One of the foodie capitals in the world, London is home to a diverse range of cuisines – and Middle Eastern flavours, dishes, restaurants and menus are no exception. Tapping into the rich culinary heritages of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Israel, Turkey and beyond, London’s best Middle Eastern restaurants are here to prove there’s much more to this cuisine than just falafel and hummus. Here are the best to book now.
Arabica, Borough Market and King’s Cross
Arabica, the acclaimed modern Eastern Mediterranean restaurant group known for its velvety dips, colourful mezze, and smoky grilled dishes, is celebrating its 25th year in 2025. Founded by chef James Walters – who first set up a trestle table in Borough Market selling falafel, a small selection of fresh mezze, and spices – Arabica has now developed into two bricks and mortar restaurants, as well as an online store, while the original market stall still serves falafel to Borough’s hungry punters.
To celebrate this milestone, Arabica has launched a summer menu of dishes inspired by the past two decades and mixing beloved classics with new favourites. Expect house hummus with zhug and confit garlic, labneh with lemon and pumpkin dukkah, roast cod with tahini, and our personal favourite: chicken and pistachio shish with charred lemon. Paired with smart service and a thoughtful wine list curated from Europe’s best vineyards and up-and-coming Lebanese wineries, this is a must for Middle Eastern food fans.
Visit arabicalondon.com
Akub, Notting Hill
Fadi Kattan’s modern Palestinian restaurant, Akub, offers a curated menu of traditional flavours from the Middle East made using British produce. Celebrating Palestine’s rich food heritage, the restaurant takes its name from a seasonal flowering thistle native to the country and its concept is centred around an abundant tawla: a dining table with lots of sharing plates.
Highlights include an authentic bread selection which can be enjoyed with a much-loved red-lentil moutabal – lentils blended with tahini and cumin – followed by a slow-cooked lamb neck with a shatta mayo. Veggies needn’t feel left out thanks to crowd-pleasing options of mafghoussa, aka courgettes with garlic yogurt, and maftool salad: Palestinian hand-rolled wheat, aubergine and pomegranate topped with mint and pine nuts. End your meal on a sweeter note with a seasonal baklawa, or moreish Dead Sea chocolate cake. Plus, head here at weekends for brunch with a twist – think Arabic coffee French toast, or fried eggs with sumac and Akub bread. Delicious.
27 Uxbridge Street, W8 7TQ, visit akub-restaurant.com
Noreen, Marylebone
Located in St Christopher’s Place, Noreen is a new Middle Eastern restaurant inspired by the traditions of the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant. Meaning ‘two lights’ in Arabic, Noreen highlights the warmth of the region through gorgeous interiors featuring earthy tones and signature tadelakt curved walls, which reflect the artistry of Syrian and Lebanese craftsmen, as well as a menu of mezzes and fire-kissed meats led by chef Mehdi Hani. From Lebanese and Syrian heritage, Hani inspires a wealth of culinary traditions, from breads and dips including badenjan aubergine purée and whipped feta with chilli to Minqala grilled and slow-cooked dishes.
Don’t miss the braised lamb shoulder with smoked bukhari rice, crispy shallots, tomato daqoos and braising jus, or the Moghrabieh Levantine pasta pearls with short rib, shallot, bone marrow and spinach. Dishes are paired with cocktails created by lauded mixologist, Mr Lyan, who has used the traditional distilled spirit, Arak, throughout the menu, as well as putting modern twists on Middle Eastern staple ingredients, like hibiscus, tahini and black lime. Try the Arabian coffee and salep martini with vodka, date molasses, salep and spice, or the black lime and mango sharbat with white rum, black lime, mango cordial and Campari. If vino is more your thing, look to the well-balanced wine list from new, young and emerging producers across lesser-known regions in Lebanon and the Eastern Mediterranean.
28-32 St Christopher’s Place, W1U 1NU, visit noreen-london.com
Claro, St James’s
Fancy a fusion? Claro is a modern Mediterranean restaurant with Middle Eastern influences set in a historic listed building and former bank in the heart of St James’s. Founded by three friends and rooted in the culinary vision of acclaimed Israeli chef Ran Shmueli, Claro London builds on the vision of its inaugural Tel Aviv restaurant, which has been open for more than a decade.
The menu is led by head chef Shadi Issawy and focuses on seasonality and dishes that bring people together. Start with a selection of snacks, including Claro’s signature Frena bread with matbucha, labneh, spicy zhug and olives or the chilli tasting plate, before selecting mains from three sections, offering a selection of fish, meat and vegetable options. We recommend the monkfish shawarma, seared octopus with Merguez sausage and chickpeas, and lamb-stuffed okra with tomato ragù.
12 Waterloo Place, SW1Y 4AU, visit claro-london.com
Bubala, across London
Image: Bubala
Meaning ‘darling’ in Yiddish, Bubala takes its inspiration from across the Middle East, with a big focus on Israeli flavours incorporated into an all-vegetarian menu. Also nodding to the rich cultures of Turkey, Lebanon and Morocco, and adopting a no substitutes attitude, shunning the synthetic and processed and instead championing the best and most exciting veg the team can get their hands on, expect plates of labneh, confit garlic and za’atar, Swiss chard dolma stuffed with black rice and tomato, and halloumi drizzled with black seed honey. With outposts in King’s Cross, Spitalfields and Soho, opt for the Bubala Mezze menu on weekday lunches, or the Bubala Knows Best set menu on weeknights and weekends, to take away the agony of choice and enjoy the restaurant’s most loved dishes.
Visit bubala.co.uk
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Dining and Cooking