A Little Outpost of Lebanon in London

London in the sunshine is a thing of beauty - chaotic, frenetic and simply glorious. Now as a Londoner, Oxford Circus is not a typical destination as it is cluttered with tourists but I found myself navigating down Regent Street to Aline of Lebanon for lunch with a contact.

With the rise of chefs like Yotam Ottolenghi and restaurants like Palomar, London has renewed its interest in food from this corner of the world.  A cuisine which seems to take its inspiration from Turkey and its Mediterranean neighbors - offering a wide spread of meze - but with a sweet often moreish kick.

Aline of Lebanon is a little Mayfair for my tastes with decor that is clean and light (gorgeous plates and cutlery though) but takes inspiration from Middle Eastern Cinema.  There are also a selection of tall willowy creatures wafting in and out but no matter, my companion and I focused on the menu.

Thyme and Rose G&T were strong with a real hit of rose but not cheap at £9 a short (I shall have to explain this to my finance department later).  We ordered a selection of Meze which arrived in good time and with a little flourish.

Hommus (their spelling not mine) as good as were the flat breads that arrived to carry this staple to our hungry mouths.  Fattoush - the ubiquitous salad of herbs, tomato and cucumber - was boosted by sumac and pomegranate seeds but was a little heavy on the parsley so you rather felt you were enjoying some gorgeously tasty grass cuttings.

Now I’ve seen Kibbeh on TV before but I’ve never had chance to try these minced lamb and burghal balls stuffed with lamb, onion and pine nuts.  They were tasty but curiously dry so the chilli sauce they provided when I asked really helped.  I suggest this is offered as standard!

Chicken wings (the only dish I managed not to photograph due to sheer greed) were a triumph, beautifully charred with a sprinkling of spices and falling off the bone.  These alone would be worth visiting Aline for but I would avoid the prawns as they were sadly a little tough and dry. 

What is life without potatoes?  We ordered Bata harrah which is a little like Spanish Patatas Bravas but with crispier potatoes and no lovely tomato sauce to cut the dryness - it could have done with some.

We merrily munched our way through the dishes as we put the world to rights, swapped interesting gossip and generally did a grand job of catching up.  Then the bill arrived and I was reminded that we were very much in Mayfair.

The food is good - but I’ve had cheaper, more authentic and tastier elsewhere - apart from the chicken wings!  Perhaps I might stick to those next time!

L xx