Bubala review – the Middle Eastern vegetarian and vegan restaurant taking Spitalfields by storm
★★★★☆ / Lebanese/Jordanian/Levantine / Vegetarian

Bubala review – the Middle Eastern vegetarian and vegan restaurant taking Spitalfields by storm

If vegetables are so delicious, then why do so many vegetarian and vegan restaurants insist on making them resemble meat instead? It’s never been easy eating out as a vegetarian in London. Prior to the noughties, your choices were largely divided between Indian restaurants of variable quality and hemp-ridden Mildred’s-type establishments which were almost universally … Continue reading

Mercato Metropolitano review – the Southwark street food hall trying to be everything to everyone
★★★★★ / ★★★★☆ / ★★★☆☆ / ★★☆☆☆ / ★☆☆☆☆ / Street food/food court

Mercato Metropolitano review – the Southwark street food hall trying to be everything to everyone

Halfway between Elephant & Castle and London Bridge, but nowhere in particular Updated 30/9/2019 – added reviews of new traders and updated the reviews of Badiani, Duman, Little Sicily and Turkish Garden Updated 16/4/2019 – added hyperlinked table of contents, corrected spelling and grammatical errors The weird thing about street food in London isn’t the … Continue reading

Bababoom vs Maison Bab review – new wave kebabs head-to-head
★★★★☆ / ★★★☆☆ / Eclectic / Turkish Kebabs

Bababoom vs Maison Bab review – new wave kebabs head-to-head

Islington brisket vs Covent Garden celeriac Traditional Turkish kebabs are nigh-on perfect. Whether you prefer shish, kofte, doner, iskender or beyti, the smoke and sizzle of a charcoal mangal is hard to beat. The wisest restauranteurs know better than to attempt ‘elevating’ or ‘refining’ these timeless classics, but instead attempt to put their own personal … Continue reading

Black Axe Mangal review – this isn’t just a kebab house. It’s even better than that.
★★★★☆ / Eclectic

Black Axe Mangal review – this isn’t just a kebab house. It’s even better than that.

Kebabs are just the beginning, not the end Black Axe Mangal advertises itself as an avant-garde kebab house drawing influences from around the world, not just from Turkey. But while the chargrilled meat dishes take centre stage on Black Axe’s ever-changing menu, the skill of the kitchen expresses itself in ways not confined to the … Continue reading

★★★☆☆ / Lebanese/Jordanian/Levantine

Fakhreldine review – Lebanon on Green Park

Long lived Lebanese lives up to legend? Update: this restaurant has now closed. Posh-as-corsets Mayfair may seem like an odd place for a Lebanese restaurant, but Fakhreldine isn’t some dodgy cafe with more hookah pipes than customers. It’s a years-old establishment with an attractive, elegant decor even if it does verge on resembling an inoffensively … Continue reading