Al Balad in City of London, Westminster

The most wonderful Lamb Shawarma I’ve ever tasted. The food was delicious and the service impeccable. Shukran Mahmoud and team

Very good food The lamb sandwich , falafel sandwich and hummus were authentic in flavour Good value for money

Unfortunately, the "old" employee's style is not good with customers

Great Lebanese place in London, portions are generous and well seasoned, staff is friendly.

A nice and clean restaurant, but sometimes it gets crowded due to the large amount of work and customers

Disappointing Experience – Overpriced, Rude Staff & Burnt Food I recently visited Al Balad in London with a guest from abroad, hoping to enjoy a great Middle Eastern meal. Unfortunately, it was a bad experience. First, the service was terrible. The staff were rude and unprofessional, forcing us to move from a table that wasn’t reserved. Instead of welcoming us, they made us feel uncomfortable. Second, the food was overpriced and not worth the money. We spent £112 for three people, yet the portions were small, and we left feeling hungry. Worse, the lamb chops were burnt—completely overcooked and dry. For this price, we expected much better quality. Note for manager : your staff should be prepared how to serve customers, and you have to teach them how to look after customers Overall, this place does not offer good value for money, and the bad service made it even worse. I wouldn’t recommend it—there are much better Middle Eastern restaurants in London with better food, service, and pricing.

Their food is delicious, the meat is fresh, and the service is excellent

The best food and shisha in the UK. In addition, very good staff, especially Muhammad. He makes the shisha very good and is very polite.

The most delicious lamb shawarma I had in London. I set outside to the street it was noisy... but the shawarma was best Frankly speaking, the most delicious meat shawarma...but I did not like the chicken shawarma :)

The food is rated 8 out of ten for honesty. But the treatment and service are very bad. The orders were taken incorrectly. The young men were angry and insulted non-Arab customers in Arabic. Loss of good food and bad treatment. I advise anyone to go without speaking Arabic. Because there is a difference in dealing.

Still so good. The staff is welcoming and available The flavors remain authentic. I remember the time when this restaurant displayed a stuffed sheep in the window

the food was okay to good, the restaurant wasn't clean at all and the service was below average and the atmosphere wasn't welcoming at all

Good food but there is areas of improvement. Best dish is grilled boneless baby chicken

Convenient place to eat if you’re parking close by otherwise it is close to a few stations. Seating area is good though can be a bit tight if crowded. Staff is quite friendly and efficient. Food did not take long to get served. Food itself was quite delicious!

The restaurant I visit most in London But on New Year's Day, it is so crowded that you have to wait outside the restaurant I recommend the grilled ones Hummus Lebanese kibbeh

The food was cold and was delayed for no reason, even though the restaurant was empty and the waiter did not welcome customers without experience, and the price was high compared to 2 shawarma for 30 pounds.

I don't get much authentic food from other background being from a small city in America. I loved the atmosphere, the food was amazing, is never had shawarma before and the Lebanese coffee was all amazing. Couple new experiences with amazing food amazing staff with wonderful smiles and amazing atmosphere. No one was weird with me either.

Used to be finest lamb cubes I’ve had in London.. always cooked well and juicy .. I return from time to time .. unfortunately this last time the quality declined and the prices just keep increasing .. so I had to revise my rating .. not sure I will return tbh

The experience at this Lebanese restaurant in London was okay overall. It’s a decent option if you’re looking for a quick and easy meal with a variety of Lebanese dishes to choose from, including kebabs. The restaurant was quite busy, which added to the lively atmosphere, and they also offer shisha in the outdoor seating area, which is a nice touch. It’s a solid 4 stars for the convenience and variety.

Great food, we really enjoyed it. Very well done!

The food was fine, but quite pricey for what you get in my opinion. On top of this, the guy working here seemed to adopt me as the brunt of his jokes whenever he would check-up on our table - not entirely sure what that was about, but each to their own I suppose. It’s nice that the staff here are friendly, but I’ve definitely had better Middle Eastern food elsewhere.

I ordered chicken and beef shawarma. The teacher's shawarma is delicious and I get five stars for the shawarma, but I am a fan of shawarma and their shawarma is from another world 👍. Cons: The tables are crowded and the place is cramped The order may be delayed a little due to crowding. At the time I came, the restaurant was crowded.

