brunch, Brother Marcus serves up fresh dishes across its London sites. Filled with greenery and warm wooden touches, the Middle Eastern restaurants let you scoop up hummus or baba ghanoush with pillowy pita or opt for more substantial plates like lamb kofta. The brunch line-up features favourites such as harissa eggs and shakshuka, alongside a selection of cocktails designed for leisurely daytime dining.

From the Berber & Q team, Carmel brings laidback Mediterranean vibes to Queen's Park with an all-day menu centred on live-fire grilling and wood-roasted dishes. The selection spans both smaller plates and more substantial options, all designed for sharing. At weekends, the focus shifts to brunch, where their distinctive Middle Eastern flatbreads take centre stage.