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4,0

Based on 967 opinions finded in 2 websites

4.0Ambience4.0Cuisine4.0Price3.5Service
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Great food, really friendly staff, amazing service, had a lovely evening for a special occasion!

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Carol O'Flaherty . 2024-03-09

MORE AT Google

Lovely decor and nice staff but the food was lacklustre and mostly stale

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Saarah Nakhuda . 2024-02-26

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Lovely neighbourhood restaurant, great food and attentive staff

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John Wilkins . 2024-02-14

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I had the pleasure of dining at this gem of a Lebanese restaurant, which surpassed our expectations. The ambiance radiated an incredibly positive energy, making every moment inside a joyous experience. Above all, the gentle and attentive service provided by Adam, our young waiter, was both impeccable and personal, adding a touch of elegance to our night and making it truly unforgettable.

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mmakro . 2024-02-11

MORE AT Google

Good food nice atmosphere. I like it and recommend for anyone want to try real middle east food in a quiet place

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hiba yazji . 2024-01-28

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What an incredible place! The service was fabulous, food was INCREDIBLE, and wine was excellent!! Ahmed was the best server and singer and dancer for my sisters birthday. Will definitely be coming back!!

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Katie Sheridan . 2024-01-17

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I love the special vegetables! And the customer service!

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Zoe Brown . 2024-01-17

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Early 2023. I love this restaurant, its my favorite of all. Mimo the owner is a lovely man, we have known him for years, and the staff are very polite. 😁 I wish we still lived in Jericho. 😢

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Natalie Stowell . 2024-01-16

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My new favourite restaurant in oxford - the food is so delicious, fresh, & reasonably priced. Also great for vegetarian food - loved the okra, fava beans, fatoush, vine leaves, & baklava. Strongly recommend for families/friends/couples

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Caroline Ritchie . 2024-01-14

MORE AT Google

Great place. Nice staff; even better food. Great for conference dinners!

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Meindert Peters . 2024-01-13

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Amazing and authentic food. We ordered tea afterwards. The place is very cozy and family friendly. Staff are very nice too.

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Haya Alkaabi . 2023-12-15

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It's a great place.. great food.. many veg options as well which I was not expecting..

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Raghuttam Hombal . 2023-12-14

MORE AT Google

They charged £5 for service that never been done.

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Abu-Hesham AQ . 2023-12-09

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Lamb shanks were burnt and dry. Okra was fibery and almost inedible. Shawarma was alright but dry. The waiter was confused about which food is what. There are way better restaurants in Oxford, don't waste your time with this one.

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Thomas Glaser . 2023-12-02

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Al Shami is without doubt a hidden gem in Jericho, serving the best Lebanese food in Oxford. Best visited with a large group to fully appreciate the array of mezze dishes on offer, the staff are charming and the food delicious. Tonight I attended a party here and brought my six month old along as a surprise extra guest. The staff could not have been kinder, providing us with a highchair and special food for the little one. Ahmed in particular was charming,playing with and entertaining the baby while Mum ate flatbread! Very family friendly, really warm atmosphere and always always the best food. 5 stars!

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James Jenn . 2023-11-23

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this place is really nice!! the waiter especially, such good customer service😁😁food was very yum!! not the best lebanese ever but very decent and tasty!!

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Abigail X . 2023-11-18

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Very delicious food with a relaxed and family-friendly setting. Our server Manar was excellent and advised us on what he would order, and it didn’t disappoint. Highly recommend.

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A. O'Farrell . 2023-11-10

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Amazing food and friendly staff, will definitely be back!

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Alexandru Nagy . 2023-11-04

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I cannot speak highly enough of this family run restaurant. As an Arab woman myself, it’s the most authentic food I’ve had since coming to the UK. Everything from the music to the food to the decor! The meals were well portioned and the staff went out of their way to not only explain anything we needed but also to provide belly laughs for the whole night. This is quite literally the first review I’ve ever left and I must say that I cannot be more pleased to have discovered this restaurant and the incredible people who work here. Alf Alf shukr!

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Nadia Abdel-Halim . 2023-11-02

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I loved this place. Hands down best service and most friendly people I’ve met in a long time. Food was brilliant and I genuinely came away feeling a million times better and fuller!!!

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Molly Mackean . 2023-11-02

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If I could give it more than 5 stars I would! Food was delicious & authentic, service was the warmest I’ve experienced in all of the U.K, let alone Oxford!

