The guide to the best Lebanese restaurants in London

Serving street food with an authentic Lebanese vibe, Yalla Yalla's London restaurant draws on a trove of generous family recipes in a rich and colourful setting. You can sample a selection of mezze such as hummus and baba ghanoush, or go for traditional Lebanese grilled meat dishes or Lebanese-style burgers. Classic and Beirut-inspired cocktails, for example sangria with Lebanese red wine, are also on the menu.

For a proper Lebanese grill London-wide, hit up Comptoir Libanais. The chain's founder has set out to make Lebanese food as popular as Italian, runs numerous colourful branches around the capital. The bustling restaurants serve a selection of traditional mezze such as flatbreads, hummus and baba ghanoush, as well as wraps, tagines and other heftier fare. Larger groups can take advantage of the feast menu that's shared by the table.

Kenza comes from the man behind the popular Comptoir Libanais chain, so you can be sure they know a thing or two about Lebanese food. Taking you into a different world with vibrant surroundings, bold flavours and hypnotising belly dancers, this more refined establishment serves a range of classic menus, accompanied by house cocktails and international wines. The opulent and colourful restaurant also features different private spaces for hire.

Providing an escape from London’s busy streets, Al Waha or “oasis”, as the name translates, is a well-known traditional Lebanese restaurant. The bright and spacious space is furnished with framed calligraphy and verdant plants wherever you turn. The menu features classic favourites, including mezze platters that are perfect for sharing in this refined restaurant with an upmarket feel.

These stylish culinary oases around London serve Levantine favourites in a sleek, contemporary setting. You can start your meal with various hot or cold mezze, including different kinds of hummus, then continue with mains such as lamb shawarma, sea bass with tahini sauce, and baked seasoned aubergine. To round off your meal, indulge in one of the characteristically sweet desserts, such as baklava. Some of the menus also regularly offer live music and other entertainment.

Aline Lebanese Kitchen, a contemporary Middle Eastern restaurant in Soho, prepares dishes according to traditional family recipes. You can expect updated versions of classic Levantine comfort food – freshly baked bread, spicy sujuk sausages, flavourful dips, Lebanese grilled meats, and more. Share some mezze with your companions to get the sociable vibes going, or grab one of the bottles from the strictly Lebanese wine list.

Serving carefully prepared food in a traditional setting, the warm and friendly service at this Tooting institution makes you feel right at home. As implied by the name, the focus at this Lebanese eatery is on the mezze dishes, making Meza a great choice for a social meal. You can order wines by the glass, carafe or bottle.

Post-lockdown, Bubala's beloved Lebanese feasts expanded from its original Spitalfields location to Soho. In the restaurants’ elegant setting, you can sample established favourites and new hits in the making, including halloumi with black seed honey, falafel and labneh. Vegetarians will be happy to hear that all the food on the menu caters to the meatless crowd.

A lively restaurant and bar in Earl’s Court that also features a karaoke lounge, Orjowan provides a fun, vibrant atmosphere in a relaxing setting. The huge choice of dishes on the menu makes it a great choice for group dining – bring the whole family and settle in for a Lebanese feast with mezze favourites, lamb kebabs, vegetarian moussaka, sea bass and more.

A grand Lebanese restaurant in Knightsbridge, Ishbilia serves authentic food in a luxurious setting. Offering spacious and comfortable dining areas, the venue also features rooms for private hire. You can sample a vast array of sophisticated mezze and meat dishes here, for example grilled quail and flatbreads with different toppings, along with a curated list of both Lebanese and international wines.

Based in Bloomsbury, Mira's interior is smart and contemporary, with whitewashed walls and an abundance of wood. The menu at this relaxing and stylish eatery covers all the bases for a proper Mediterranean feast – hot and cold mezze, salads and Lebanese grilled specialties, as well as set menus. There are also plenty of Lebanese wines to choose from.

The Hiba group of restaurants serves authentic cuisine from Lebanon and Palestine. If you’re after a quick bite, traditional wraps with fillings like lamb or falafel are a solid choice. Alternatively, you can choose from various mezze and main courses such as grilled chicken, shawarma or shish kebab. The eateries also offer takeaway and catering services, and theirn meatless choices are worth special mention.

Brimming with character, Balham’s Libano offers laidback all-day dining with a varied lineup of traditional Lebanese dishes. Starting off with morning faves such as shakshuka or the Lebanese fry-up, the restaurant serves platters of fresh mezze later in the day, as well as heftier mains from the grill, for example. For the perfect finishing touch to your Middle Eastern culinary journey, treat yourself to dessert and a relaxing shisha.

A beloved destination for Lebanese cooking, Eat Beirut features a bright and modern setting. The food is prepared according to traditional recipes and methods, however. Discover the variety of Lebanese flavours through the expansive choice of mezze, from hot treats like batata harra to tabbouleh and stuffed vine leaves. Alternatively, go for one of the casseroles or Lebanese grilled meat dishes on offer.

A destination for sophisticated Lebanese dining, Layalina brings the indulgence with a contemporary interior full of plants and metallics, classic mezze on the menu, and upmarket grilled specialties such as octopus and steak. The bartenders can mix you up an aromatic signature cocktail, while the dedicated Privee space hosts different events and is also available for private hire.

A simple, contemporary restaurant that goes deep on authentic Lebanese food, Chamisse lets you explore a vast range of traditional flavours through its menu. You can sample a wide selection of mezze of various temperatures, such as sambousek pastries, salads and halloumi. As for mains, you can pick from different BBQ meat and fish dishes, or go for the hearty daily stew. And why not round off your meal with a traditional coffee while you’re there.

