The Best Lebanese and Middle Eastern Restaurants in Knightsbridge
The best Lebanese restaurant in Knightsbridge for a proper sit-down dinner is Ishbilia on William Street, with Maroush on Beauchamp Place the pick for late nights and Em Sherif inside Harrods the most polished newcomer. All three are within a few minutes of Knightsbridge station, and a deli, an all-day café and a Middle Eastern-leaning bakery round out the list. Every place below is trading now and has been checked against its own website.
Ishbilia
Ishbilia has been cooking Lebanese food on William Street since 1998. It was founded by head chef Mohamed Alkhlaifaoui, known as Abu Mahmoud, and three generations of the family still work in the business. The menu is long and traditional: cold mezze such as moutabal with pomegranate, makdous and nayeh kibbeh, then hot plates including hummus kawarmah with diced lamb and pine nuts, kibbeh maklieh and charcoal-grilled chicken wings with toum. Private rooms at the back take groups. Find it at 8-9 William Street, SW1X 9HL, two minutes from Knightsbridge station.
Em Sherif at Harrods
Em Sherif opened its first Beirut site in 2011 under chef patron Mireille Hayek, and its first European restaurant is on the Second Floor of Harrods. The menu, delivered by her daughter Yasmina, runs from za'atar man'oushe warm from the oven to hummus with sautéed Wagyu beef, fattouch, lentil soujouk with spicy sausage and sesame-coated falafel. Save room for the rice pudding with orange blossom and rose water. For something quicker, the Em Sherif Hummus Bar sits in the Harrods Dining Hall on the Ground Floor. Harrods is at 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL, beside Knightsbridge station.
Maroush Beauchamp Place
Marouf and Houda Abouzaki opened the first Maroush on Edgware Road in 1981, and the Beauchamp Place branch is the group's Knightsbridge address. It works at any pace: a wrap to take away, a relaxed lunch or a full dinner in the first-floor dining room. The menu is built around hot and cold mezze for sharing, with plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free choices. The real draw is the hours: according to its own listing it opens at noon and runs until 3am early in the week and 4.30am from Thursday to Saturday. It is at 38 Beauchamp Place, SW3 1NU, a short walk from Knightsbridge station.
Noura Deli
Noura started in Paris before the Bou Antoun family brought it to London in 2000, and its Knightsbridge branch is a delicatessen rather than a full restaurant. It is the place to pick up Lebanese food to take home or eat on the move, with the family's menus and recipe pages covering staples such as manaeesh with za'atar, sfeeha, kebbeh and makanek sausages, plus a range of Lebanese sweets. Treat it as a deli for lunch or supplies rather than somewhere for a long dinner. It is at 12 William Street, SW1X 9HL, on the same street as Ishbilia and a couple of minutes from Harvey Nichols.
Comptoir Libanais South Kensington
For an easy, informal Lebanese meal near the museums, Comptoir Libanais on Exhibition Road opens at 9am every day and closes at 10pm, or 9pm on Sundays. It takes bookings but keeps plenty of space for walk-ins, which makes it a useful fallback on a busy weekend. It is a chain, but a dependable one, and the all-day hours suit a stop before or after the Natural History Museum or the V&A. The address is 1-5 Exhibition Road, SW7 2HE, a short walk from South Kensington station.
Ottolenghi Chelsea
Not strictly Lebanese, but Yotam Ottolenghi's vegetable-led cooking draws on the same eastern Mediterranean pantry, and his Pavilion Road site is the nearest branch to Knightsbridge. It is a daytime place, open for coffee, breakfast and lunch from 8am to 7pm Monday to Saturday and 9am to 5pm on Sunday, to eat in or take away. There is a terrace for good weather and a window stacked with cakes and pastries. Find it at 261 Pavilion Road, SW1X 0BP, between Sloane Square and Knightsbridge stations.
Good to know
Ishbilia and Maroush are the two to book for a full Lebanese dinner, while Noura and Comptoir suit a quicker meal. Ishbilia sets a minimum spend of £50 a head at dinner, asks for smart dress and does not admit children under ten after 7pm, so families may prefer lunch. Em Sherif is the obvious choice if you are shopping and would rather not leave Harrods. Menus and opening hours change, so check each website before you go, and if you want a drink afterwards, The Mandarin Bar is a short walk from William Street.
