With hanging Middle Eastern lanterns and traditional music playing, Lebanese restaurant Barouk immediately feels authentic. It’s clearly not trying to be anything modern or trendy, and we really like that.
It’s quiet when we visit on a Saturday evening, but we can easily imagine that the place gets much busier when live entertainment takes over the stage on Thursday and Fridays.
The menu is full of recognisable dishes, and we start of with some hot hummus with beef and pine nuts. It’s a favourite of ours and our super nice and friendly server is proud to tell us that it’s the best dish.
It arrives quickly, and we’re certainly not disappointed with the generous scattering of beef that comes on top of the creamy mixture. It tastes lovely, and the smooth dip goes brilliantly with the meat, crunchy nuts and freshly baked breads.
Our only criticism would be that it’s definitely more lukewarm than piping hot, yet it doesn’t put us off devouring it at our usual rate.
We also try the phoenician labneh, which is mixed with fresh tomatoes, onion, black olives and zaatar. The crunchy vegetables and thick yoghurt contrasts nicely with the rich hummus, and the zaatar flavouring is subtle and not to overpowering. It’s a new addition to the menu, but we have to agree that it’s just a bit tastier than our beloved hummus, which is normally very tricky to top.
For our mains we go for the kebab khashkash, served on a big puddle of tomato sauce. There’s a nice kick to the minced lamb and the sauce is full of fresh and juicy tomatoes.
We also opt for the grilled barramundi, which is one of the only dishes that doesn’t involve lamb (if you’re not a fan of this particular meat it’s best to concentrate on the tasty mezze).
We’re suprised to see it’s presented on a wooden board with a metal basket of fries; almost like an Arabic version of British fish and chips (with a side of tahini). The fish is a bit flavourless, and compared to the excellent traditional dishes, it’s a bit of a let down.
But with large portions and welcoming staff, you’ll have a faultless experience as long as you stick to the classics.
WHAT IS IT…
A traditional Lebanese restaurant with mezze, saj breads and grills
WHY GO…
For the creamy phoenician labneh and sensational hot hummus