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Steph Darby . 2023-11-02

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Such warm and friendly hosts Fabulous food

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P Haynes . 2023-11-02

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Fabulous dining experience We had a selection of meze with such a variety of taste and all wonderful. Really appreciated the owner’s suggestion to try different dishes. Had excellent personal service , and enjoyable chats. Definitely be back , thank you so much

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Lorraine Spalding . 2023-10-25

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Very charming, with friendly, enthusiastic staff and delicious food! Would absolutely recommend.

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Raphael Darley . 2023-10-25

MORE AT Google

Prices are very exaggerated. The amount of food is very small, and even the bread they provide is not enough. If you order one loaf of bread, it will be charged to you in the bill.

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Sami . 2023-10-22

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The food is amazing but the staff is quite rude. We had some vegetarian friends that had a hard time trying to understand how the vegetarian options would come as part of the group deal. If your group has vegetarian peioky, it's not worthy. Otherwise, it serves great food.

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Marcela Alves . 2023-10-08

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Really nice food, thankfully not too busy so a nice atmosphere

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Kamran Malik . 2023-10-04

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Amazing food. The host was extremely friendly, and showed us an example of great hospitality

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Ahmed K Shalaby . 2023-09-28

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Amazing food and great atmosphere. Many thanks to Ahmad who was helpful while ordering with a cheerful attitude!

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Mohamad Hajali . 2023-09-28

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We visited Oxford for the day and had an amazing lunch at this beautiful Restaurant. The food was stunning and the service was great. Definitely coming back.

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A H . 2023-09-25

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This is the perfect restaurant if you have a larger group of people who want to eat excellent food in a pleasant atmosphere in central Oxford. After a conference we went there with a group of 24 people, and the beautifully decorated back room provided the perfect surroundings for dining together. The food was excellent, as always, and the staff - notably Ahmed - extremely nice and helpful.

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Andreas Willi . 2023-09-24

MORE AT Google

We’ve been coming to Al-Shami for many years. It seldom disappoints- good food, good service, powerful Lebanese wines and very fair price. Ahmed served us this evening and was outstandingly cheerful and attentive.

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Ben Tuxworth . 2023-09-22

MORE AT Google

Such a special meal. Ahmed was fantastic and the food was perfect. Would fully recommend.

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George Maxwell . 2023-09-18

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The Food is a masterpiece, I ate and love they shishtaouk and the sambousek melted in my tongue! Brilliant customer service and i will come back soon!! Recommend!

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AdamTCI . 2023-09-13

MORE AT Google

Everything was absolutely delicious, would definitely eat here again.

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Roxanne Hanoui . 2023-09-03

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Poor service, food is not tasty at all, and very small portions too. Though the atmosphere is fine. Needs lots of improvement

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mutaz alnaser . 2023-08-27

MORE AT Google

We had an excellent mezze for lunch shared amongst friends. Delicious lebanese! Friendly owners. Decent price too.

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George Woodward . 2023-08-19

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This review is from 30th years ago when I was studying in Oxford. Al shami was my favourite restaurant so delighted to know it’s still open They used to bring a big plate of fresh, chilled, tasty vegetables and pickles and a knife to cut, share and eat. I hope they still do this. It set up the meal, every time

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Aktar Somalya . 2023-07-30

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We stayed here and the indoor environment was quite clean. The counter at the water heater power outage was also very quick to help with the problem at night. The overall experience was ok.

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Matt Chen . 2023-07-16

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The food was good, but it is not priced at the amount listed on their website. The waiters were also not very friendly or hospitable.

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Imran V. . 2023-07-14

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Hidden away, it is a family friendly middle Eastern restaurant with a very representative selection of dishes from Lebanon, Syria and Armenia. We had a family platter, which was a good easy option not to have to worry about choosing from the menu and to still have very good selection.

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Erika Molteni . 2023-07-02

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I start to order and this time was 3 times first time the forgot the bread and this time the forgot the salad

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Annas Al-maansoor . 2023-06-25

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The service really bad! Waiter don’t even acknowledge you ! Cheap food! Cheap wine! Come all the way from Wokingham what a disappointment ! Don’t go there

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monica kates . 2023-06-10

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We arrived at the restaurant on a Friday night at 9pm and were told the kitchen would've closed soon but we were still in time. From that moment onwards we had to rush through ordering, eating and paying, receiving the bill and being asked "cash or card?" while we were still half way through our dinner. We never even got anything to drink! The food was nice, but the service was quite rude.

