Zyara

More than a cafe, Zyara is a great place to have an affordable Lebanese meal of surprisingly good quality. Zyara looks exactly like your Lebanese grandmother’s living room, if your gran was part interior designer and part gypsy. The place is small, but airy and homey, and the low Arabic seating is creatively matched with some industrial roof decor and creative lamps. The food is good to great, and very authentic. Cold mezze are particularly flavoursome, and simple dishes like the fried cauliflower are a pleasure to devour. Hot mezzes are less impressive (and some may even disappoint) and service is absolutely minimal but not at all bad or unpleasant. On our last visit we had the pleasure of watching the local street football team battling out in front of the cafe, and as we finished our meal the victory shot was announced and a young girl of six spent a full minute flexing to the boys. This spirit is what Zyara is all about, and considering it’s also a popular cafe, if you’re looking for a home away from home, this may very well be it.