best lebanese / m.eastern food in london?

[Wadeski]

Is there anywhere in london that is really a step above your average good-quality lebanese cafe? If you take Beirut Cafe / Maroush on the Edgeware road or Diwan on Marylebone High St as a benchmark, what would be a cut above?

I have heard Noura in belgravia is very good...but anyone got anywhere they really rate for taking things up a level?

[jazzybee]

I would suggest Fakhreldine on Picadilly near Green Park tube. I've heard some very good reviews, plus they do 50% off with the capital eats iphone app and Taste of London card.

[mrazrockit]

There is a really good one near Mile End tube station, I think its called the Lebanese (sp?) cafe. Really amazing food.

[lockhart flawse]

When you say "Step up" what exactly are you looking for? Perceived quality of the food, variety, wine list or what?

L.F.

[Wadeski]

Quite simply, a more refined approach to the cuisine. I've been to a few places in the middle east that did it really well - similar dishes, but with unusual twists and a bit more delicate flavouring.

Like the difference between an excellent French bistro, and a michelin star French restaurant. Both are good at what they do, but you expect more from the latter.

[lockhart flawse]

I would have thought that Fahkredine in Piccadiliy as suggested above would be the only place that might give you what you are looking for but I base this only on the price of their menu. I sort of know what you are saying but hummous is hummous is hummous (well chicke peas actually) unless you add meat and maybe this is what you are getting at? In my considerable experience of Lebanese cooking which I absolutely love, there is not a huge amount of variety.

L.F.

[Wadeski]

True about hummous, althuogh a few places we ate in in Syria definitely tried a modern take on classic Lebanese dishes. Smaller "tasting" portions highlighted different ingredients, and just a bit more care and attention paid to flavour and presentation.

It was actually the moutabal, fattoush and other vegetable dishes that really stood out. Also, they used thinly sliced fillet steak instead of lamb in some of the meat dishes which was interesting - a bit more gastro than bistro, if you get what i mean!

I'll check out the place in Picaddilly.