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Alice Gruden . 2023-06-04

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Best mezzes in Oxford. Top quality, amazing proper Lebanese food

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amanda whiting . 2023-06-03

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Ordered Al-Shami family meal for takeaway and it was absolutely delicious. The whole family enjoyed it, and there was plenty of food (7 of us shared the family meal for 4-5). We are not experts in Lebanese food, so it was great to try a number of different things. Probably the best meal I ate during a week in Oxford.

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Joel Childers . 2023-05-24

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Delicious Beirut hummus.. very good kibbeh.. excellent mixed grill.. medium loose potatoes and grape leaves. excellent service.

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Abdulmohsen Albrahim . 2023-05-14

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I was really looking forward to eating here as I’d heard great things, but in the end it was a disappointing, expensive meal. The food was uninspired and basic. The Batata Harra looked old and was lacking any spice or flavour. The lamb chops were under seasoned, over cooked and had no marinade or real flavour. Just basic unmarinated chops cooked on a grill. When we entered the waiter at the bar didn’t acknowledge us or say hello which was a bit odd. However the owner was friendly and showed us to our table in the back room, which must be said, is a beautiful room with mosaics from Damascus. We ordered the large mixed platter and meze which was £80 for 5 people alongside a few more kebabs and cold meze starters. The bill added an extra £70 worth of food on top from these extras, and considering the large platter stated it could feed 5 people, the portion sizes were small. Overall, the food was bang average. Not prepared with much love or passion, from the garnishes to the garlic sauce on the kebabs, it was all a rather sad affair to be honest. Unseasoned, lacking punch or flavour so often associated with Middle Eastern food. We were still chatting around 9:50pm, and this being a Friday night, didn’t seem particularly late. But several times the waiters hushed and rushed us to say we needed to be out by 10pm, and even at one point came in and turned the lights out, as we were still sat in the room! That has to be a restaurant first for me. Overall the service was inattentive, and I sensed they felt unbothered by us being there and wanted us paid up and gone, despite the fact we were polite and two of our group are regulars who know the owner. The bill was over £200 for 7 people to have a mixed platter, 2 kebabs, some cold meze starters and 4 beers and a bottle of wine. Expensive in my opinion and thoroughly not worth it. They added on £6.50 of soft drinks that we didn’t have, but we were so tired by the end of the evening that we left without kicking up a fuss. It’s a shame. A place like this could be brilliant if a bit more enthusiasm, inspiration and love was put into the food. Similarly, the service was inattentive and uninterested and (briefly) turning the lights off on us was the cherry on top. If you want an amazing Middle Eastern restaurant within 30 minutes of here, head to Lebanese House in Newbury. Absolutely delicious food make with passion and love and brilliant, attentive service

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zulusoundboy . 2023-05-13

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It is.what it is. A Lebanese restaurant. JUST s little sad .

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Ann Jones . 2023-04-17

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Really good food, especially the shawarmas. Lamb was amazing. Could have had a more up to date menu (says that it was 2021). Portions could be a little larger as well. But really recommend. Good music as well.

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Charlie Yep . 2023-04-10

MORE AT Google

Excellent excellent food. A joy.

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James Davey . 2023-04-08

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We like small plate dinners so got a variety of cold and hot mezes. I would say all were made in a factory/prepackaged, aka not made in the kitchen and so not fresh. One dish was simply a tiny iceberg salad with dried chilli flakes on top. Avoid the pickles at all costs. I feel a bit swindled. I wouldn't go back or recommend/recommend to avoid.

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Claire . 2023-04-01

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What to say , as always the best Lebanese food and best atmosphere. Staff very friendly , food delicious 😋 we enjoyed our mouth watering meal and we will be back .⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Hussam Bakar . 2023-03-30

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We were in Oxford the other day and were excited to try this place since we're also from Sham. We just wanted to have some tea and head back home. However the waiter was very rude when he heard us speaking Arabic and told us they're closed, way before their stated closing time. Will never come back again. I think this place should change its name since Shami people are kind and welcoming.

