Beyrouths’ Restaurant Review: A taste of the Middle East in South West London

There are now three Beyrouths’ restaurants in London offering authentic Middle Eastern food at mid-range prices and last week I paid a visit to my local restaurant, situated on Streatham High Street in southwest London. I’ve walked past Beyrouths’ countless times before without really giving it much thought as the exterior doesn’t grab your attention. Once inside, you’re greeted by a pretty large space with an industrial feel that I don’t think compliments the food or the overall dining experience.

I went to dinner with a friend of mine and we kicked things off with a glass of Beyrouths’ house white wine – Le Blanc d’Observatoire from Chateau Ksara. It’s a Lebanese wine with French influence, and not only is it very nice but it really complimented the food that we went on to enjoy. From the word go, the waiting staff were incredibly attentive and very helpful when it came to recommending dishes.

We began our meal with two starters. I chose to try the Moussaka (£5.00) and I was slightly surprised by the stark difference between the Greek and Middle Eastern interpretations of the dish. At Beyrouths’ I found that although it was very tasty and well-flavoured, the Moussaka was slightly oiler than I’m used to and felt a little bit lacking. It was definitely better suited as a starter rather than a main but I wasn’t too fond of the presentation, which I thought looked, rushed. Overall, although the Moussaka was tasty it was a bit expensive for what it was and I don’t think I’d order it again.

In contrast, my dining partner chose the Halloum Meshwi (£5.50), a platter of cooked halloumi cheese. Not only did it look tremendous on the plate but it tasted fantastic too. It was utterly delicious and among some of the best halloumi I’ve ever tried, making it well worth the price and something that I’d certainly return to eat again!

For my main I chose the Lahem Meshwi (£14.00), chargrilled cubes of marinated lamb with a piece of flatbread and side salad, also served with your choice of side dish. I chose a vegetarian side called Khosh Khash, a delicately spiced tomato and pepper dish that had just a slight chilli kick. I thought that it was a really nice accompaniment to the meat, which was otherwise sauceless, and I really enjoyed the dish. My only other comment is that my main felt slightly on the expensive side, but taste-wise I had absolutely no complaints.

My dining partner opted for the Mixed Plate (£14.00), which in retrospect seems like the better choice! It was similar to my dish but it featured a selection of marinated and chargrilled lamb and chicken along with chicken kafta, showcasing the range of meats available on the menu. Of the three the marinated chicken was the most delicious and if I returned I’d definitely opt for the chicken main dish, Shish Taouk (£11.00). This main was also served with your choice of side, and my partner opted for chips. They were pretty good but were particularly nice when dipped into the Khosh Khash that I’d ordered.

For desert we tried the Bourma (£5.00), an Arabic sweet made from vermicelli pastry with a pistachio filling. They weren’t overly sweet as the pistachios were rather salted and savoury, but this rendered them a perfect for anyone who doesn’t have a particularly sweet tooth. I think they’d make a lovely accompaniment to black coffee.

Lastly, we shared two scoops of ice cream (£2.00), we chose the flavours coconut and cookie. The cookie flavour was pretty boring but the coconut ice cream was fabulous and I’d definitely order it again

Overall, I really enjoyed my meal at Beyrouths’ Streatham Restaurant. I liked the variety of dishes available and the authentic flavours of the food. The service was also really good and the restaurant wasn’t overly busy but it also wasn’t completely dead either. However, for what our meal was I think that the prices of each dish are just a little bit too high – resulting in a total spend that doesn’t quite feel justified. That being said, if you can stomach the slightly inflated prices then the food is really tasty and satisfying. I would definitely come back to eat here again, but I think I’d be much more vigilant about the dishes I chose to try and get more for my money.

 

Beyrouth Website 

Address: 20-21 The High Parade, Streatham High Road, London SW16 1EX

Phone:020 7998 1853

Hours:

Open today · 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.

 

Angelica Pomroy

@OneLittleVice
www.onelittlevice.blogspot.co.uk