Al Waha

This was recommended by a Libanese friend. One in our group were Libanese. So he ordered seversl commutual dishes we ate from. At the beginning appetizers, then main courses, which werr out together for a more commutual eating style.
The price is more on the expensive side, but you get what you pay for. The service was not that on the point. We had to remind him about one dish and a softdrink.
The restaurant was not that spacious, but spacious enough. There was a native atmosphere!
Recommended!

My first experience with Lebanese food and right there great one!
I went on Saturday after 8 pm, the place was very busy, but they were very helpful and tried to accommodate me.
Very friendly staff. Great food too. I started with Hummus Kawarmah and I would highly recommend it. Also Arabic salad is worth trying.
I am planning on coming back next time I am in London.

Came here with my mother once for a quick catch up on a cold evening and we had a really nice experience. The service is good and I love how you get a bowl of fresh vegetables by default! I ordered the dish of the day which was something with lamb and it was delicious! And huge! My mother got a chicken option and that was also really good. We also got some hummus and tabouleh. Overall this is a solid place for some good Lebanese food, we spent around 50 pounds including beer.

For those familiar with London, we know Lebanese food is not a rarity. Edgware Road is full of Lebanese restaurants like Beirut Express, Maroush Garden, and other establishments mostly owned by the same management as Maroush.
However, if you want the best Lebanese restaurant in London, I recommend Al Waha. Tucked away off the quiet Bishops Bridge Road in Bayswater, Al Waha offers an authentic Lebanese fare, quick service and a cozy ambience to boot.
Starters like the hummus with lamb, and the chicken livers are enough to fill you up. Why? Well you can’t stop eating them. They are amazingly delectable and served with fresh, warm pita bread.
For mains, I had the lamb in yoghurt and the minced lamb kebabs and both were better than most places I have been to.
This place is my new favourite for Lebanese and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Fantastic food. Best Lebanese I’ve ever had. How they cook their chicken with such tender and flavourful results, I’ll never know and certainly won’t be able to recreate on my own. The spreads and salads are amazing, particularly the babganoush and tabouli.

Raw chicken in the salad!
This was quite possibly my worst dining experience in London ever and we didn’t even get to taste the food. We were served a complimentary «snack» of raw vegetables: carrot sticks, a whole mini cucumber, a large tomato, a radish and a wedge of old salad that were brown along the edges. In itself not too appetizing or easy to eat, but we ate the carrot sticks only to discover a piece of raw chicken in the bottom of the bowl. Absolutely disgusting, not to mention a health hazard. We left immediately.

Quite a smart place. Tables for 2 are very small. Prices are quite high compared to other Lebanese restaurants, and quality is not up to the best. Wait staff was busier than they were attentive, lots of movement but somehow detached from the customers’ needs. Seems like no special requests are entertained.

Super yummy hummous, fattoush salad and farruj massahab dish but the £3 cover charge (for me and my hubby) along with the extremely poor/​unfriendly service means I won’t be heading back to Al Waha any time soon.

I was here on my last night in London, and it truly was the best meal I had during my entire visit. I was very impressed with the quality of the food and the great service. I felt like the meal was most definitely worth the price (which isn’t outrageous to begin with). I liked the variety of their wine list; not too expansive, but enough solid choices that went well with the food. I went a week ago and am still thinking about the lamb and couscous I had here!

Excellent food and nice atmosphere. A step above many other middle eastern eateries.

Al Waha has fantastic food, the surroundings are pleasant, if a litle cramped at busy times, but the waiters are way too surly.
Muhamara (spicy crushed nuts) is the best I have tried outside the Middle East, usually they are bland or too purée’d.
The salads are always fresh, the portion sizes are good, and I’ve never had a bad meal, I just don’t enjoy the whole experience as much as I should given that the food is cracking.

After plenty of Guinness at the Cow on the later side one Sunday night, I asked around for a restaurant recommendation in the area. Al Waha got a nod and a quick cross reference with Unilocal for iPhone confirmed its potential goodness.
Al Waha’s hummous, the measure of any Lebanese restaurant, was ridiculously good. My San Francisco-​based dining companion and I couldn’t resist comment, though it was tough to decipher given our mouths were stuffed with this silky smooth and super savory chickpea spread.
We liked Al Waha so much we went twice in a week, once with a pile of luggage directly from Paddington station after a weekend in Bath!
In addition to the hummous (which comes with plenty of pillowy pita), I highly recommend you order the Arabic salad. It’s a simple tossed affair with lettuce, tomatoes, parsley and onions in a lively lemon dressing. Sounds boring, but trust me it’s anything but! I also especially enjoyed the shish taouk.
Al Waha: Totally worth the trek to West London!

Good food and nicely decorated, pricey but not over expensive.
Waiters are civil but slightly rough diamonds brought to heal by firm and experienced management.
3 pounds cover charge for the pre meal olives and salads was a bit cheeky.
Perfectly respectable dining.

