Lebanese cooking has always leaned on pulses, vegetables, herbs and olive oil, so eating without meat here is not a compromise - it is half the menu. Our menu caters to everyone: vegans, vegetarians, halal and guests with allergies. This guide shows what to order if you eat plant-based, and how to read the menu if you need to avoid a particular ingredient.
How dishes are marked
Every dish on the menu carries letters after its name. VG means suitable for vegans and V suitable for vegetarians. The other letters show allergens, such as gluten (G), sesame (S) and dairy (D), and some dishes can be made without one of them: GFO is a gluten free option, DFO dairy free and SFO sesame free. At the moment 20 dishes are marked VG and a further 10 are marked V, and 21 have a gluten free option. The full key is at the bottom of the menu page.
Vegan cold mezza
Cold mezza is where a vegan table starts, with bread for scooping:
- Hummus - chick peas, tahini and lemon juice - and Hummus Beiruty, the same with parsley and fresh green chilli.
- Al Raheb - smoked aubergine with green peppers, tomatoes, spring onion, garlic and lemon juice.
- Tabouleh Salad - parsley, bulgar wheat and tomato in a lemon and olive oil dressing.
- Vine Leaves stuffed with rice, tomatoes and spices, plus Mixed Pickles and Mixed Olives.
One to know: moutabal, the other famous aubergine dip, is marked V rather than VG on our menu, so vegans should choose Al Raheb instead.
Vegan hot mezza
- Falafel - freshly cooked, with a tahini dressing.
- Spiced Cauliflower - fried, marinated with spices and garlic and topped with tahini sauce.
- Batata Harra - spicy fried potatoes with coriander, sweet peppers and chilli.
- Foul Modamas - broad beans with parsley, tomato, garlic, lemon and olive oil.
- Moujaddarah - lentils and rice cooked with olive oil and fried onions.
- Mushroom Kibbeh - a bulghar wheat shell filled with mushrooms, onions and spices.
- Padron Peppers - fried with sea salt; about one in ten has a spicy surprise.
Add a Fatoush Salad with crunchy toasted Lebanese bread, or the Aubergine Fatoush with a roasted aubergine sauce.
A vegan main course
Lebanese Moussaka (Magmour) is nothing like the Greek dish of the same name: fried aubergine with baked tomatoes, chickpeas, peppers, garlic, onions and spices. It comes as a mezza or as a main course with rice.
The easy option: Vegan Mezze
If you would rather not choose, the Vegan Mezze is a ready-made selection for one or for two, with hummus, Hummus Beiruty, Al Rahab, Batata Hara, tabouleh, Mushroom Kibbeh, vine leaves, olives and pickles among the dishes.
A sample vegan dinner for two
If you choose yourselves, try this: Hummus, Al Raheb, Tabouleh Salad, Falafel, Batata Harra and Mushroom Kibbeh to share, followed by one Lebanese Moussaka with rice between you. Six mezza and a main between two is a generous meal.
Vegetarian favourites
Vegetarians can add everything with cheese and yoghurt:
- Moutabal and Tzatziki - yoghurt, cucumber and mint.
- Grilled Halloumi, cooked over charcoal, and Kallaj - halloumi in Lebanese bread, cooked on the grill.
- Spinach Sambousek - pastry filled with spinach, onion and pomegranate - and Spicy Vegetable Sambousek.
- The Halloumi Salad and, as a main, the Vegetarian Tagine: seasonal vegetables slow-cooked in Moroccan herbs and spices, served with rice.
There is a Vegetarian Mezze too, for one or two.
Allergies
Please make your server aware of any allergy when you order. Read the letters as well as the description: dishes marked X are cooked in oil shared with items containing various allergens, which matters for fried dishes such as falafel and batata harra. On the set menu, alternative dishes are provided for vegan and vegetarian guests and those with allergies.
Mixed groups
Because mezza is shared, a table of meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans can order together without anyone feeling left out: put the dips, salads and falafel in the middle and add grilled dishes for those who want them. It is one reason our catering works well for offices, where everyone has different needs.
Book a table, or for a larger group call us on 01923 248898. New to this food? Read our guide to mezza first.
