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Andrew Neather's rating
Assaha Village masters the meze
By
Andrew Neather
18 Feb 2010
Lebanese restaurants in London tend to the formal, starched white tablecloths and black-suited waiters. There’s nothing inauthentic about that: there are plenty like them in Beirut, one of the many legacies of French rule.
But in Lebanon the range is much wider, from funky places selling Mediterranean fusion food in the hip seaside town of Jounieh, to plastic-tabled kibbeh joints like the one in East Beirut where I watched Hassan Nasrallah declare war on the Lebanese government during the Hezbullah uprising of May 2008. (I got stranded by the fighting, but that’s another story.)
The restaurants there I like best, though, are the more rustic ones, nodding more towards an Arab past than a French colonial one. Assaha Village, London’s newest Lebanese, is squarely in this mould.
It aims to recreate a rural environment which has all but disappeared in Lebanon behind breeze-block buildings and pick-up trucks. The interior is faced entirely in honey-coloured stone, the walls and alcoves of the ground floor done up as market stalls, with strings of onions and garlic hanging from the ceiling and boxes of grapes and peppers.
It’s downstairs which is jaw-dropping, though: a huge space, honeycombed out into booths and alcoves containing one or two tables, all again in stone and purporting to be a village, signposted as different “shops”, “Village Square” and the like. Antiques and artefacts from rifles to rakes adorn the walls. If it sounds corny, it’s actually charming and meticulously done.
Assaha markets its three branches in the Arab world as “cultural and touristic” enterprises, and that’s not far wide of the mark. Fortunately the food is excellent, too: the most authentic Lebanese I’ve had in London, in fact.
Thus we started with a spread of mezze bursting with freshness — admirably smoky mutabbal, tender kibbeh balls, tabbuleh as zingily fresh as it should be, juicy spinach and meat pastries, loubia bi zeit, stuffed vine leaves and fattoush salad. We moved on to a substantial mixed grill: lamb shish, shish tawouk, lamb chop and kafta kebabs. It was all of a similar high quality as elsewhere in London’s better Lebanese eateries; the extra touches I liked were the roasted tomato and onions with it and the onion, tomato and parsley-filled flatbread served, broken, on top of it, a Beiruti habit rarely seen here. Assaha has no licence but there is a good range of juices.
We finished with little rosewater and cinnamon-flavoured custards rather than pastries. It made me itch to get back to the Bekaa valley, savouring the food rather than fleeing Hezbullah.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (9)
Sea Bass "fillet" £18 served with nothing at all for my friend,shed had to order potatoe and vegetable side dishes. My exotic sounding dish turned out to be bits of chicken with some frozen chips £14 missing the promised coleslaw and pickles. Looks nice inside but this is just a very very overpriced Chip and Kebab shop.
- Simon Radford, Nottingham, 15/11/2011 13:10
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The restaurant looks great but the food and the service were rubbish. We had to wait the food more than an hour and the meat was still raw. We asked the manager to get another dish with proper cooked then got another dish which was overcooked. The food is overpriced. I would not recommend anyone to go this lebanese restaurant. We could hear that the manager who served us with some of staff arguing and shouting each other. we suggest ang beg you as a highly respected newspaper to re review and you will find out that your review is out of date and I,m looking to see my review published
- Harry, London UK, 07/06/2011 12:31
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Excellent food and drink. We had a selection of hot and cold appetizers and this was nearly a meal in itself. The tabbuleh and raw kebbeh were especially well done (the latter not for veggies!). Amazing juices - the avocado cocktail came flavoured with honey and nuts and was a perfect mix of the refreshing and the sweet. One slight criticism: the service was efficient but a little surly; perhaps a legacy of French colonial times?
- Mark W, Cambridge, 16/07/2010 15:40
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I was very disappointed. The service was poor and the food very average.
I would not go back again.
- Dp, london, 04/03/2010 13:07
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This place deserves more than five stars. I went there twice with my family and in those two visits everything was perfect the way they welcome their guests ,the service ,the food is more than excellent, fresh,tasty,well presented,and well prepared the portions are enough in comparison with other Lebanese restaurants in London I certainly say Number 1A
- Albert Fresco, London, 19/02/2010 13:21
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It,s an excellent place to be and enjoy eating fresh and healty food , the atmosphere is so fantastic the staff is also very friendly and helpful the price is reasonable to be honest it is a unique concept
- Michael Kraidler, UK, 18/02/2010 22:14
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The first time i came to the restaurant was with my family in december. The place was truly mesmerising especially downstairs. I visited the restaurant many times after that and each time the food was to a superb level. The staff are very friendly and helpful especially if you have not eaten lebanese food before they can pick out the best dishes for you to try. At the beginning of the meal you get a complimetary plate of vegetables and pickles and to top it off complimentary lebanese sweets and the famous samovar tea!! I recommend everyone in London to discover Assaha Restaurant which is an undicovered jewel in Europe
- Kevin Carlton, High Wycombe United Kingdom, 18/02/2010 21:11
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It,s an excellent and unique restaurant I love it.
- Tareq, London, 18/02/2010 17:37
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I,ve been to this place in December it,s more than superb we do need such a unique concept in Europe Food is fantastic
- Ali Ausie, Germany, 18/02/2010 16:03
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