Very good food, in decent quantities.
First round included excellent fattoush, tabouleh and Hummus with minced Lamb and some of the best falafel I have had outside of North Africa. This was followed with great lamb kofte and tender chicken skewers, spiced rice with lamb and nuts and lamb meatballs in a tomato sauce with a great kick.
While all the food was great I think the service let down a little, I booked last minute and it was made clear that they needed the table back at a specific time, but we still felt a bit rushed — slightly over attentive waiters, glasses cleared a little too quickly. Was just enough to take the edge of what was a very pleasant meal.

The restaurant is relatively small, but with very smart and simple décor which makes it very invitng and a great place to spend some time out.
The food is the usual middle eastern cuisine cooked with quality that is good and delicious but nothing exceptional, the service is just okay (it was hard to judge as the restaurant was empty when we came in).
I would recommend the restaurant if you are around and want a nice place to go.
Prices are a bit steep, expect to pay around 4−5£ for starters and 13£ for main courses.

Al Waha’s platter of selected mezze set lunch option (available daily from noon to 5pm) offers an excellent introduction to the delights of Lebanese mezze. For those familiar with these delectable Middle Eastern appetizers and small dishes, this Bayswater restaurant sets the standard for quality Lebanese cuisine in London. At $ 12.50 per person, Al Waha’s selected mezze platter fills and thrills with expected dishes such as hummous, tabouleh and falafel as well as kibbeh maklieh (fried ground lamb with crushed wheat delicious!), moutabel (grilled aubergines and sesame paste), warak inab (vine leaves stuffed with rice) and sambousek pastries (one with cheese and another with minced lamb) along with a bowl of chilled fresh veggies. It’s a lot of food. During my last lunchtime visit to Al Waha, I couldn’t finish my plate (despite having skipped breakfast to make sure I had the room and the appetite to devour what I knew would be a scrumptious feast). In fact, it would make a great starter or light meal for a couple. Of course, all the items included in the selected mezze platter are also available al a carte and in the evening. They’re all worth sampling! If you like your hummous heavy on the tahini side, you’ll love Al Waha’s. And their falafel has the whole crispy on the outside/​fluffy on the inside thing down to an exact science. Even the vine leaves stuff with rice a dish I don’t usually care much for rocks the palette with plenty of flavour too. Really, I’ve been here a few times. It’s all good and a cut above most other Lebanese and Middle Eastern restaurants in town. Service is personable and efficient (ya gotta love the old school telephone-​intercom system). The dining area is attractive with lots of live plants as leafy and homey décor. It’s easy enough to slide in for lunch but not a bad idea to call ahead at night. However/​whenever you go, you’ll be in for a real treat!

I have been frequenting this restaurant even when it was located on Shaftsbury avenue. The old location was much more stylish and elegant, that being said, the food is still excellent.
As soon as the drinks orders are taken, a bowl of fresh veggies and bread are brought to your table. I usually get the Hummus and the leg of lamb. The other dish that really stands out is the chicken livers, it is very, very good. The bread is always fresh, warm and soft. I have tasted most of the entrees (gives you an idea how many times I have been here). Service is very good, the waiters are very attentive and oh so good looking!
The dessert selection is not the greatest. You can’t go wrong with the baklava and the fresh fruit platter.

We went yesterday afternoon and the food and service were excellent. The hummus is some of the best i have had and the foul (broad beans) were excellent. Tables quite close together though

This Lebanese restaurant is consistently reliable and has never once been a disappointment. Set amongst a random mix of restaurants on Westbourne Grove, Al– Waha is small but extremely popular. Lunchtimes during the week is usually the best time to go if you want to enjoy a less crowded meal. However, I would definitely book if you wanted to dine during the evening.
You are started off with a complimentary bowl of fresh vegetable, olives, and bread to munch on as you decide on what you’re about to eat. The choice of cold and hot mezes is large, and each one is definitely worth a try. Honestly. Their Falafels are my favourite, dipped in lots of tahini and the combination is perfect. I also always have the chicken soup, which is warm and thick and just the way I like it.
The Labneh (yoghurt), Warak Inab (vine leaves stuffed with rice), Makanek Ghanam (small Lebanese lamb sausages) are a few more of my favourites.
Their main dishes are plentiful and each done well. The Sharwama (slices of lamb from a spit) marinated in onions and vinegar is prepared so that it comes succulent and juicy, am also a fan of their minced lamb dishes. Mmmm!
You are given complimentary Baklava, which comes all honey soaked and rounds off the meal just right.
For the quality of the food, the prices are very decent. There are two set lunch options, one is £12.50 and the other £14 and the main course range from £9 to just under £20. The dinner set meal is £21 and the other option £25. Definitely worth it with what is included in the menu. Unlike so many set meals you don’t feel restricted for choice.

Westbourne Grove has always been renowned for its eclectic mix of international cuisine. The quality has been improving steadily and Al Waha is just another highlight.
Went on Sunday night for a relaxed birthday dinner. Does anyone ever make it beyond the mezze? Everything was delicious, vegetarians and carnivores are equally catered for.
Will definitely come again — this could become a favourite.
The interior is beautiful and I particularly liked the caligraphy.