The best Middle Eastern restaurants in London

Whether you’re craving some creamy hummus or succulent grilled meat, London’s diverse selection of Middle Eastern eateries is enough to make your mouth water.

From casual lunchtime pit stops to more formal dinners, here are the best Middle Eastern restaurants London has to offer.

Honey & Co

Having worked in the Ottolenghi and Nopi kitchens before launching Honey & Co, Israeli-born founders Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich are food pros when it comes to Middle Eastern cooking. Expect favourite Israeli bites including Yemeni-style falafel as well as twists on conventional classics like broad bean hummus with marinated asparagus. For mains, sharing plates include slow-cooked lamb shoulder shawarma, pomegranate chicken and meatballs with fenugreek and leeks. Make sure you try the roasted mauve aubergine with a BBQ tahini crust, too.

25 Warren St, W1T 5LZ, honeyandco.co.uk

Ottolenghi

Popular London chef Yotam Ottolenghi fuses Middle Eastern cooking with Mediterranean cuisine and his restaurants in Notting Hill, Spitalfields, Islington and Belgravia all reflect this approach. From the counter, enjoy seasonal salads featuring roasted aubergines with feta and yoghurt, and roasted sweet potato with red onion jam. Highlights from the kitchen include grilled mackerel with a miso glaze or chickpea falafel with cauliflower and tahini – just don’t forget to browse the pastry and cake display for an indulgent sweet treat to take home.

50 Artillery Ln, E1 7LJ, ottolenghi.co.uk

Bala Baya

This haunt brings a taste of Tel Aviv to Southwark. The menu is made for sharing, in true Middle Eastern style, with a mix of larger feasting plates and smaller snacking dishes. Popular bites include the sticky yet succulent chicken with bitter orange and harrisa, the spicy squid with sweet corn mayo and the harissa and maple salmon. As for the drinks, cocktails merge unusual flavour combinations; try the Honey & Smoke, a mix of whiskey, hickory smoked honey and white truffle, or the Artichoke Julep made with cynar, whiskey, Aperol, lemon and agave. Ideal for soaking up the Bauhaus-inspired decor.

229 Union St, SE1 0LR, balabaya.co.uk

The Palomar

This one is a favourite across London and for good reason. They're big on sharing plates and focus on what they call the flavours of "modern day Jerusalem". This translates to the likes of balsamic glazed chicken liver with a Jerusalem artichoke cream, burnt courgette tzatziki and a 'Tel Aviv Mix' of squid, octopus and Maghreb spices. The place gets busy but it's worth trying to get a table; food like this makes you feel warm inside.

34 Rupert St, W1D 6DN, thepalomar.co.uk​

Le Bab

When someone mentions a kebab, the word ‘gourmet’ doesn’t usually spring to mind, but the folks behind Le Bab have been slowly changing that. The top floor Kingly Court spot has five different types including falafel, corn fed chicken, lamb, paneer and a pork shawarma. Frankly, they're all good and there’s also a selection of mezze options including grilled cod cheeks with lemon hummus and cumin breaded chicken thighs with paprika mayonnaise. It's a bright restaurant that rightly packs out.

Kingly Court, W1B 5PW, eatlebab.com

Berber & Q

Offering mezzes, grills and shawarmas, Haggerston’s Berber & Q is a pit stop for all things Middle Eastern. Feast on dips such as burnt baba ganoush and burnt butter hummus – naturally served with a floury pitta. If you’re partial to a veggie side dish, tuck into their cauliflower shawarma and tabbouleh with broad beans and pecans. For the main event, choose from a selection of grilled meats including beef kofta with chilli and garlic, sweet tea brined baby chicken and grilled mackerel with rose harissa.

338 Acton Mews, E8 4EA, berberandq.com