The food is delicious and delicious The service is good and the prices are reasonable

Quite surprised to see the reviews posted on this restaurant. We went there with 5 friends, everything was excellent. We had rice with chicken, hummus, eggplant caviar, kebbeh. Everything was really delicious. Only small negative: in the evening in the restaurant the music is very loud.

A terrible place to have food. Extremely overpriced, ie. not good value for money. Unfriendly staff. In fact took our plates away even when we were still eating!

This restaurant is appalling, from the customer service to the quality and portions of the food. The manager and the waiters were rude, slow ignorant service like they couldn't be bothered. The food was tasteless the portions were so small and prices so high. They are just riping people off with attitude.. I would never ever go back there.

When we first walked in, the staff seemed friendly and assumed we were tourists, attempting to sweet-talk us. We checked the menu carefully and knew exactly what we wanted to order. We even gave the item numbers—Falafel and Chicken Shawarma Wraps. However, the server tried to confuse us by asking, “Do you want it with rice or chips?” That’s when things started feeling manipulative. Without clarifying the options or pricing, he said, “Don’t worry, I’ll bring it with rice on the plate and chips separately.” At that point, he was making decisions for us instead of explaining what was on the menu. When the bill arrived, it was 38-40% higher than what we had expected based on our original order. I immediately questioned it and pointed out that this was not what we had asked for it was misleading and felt like a scam. The server struggled to respond and offered no proper explanation. I paid the bill but made it clear that I was very unhappy with how they had handled the situation. I also informed them that I would leave a review to warn others about this behavior. They had no words to defend themselves. This experience was extremely disappointing, and I hope this feedback ensures they don’t try to take advantage of others in the same way.

Absolutely appalling and rudely run shambles of a place. I have never come across staff who go out of their way to be so obnoxious. Do not waste your time here.

Terrible attitude. Staff are rude and incompetent. I took a party of nine, which will definitely not be happening again.

I didn’t go to this restaurant by plan; it was a random choice. The food was fresh and very tasty, especially the kebab, but the overall experience was disappointing. We waited for more than an hour to get the food, and the staff service was very poor. One staff member told us the chips were complimentary and placed them on the table, but another came shortly after and took them away, saying they were meant for another table. There seemed to be no proper communication between the staff. The portion size was small, especially considering the high price for just one portion. There was no complimentary salad or hummus provided, which was disappointing given the cost. To make matters worse, we were still charged service charges despite the poor service.

The food is really over priced and the service was bullshit

Bad quality and quantity for the price

Small portion of food, really bad customer service. Worst experience service

Horrible servicio al cliente, nos trató con un ambiente muy desagradable y habló con nosotros en un tono agresivo muy pasivo.

Serving people randomly. We came first and we get served last.

Incredibly overpriced food along with rude and racist staff. Anyone who isn't fair skinned is treated with contempt

Houmous was nice, sharwarma ok but had better. Staff service could be better for sure.

The food is delicious, but the kitchen deserves to be rammed, creaking, creaking, and rusty, and it is located next to the bathrooms, and the bathrooms hurt the liver. By God, I would have been shocked. If I had seen this, I would not have eaten.

Totally racist, there is no service sense in this restaurant, waste of money and time. Made us wait for more than an hour, but none of the staff was concerned about the table, people who joined us later were served quickly. When asked to cancel the order as it took way longer, the staff member rudely waved his hands by showing us the door to get out.

Had a long queue however looks fantastic food indeed. Staff Mahmud was very helpful to assist us to get accommodated in such a busy restaurant.

Expensive and not good sometimes bad

The food and service are bad and the prices are exaggerated

Best Lebanese restaurant in London if not the UK 👏

I paid £30 for a chicken shawarma plate and tabbouleh. The shawarma plate alone was £19. To be honest, I didn’t check the menu for prices or ask beforehand. The portion size was disappointing—it was barely enough to fill a standard sandwich. The chips were inedible, the shawarma was just okay, and the tabbouleh was awful. Safe to say, I’ll never go back.

Best shawarma I had in years. Had to say it to the chef myself 😎

Good quality very bad customer service bad they don’t care about the customers u complained about the small portions I’ve been told next time when you come we give you double very very bad service I wouldn’t recommend anyone to go there

Very very bad restaurant quality is bad customer service is bad disrespectful stuff honestly i never recommend this restaurant prices very high as well

Poor service, unprofessional staff, floor manager treated us bad, and asked us to leave because the food we ordered was less in his opinion to dine in.