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Shady . 2023-03-16

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Horrible, horrible service… they completely ruined my birthday. My husband made sure we will get a nice table, he prepared flowers and cake for me. First of all, they opened a bouquet which no one asked them to do. Our food didn’t come all at the same time and portion size…. Less than a baby can eat. So after eating half our food which arrived first we still were hungry, no one collected our empty plates and cutlery which we neatly put together and at the edge of the table. After second part of our food arrived, still plates were not collected and we had to take our dirty plates and cutlery from a pile of dishes on our table to eat. Frying oil was apparently never changed as I never had sooo bad French fries. Anyway, we were eating only because we were very hungry. No one asked how is our meal or if we need anything else at all….. We ended up leaving taking our cake with us as our mood was complete Ruined. Never ever we will come back.

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Dino Silva . 2023-03-02

MORE AT Google

Wonderful Lebanese food in Oxford. Authentic taste.

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Madiha Abdeen . 2023-02-17

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Not amazing, not terrible. Well positioned, good menu offerings, fairly priced

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Patrick Oliver . 2023-02-17

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The food is lovely. We have tried a lot on the menu and all is very well cooked and tasty. The ambience of the restaurant is lacking. You would go to this restaurant for good food as opposed to an ‘evening out’.

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Zara Zapico . 2023-02-02

MORE AT Google

The tables were covered with paper, the room was noisy and there was not much space between the tables. The food was mediocre at best, some of the vegetables came from the tin. Would never go here again.

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schoebble . 2023-01-15

MORE AT Google

Delicious affordable Lebanese food. Great vibrant atmosphere when full of people talking happily.

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N Jeans . 2023-01-14

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Terrible food, the ambience is comfortable but except for wines nothing great here. We tried the hummus which wasn't fresh at all and had to send back another starter as well as it stinked of being cooked in old oil.

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Shaysha Rastogi . 2022-12-03

MORE AT Google

Nice find. Food really good. Staff friendly and well intentioned but youngest guy not as alert as needs to be. Made a few mistakes. Like laying table with two forks and bringing wrong drinks

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Bob Bradley . 2022-10-30

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Nice inside decoration, open and spacious environment. Staff are nice. We tried family menu for 2/3 people. This was enough for 3 or 4 people. We did takeaway the leftovers. Good delicious food. Crockett was crispy and delicious. The bill was £45 + soft drinks+service charge. Seems little bit expensive but we are happy. I recommend. Food is halal.

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Aminul Chowdhury . 2022-10-29

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Lovely hidden gem and first ever Lebanese restaurant outside of London so steeped in history. Food was nice but some dishes arrived luke warm. Service slow but we were a table of 12 and I think most suited for smaller tables. The hospitality we recieved was great and made up for the minor details.

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H A Hoosein . 2022-10-28

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The restaurant is good. however, like the one star review people, the waiting time for your food takes a long time, other than that, it's a good place. Recommend.

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AdomXI . 2022-10-27

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Great food - lovely for a quiet dinner out!

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Andrew Monro . 2022-10-21

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Delicious food and reasonable prices but the only problem is the car park

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Khalid Saidahmed . 2022-10-12

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Out of the way in a quiet neighborhood, this family run restaurant is a hidden gem. There are many options for all, including vegetarians, and they are all great. Bring your appetite!

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James Milks . 2022-09-11

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Authentic and traditional shaami food. Perfect to taste.

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Zainab Qutbi Aga . 2022-08-28

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One of the worst restaurants I have been too. It deserves 0 review. Hope this closes down soon. The hot starter was not hot. Seemed like just like microwave warm for 30sec. The labaneese bread was not hot. The chicken shawarma was not chicken shawarma. Just seemed like the worst kebab. My partner ordered foul for starter, the proper foul is a paste instead this was a salad. The humous was soo salty. My parter ordered mixed grill, worst grill ever. Shop brought would have been even better than this place. It was frozen food again microwave warmed. The only thing that was cooked was fries. Worst place, go to a different Lebanese restaurant!

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Judy Thomas . 2022-08-25

MORE AT Google

Good Lebanese food at reasonable prices.

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David Lusty . 2022-08-08

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The food was disgusting and it had no taste, never tried anything this bad in my life. I ordered baked cod fillet and it seemed like it was pre made and wasn’t even heated up properly.

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Masuda Akther . 2022-08-07

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No salad provided any more whilst waiting for food. Shame. Delicious food and very good value for money.

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Janina Kmiecik . 2022-07-26

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We went as family for second time as visitors in Oxford. The food is excellent and they have many vegetarian options that our daughter loves. The place is humble but clea and you can feel at home. We will surely come back and recommend.