Serving home-cooked food made according to Lebanese and Syrian recipes, Palmyra’s Kitchen lets you explore the region’s cuisine in a comfortable setting. The menu includes something for everyone, from wraps with a wide range of fillings when you’re after a quick bite, to hearty main dishes like a mixed grill or aubergine stew. Of course, there’s plenty of different mezze dishes to choose from as well.

A hidden jewel tucked away in one of North London’s suburbs, the chefs at Warda cook traditional Lebanese food with freshly-made sauces. You can sample a wide array of mezze, as well as comforting home-cooked dishes, for example meatballs and moussaka. You can complete your meal with (c/m)ocktails and wines from Lebanon. Warda also offers catering services.

Drop by South London’s Bayroot for Lebanese classics in a casual atmosphere. You can select various platters or lunch boxes in the middle of the day, or craft your own selection of barbecued specialties, mezze and side dishes. There’s lots of choice, from vegetarian halloumi and mushrooms to sea bass fillets, marinated chicken or lamb kofte. You can also wet your beak with a local or Lebanese beer.

More than 40 years ago, the husband-and-wife duo behind Maroush helped pioneer authentic Lebanese cuisine in London. Today, the Maroush group features numerous stylish eateries around town, offering a refined take on traditional Middle Eastern favourites, as well as the fast-food-style Ranoush Juice outposts that provide quick pick-me-up meals. Most of the restaurants are open late into the night.

West London's Lebanese and Moroccan eatery Leila is devoted to sharing classic recipes from the Middle East with the people. The food here is comforting but packed with complex flavour, and the dining area is furnished with traditional ornaments and touches that bring the space to life. There's a huge selection of mezze to choose from, as well as tagines and Lebanese grilled dishes. On weekends, they do a bottomless prosecco brunch.

The family-run Chez Abir prides itself on its authentic Lebanese cuisine. The otherwise understated restaurant draws both locals and visitors with creative and traditional cookery. The varied mains are well-complemented by the heaps of hot and cold mezze on the menu. The sophisticated wine list carries bottles from around the world and you can have the staff suggest wine pairings for your meal.

The modern Paramount Lebanese Kitchen focuses on the different foundations of Lebanese and Middle Eastern culinary traditions. Bringing out the flavour by using fresh produce and quality ingredients, the venue offers authentic mezze such as hummus and crisp falafel, following up with platters of Levantine goodies, grilled specialties, wraps, flatbreads and more. You can complement your meal with one of the freshly-made juices.

A classic Victorian gastropub next to Regent’s Park, the refined Crocker’s Folly boasts plenty of marble and luxurious furnishings, a cocktail bar where you can get one of the signature concoctions such as the Folly In Love, and an outside terrace. The menu encompasses the full range of traditional Lebanese specialties, including hot or cold mezze plates, grilled mains and traditional dishes such as okra stew. Desserts include the various sugary pastries that the region is famed for, such as baklava.

Supposedly the only bakery in London to devote itself fully to authentic mana’eesh flatbreads, Zeit & Zaatar bakes these Lebanese staples in a hot oven and loads them up with a variety of classic toppings – cheese, labneh, chicken shawarma, vegetables and more. They also add their own spin to the traditional dish with off-beat toppings such as Cajun chicken & jalapeno pepper.

London's Abd el Wahab is the first European venture by a now global group that's named after the street in Beirut where it originally started out. The Belgravia restaurant provides genuine Lebanese hospitality in a trendy, verdant setting. Menu highlights include refreshing salads, different types of the traditional fatteh dishes, various Lebanese grilled specialties, and sweet pastries to round off your meal. Drinks include a range of Lebanese and international wines, as well as classic cocktails.

The elegant Massis by the Paddington Basin features a dark wood interior and a sunny outdoor patio. The dishes here come as mezze, with sharing in mind, and include cold options such as hummus, moussaka or fattoush salad, hot dishes like falafel or different flavours of sambousek, and grilled specials. You can wash them down with wine, classic and signature cocktails, beers and an array of non-alcoholic beverages.

Baba Ghanouj offers a relaxed dining experience in South Kensington, serving genuine Lebanese cuisine in a modern ambience. You can enjoy a range of breakfast options with fresh Lebanese bread, manakeesh pizzas, with a range of toppings, salads, grilled specialities, wraps, and other traditional dishes. They also provide family-sharing platters and takeaway options for those on the go.

Maison St Cassien is a popular eatery among professional tennis players and celebrities, especially come Wimbledon Championships time – Andy Murray has even attributed his success to their chicken sandwich. The restaurant displays autographed photos of its famous patrons and serves a menu rich in Mediterranean and Lebanese delicacies, from breakfast to evening mains. 

Sohaila, drawing inspiration from Lebanese cuisine, blends contemporary Middle Eastern sharing plates with a carefully selected assortment of natural wines. Furthermore, not only is it a restaurant and a wine bar, it's also a social initiative assisting Londoners transition from hostels to homes. The mezze menu features Middle Eastern staples such as flatbreads and labneh.

You can sample genuine Lebanese cuisine at one of The Cedar's branches in London. With its classic aesthetics and exposed brickwork, the ambiance complements the comprehensive menu that features Lebanese wraps, an extensive selection of mezze and salads, and main courses such as chicken shawarma or octopus. Some of the branchers also offer breakfast dishes, and you can get a takeaway here as well.