Extremely bad service. The floor manager was so rude. Not recommended if you're with family or group of friend's

Very bad customer service. Extremely rude to the customers Not recommened if youre with a group of friends or family! 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻

very bad customers service, floor manager was very rude , not recommended to come with friends and family , its really bad experience to came here with friends...

The services were bad and the floor manager was rude not recommending to come over here

An Arabic restaurant, the food is delicious, the service is excellent, and the shisha outside is excellent

The price is worse than the portion, stay away from that restaurant.

I absolutely love Balad Restaurant in central This place has an incredible ambiance that perfectly complements the delicious food. The menu is a treasure trove of authentic Lebanese flavors, and everything I’ve tried has been fresh, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. The staff are friendly, attentive, and make you feel truly welcome.Whether you’re a fan of Lebanese cuisine or trying it for the first time, Balad is a must visit. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for great food and a wonderful dining experience!

My wife and I went to eat at Al Balad restaurant, and it was the worst experience. I do not recommend it at all. We ordered two plates of meat biryani. The order arrived. The smell of the meat was very rancid and the rice was doughy. When we spoke to the waiter, he was friendly, but I was told that he would inform the management. The price was very expensive for rancid meat, doughy rice, and not enough for the biryani. Basala is a very bad experience. We ate it a previous time. It was good and the rice was wonderful. The appetizers were very delicious. We ordered bad taouk instead of biryani. It is very harsh and I do not recommend it. The workers’ voice is as if you are in a popular market

Lack of commitment to time and one of the worst Arabic restaurants in the region, and exaggerated prices, I do not recommend it

I asked them for mixed grilled meats, hummus, and lentil soup, which tasted great and was not a mistake, Mashallah

Really bad customer service and very slow as well, we asked for water and some sauce 2-3 times, they say they are coming but forgetting every time, not coming back again.

La comida es excelente, buenos ingredientes y calidad. Kebab cocinado en la parrilla visible fabuloso. Humus gran plato. Tuvimos una buena cena, ok servicio y volveremos cada vez que estemos por aquí. Gente amable allí.

One of the best Lebanese food I ever had.

It is beautiful and worth the experience. All the employees provide excellent service. Thank you. Glory be to God and praise be to Him, Glory be to God Almighty

The food was lovely and the servers, especially Ammar, were always courteous and friendly! Would definitely recommend

Fatoosh is beyond 😋 yummy for me is the best fatoosh I ever had.

Food was really good..our group enjoyed it I will recommend everyone..just go n have a fun 😍

Gran lugar para nuestro almuerzo / cena temprana, con personal muy acogedor. El servicio y la comida eran excelentes y me hicieron un plato de berenjenas que no estaba en el menú.

The food is delicious. The service is good. The place needs an old renovation and the chairs have cracked leather.

Very ordinary and expensive food, and they increase the prices, especially the one who has a tall, bald manager and puts service fees on his head every day. I do not recommend it, be careful of it, and their chicken smells delicious and delicious 🤢

Food served so late, and they were so expensive, and a bottle of water was £6. It's not worth going there.

Rajaa gave excellent service and was so sweet, kind, and friendly. She was very attentive and considerate and made sure our table got everything we need. She went above and beyond. The food was amazing and ambience was perfect.The owner also came to check on our table and make friendly conversation. Best restaurant on Edgeware Road!

Excellent hospitality lipsmacking food Very beautiful friendly ambience Owner Hussein was very amicable and polite I wish to visit Al ballad again n again when I visit London maybe soon ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️👌👌👌👌👌👍👍👍👍👍

With a lively ambience and chirpy crowd, Al-Balad gave us the best experience of Lebanese food in London. The menu hosts a plethora of Lebanese dishes and you get everything from starters to main courses with sumptuous quantity. The staff is super jovial and welcoming, always at your beck and call!

Excellent food and excellent service

A must try! You won't regret it!

I recently visited Al Baladi on Edward Road with my family after having dinner nearby. We were looking forward to enjoying some baklava and tea to end our evening. When we arrived, the gentleman at the entrance welcomed us warmly, gave us menus, and made us feel invited. However, things took a sudden turn when one of the managers inside, a short, bald man, approached us. To our surprise, he informed us that we couldn’t just order dessert because they only serve full meals. I explained that we had already eaten elsewhere and were simply looking to enjoy dessert, but he rudely told us to “go somewhere else.” There was no signage or mention of this rule anywhere, and his tone was dismissive and unprofessional. The experience left us feeling embarrassed and unwelcome, especially since we’d been initially invited in. It was disappointing to be treated this way over something as simple as a dessert order. We expected more courtesy and understanding, especially in a family-friendly setting like Al Baladi.