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Roberto Ferraris . 2022-07-03

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The food is good and the prices are decent. Fast and efficient service.

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Eric Dupont . 2022-06-28

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Lunch with friends. Service slow but food is good

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Asif Khan . 2022-06-24

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Food is amazing also service and the atmosphere and location.

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Mariam Alobaidli . 2022-06-12

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The portions were very small for the prices.

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Abu Zaine . 2022-06-08

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Inattentive waiters and weird plates made for a bad experience. The food was average, at best. I would suggest that you try some other restaurant for Lebanese or Middle Eastern cuisine.

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Humza Shah . 2022-06-05

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Food doesn't taste good. and portions size is too SMALL. doesn't recommend.

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Mahmoud Hanafy . 2022-06-02

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Food is amazing!! We ordered the family platter for 2-3 people. We had 3 people dining and had food left over. Great mom and pop place. Highly recommend.

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Lori Klaudt . 2022-05-31

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Love the place, alway friendly and good hospitality

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Mark day . 2022-05-23

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Always great food. Lovely surroundings and great value

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Ashley Griffiths . 2022-04-26

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Back here after a while away. Al-Shami seems back to its best. Good service, great food, great value. Will be back more often.

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Gav W . 2022-03-31

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Very bland food, not like any Lebanese food I've had before. Arrived in dribs and drabs even though we were told it could all be served at once, after all Lebanese food is designed to be shared.Rude staff.We had a reservation as it was a birthday but staff didn't even look at us when we arrived so we just went and sat down. As we were leaving we said goodnight and thank you and not one member of staff acknowledged us. Also wrap up warm it's very cold in there.

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caroline coble . 2022-03-31

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Miserable and disgustingly rude staff who insult us "animals" who enter. Someone mentioned food here is halal... yet they hate muslims so for sure they would spit in it. Heavy negative atmosphere which cannot be good for eating in. Had a 4-star hygiene rating which might the only positive thing going for this place. ABSOLUTELY AVOID.

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Catherine S . 2022-03-24

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Lovely Lebanese food, and they had enough room for our party of 20 at short notice. Great night great food.

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Akinbo Akin-Olugbade . 2022-03-16

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Amazing food for sharing, service is very friendly

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Nathan Hu . 2022-03-13

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Very very good food. But the kitchen closes at 21:00... Why?

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Harold BOSSE . 2022-02-24

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1) They did not answer the reservation request email after 90 minutes; 2) They served one starter at the same time as the main course, but forgot the soup; 3) By the time the soup arrived late, the main kebab was cold, greasy and soggy; 4) the main came with no vegetables and no bread, etc., but none were suggested when ordering. Whatever Al-Shami once was, it isn't that now: over-priced, extremely poor quality food. There is better Lebanese in the city centre.

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M Jones . 2022-02-19

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I had a great meal with the family. I visited from Arizona and had a great time.

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Dave Spybrook . 2022-02-09

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I have been eating in Al ShamI for more than 20 years and I think it is currently on the up. The meze is great with lots of small flavorful and well cooked dishes. Lebanese wine is wonderful and service attentive but not overbearing. It is also good value when most restaurants are overpriced. Thank you.

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Andrew Monk . 2022-02-02

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OMG I love this place. The food is exquisite and the service is always tip-top. We love sitting in the back room as the decor is phenomenal. This place has been a firm favourite for 30 years and will be for many years to come.

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Holly Forster . 2022-01-23

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They have changed their lamb, feta and spinach pastries. Much worse now, basically spring rolls without much taste . Used to be amazing.

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Junaid Baldick . 2022-01-22

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Nice place to enjoy good different food

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Yanko . 2022-01-21

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Delicious, lots of options for all dietary requirements. Bring a coat though it's quite cold!

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Delores James . 2022-01-20

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Dropped in and sampled several cold meze and lamb. Enjoyed it all.

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Donn Smith . 2022-01-11

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Way overpriced for the portions we received. The portions were just about perfect for a kids size meal. Some of the meat was still undercooked and bland too. I’ve had way better and this is not a proper Lebanese kitchen. Very disappointed and will never order from here again

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Grazyna Gatkiewicz . 2022-01-08

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Nice and tasty food, service is excellent and warm welcoming atmosphere.

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Hass . 2021-12-25

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Booked a table. Turned up no table ready and clearly had forgotten about the booking. They then tried to eject a table that hadn't booked. Shambles.

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Me Stranger . 2021-12-04

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