Restaurant Review: Al Waha, the best Lebanese restaurant in London

Yesterday I was invited to an Eid dinner at the last minute at Al Waha in Notting Hill. Although I had gotten some takeaway there once, I had completely forgotten about it. Last night's Eid feast was a strong reminder of the sheer quality of the Lebanese cuisine at Al Waha. We had a set menu with starters, grilled meats and rice, and some desserts.

The starters, freshly baked pitas, kebbe (a mix of lamb mince and onions encased in a shell of fried lamb mince and cracked wheat), falafel, hummus, muhammara (a red pepper and nut dip), fattoush salad, and fatayer jibneh (little cheese pies) were all delicious and perfectly prepared. I consider myself to be a pretty good falafel maker, and yet I was so impressed with Al Waha's falafel! Refreshingly, the portions were appropriate for the size of our group and we weren't left with food FOMO! Not only was the food tasty, but all the dishes were incredibly visually appealing as they were well-decorated and plated.

The main courses consisted of plates of shish taouk (grilled chicken), kafta (beef kabobs), courgettes stuffed with a mix of rice and mince,  and rice served with fried nuts on top. Everything was succulent. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and at once a bit crisped on the outside and moist and tender inside. The kafta was sublime. The rice was perfectly seasoned and the stuffed courgettes were the absolute best stuffed courgettes (zucchini) I've ever, ever had in my life. And I've had A LOT of stuffed courgettes at many Lebanese restaurants. Thoughtfully, all the grilled meat was served with pita bread laid over it so that the meat stays warm. 

The dessert was a small selection of pistachio and date pastries (all freshly made) that I had with a sip of white coffee (hot water with a dab of orange blossom water). I knew the restaurant served really good food already, but I was still amazed at just how good it was. This is definitely my favourite Lebanese restaurant in London, no question about it. I also thought the price, at 22 pounds for the set meal, was very reasonable for the quality of food. And yet, on Eid, there were some empty tables at the restaurant. I'm astonished it wasn't packed to the brim, frankly. But no matter, I will be a staunch supporter and repeat visitor many times over. In fact, I can't wait to take my dad there next time he comes to London. Eid Mubarak to all (with some Eid calligraphy by my Arabic teacher below)!