Buen lugar para un café libanés y baklawa. El café era excelente y perfectamente endulzado. Baklawa era sabroso. La comida se veía bien. Sin duda volveré a probarlo.

Tasty food, good service and friendly people

The food is not good, don't go there

Previously been to this restaurant and staff are always rude. Recently witness management being difficult with staff because they weren’t Arabic. They also told them to go else where because they did not want to serve them. If you’re not Arabic they will be very dismissive! AVOID

Amazing ✨, really nice restaurant, fresh and delicious food, great atmosphere ✨, friendly staff, good service, I recommend it 💯

The food is extremely delicious and the workers there are super nice specially Mustafa he is the best

The food is delicious. I tried the shawarma, it's expensive, but it's nice. When I first came, I said you would accept cash, haha, I can't fail!

One of the worst Arabic restaurants I have ever seen No good service or good food And liars manipulate prices

Solo para agregar mis dos peniques a las reseñas a continuación: no hay modales en absoluto del servicio allí. Nos han traído con un pedido equivocado allí, no hay excusa después de que dijimos que no es lo que pedimos - camarero respondió “no es su problema”, rasgó plástico dentro de una ensalada, infló los precios en el recibo en comparación con los precios en el menú. Apenas puedes oír tus pensamientos tratando de cenar allí. No puedo creer que cosas así pasen por Hyde’s Park esquina.

The food is good, but the prices are high, the atmosphere inside the restaurant is very noisy, and the shisha outside is annoying for families.

I m ordering a lamb with rice lamb is not fresh cold

An Arab-Lebanese restaurant. They have a wide variety of dishes. I got a chicken shawarma from them. It was delicious, but it seemed a little salty. The prices are high, at 8 pounds per unit, despite its quality, which is expensive. The service is fast.

The restaurant, in all honesty, is very good at eating. I ordered chicken kabsa from them. Honestly, in all honesty, it has a delicious taste and their service is very good, especially the sister Abeer, who is very good in manners and service and is always smiling. I honestly recommend the restaurant.

Very bad, especially the chicken shawarma, asphalt to the highest degree And its price is 8.5 pounds!! I don't know what

Probably the worst restaurant in central London. To start the shawarma was cold and flavourless, the chips were hard, I’m pretty sure they fried the chips multiple times to make it seem ‘fresh’. We found a hair in our food and the man serving didn’t even acknowledge us. It came up to £45. Which is a terrible price comparing the portions. The staff were unwelcoming and kept staring us and other people while we were there. Not to mention the seats were sticky. If you’re looking for a nice place to try authentic Lebanese food, I would avoid this place.

The food is delicious and the fattoush is another story 🌸 and the service is wonderful ♥️ The place is very ordinary, but there is a negative, which is the location of the sinks and bathrooms, a narrow staircase down 💔

Delicious 😋 I ordered the country grill, a chicken shawarma plate, and hummus gharqan oil 👍🏼

The meat was a little bit undercooked, even though we waited 45 minutes for the food. The flavours and spices were nice and chilli sauce had a good kick to it. Restaurant is quite cramped with seats close together

You ask him for a request and he tells you that you have a second request so that I don’t go and come again and he blows his throat!! He makes you feel like he is eating from his account! An Arab one, of course

Excellent food quality, amazing taste. The presentation was so perfect, it can make anyone hungry. Lamb was very tender and juicy, I never had this taste in other Lebanese Restaurents at Edgeware road. Highly recommend everyone to visit here, I must say, you will come again as me.

The food was very mediocre, there were many delays in orders, and the prices were very expensive. It was a failed experience and I do not recommend this restaurant

Superb chicken Shawarma, the best I’ve had in a long time.

Frankly, the treatment is very bad and the prices are very high A disgusting taste and smell, a failed personal experience, the worst experience in London that I regret

I love this restaurant We eat well and it’s delicious Each time I go to London I don't miss my tawuk wrap, my apple shisha and my tea. Always served by M’Hammad who welcomes me very well and remembers my culinary rituals even after a long absence. I feel good in this place which may not necessarily please everyone. So thank you for the people in the kitchen and for M’Hammad See you next time :)

Excellent and tasty food. Very quick service but busy and crowded in the evening.