Open daily midday–midnight
The Maroush group, first established over three decades ago, now has more than 10 restaurants across London. But this is no coincidence; Marouf Abouzaki, the man behind the empire, adores his food and is a stickler for great service. Although I would have loved to have eaten with the businessman, entrepreneur and one-time chef in person, I was more than delighted to review Maroush Garden, his 80-seater, one-floor restaurant on the corner of Connaught Street and Edgware Road.
Our dinner guests that night were regulars of anything Maroush. Apparently the legionary fish tank and authentic music reminded them of all that is wonderful about Beirut. There is definitely a feeling of Edgware Road-exotic about this modern, clean and fresh restaurant.
Once seated, we were greeted by a large bowl of uncut crudités. As a massive fan of raw vegetables and keen to avoid unnecessary bread, I appreciated this touch. Maroush offers all the popular hot and cold mezze, such as hummus, tabbouleh, baba ghanouj and falafel. We ordered an array of our favourites and also included some of Maroush’s specialties such as hummus shawarma (with the lamb added on top) and kibbeh shameyieh (deep-fried lamb meatballs filled with sautéed mincemeat and onions). I am not exaggerating when I say that there was not one plate which disappointed, and that the hummus may have been the most delicious I have ever tasted.
When eating Lebanese, no-one ever feels hungry for the main course when it comes. However, the skewers of shish taouk (charcoal-grilled marinated chicken) and kafta meshwi (seasoned minced lamb) were nothing less than tender, fragrant and juicy.
A platter of fresh fruit, a morsel or two of baklava and some mint tea was a perfect end to the meal. The humble tradition of offering great food at an honest price is clearly set in stone.
