The Cider House

339 Harrow Road, London W9 Tel: 020 7266 2012
Cost: About £20-25

This charming little place has nothing to do with John Irving’s book, nor the film of the same name. It happens to be in what was actually a cider house, something now unheard of but once much more common before breweries rationalised production and destroyed traditional drinks. There are even two old photos of the Mezze Bar & Grill when it was a cider house. In keeping with the building’s history, a range of artisan-produced ciders are being served again. And yes, the combination of Lebanese mezze and cider sounds a strange combination but is actually very enjoyable, especially when served in such a comfortable environment.

All the familiar, enjoyably summery Lebanese mezze items are there, all prepared with care and tasting of family recipes. Go for the lusty hommous and moutabbel (baba ghanoush), well-flavoured falafel and a good version of kibbeh – crisply fried minced lamb and bulgur wheat stuffed with minced lamb, pine nuts and finely chopped onion. There are also good salads like tabbouleh (with lots of parsley and lemon juice) and fattoush with enjoyably crispy bits of bread. Vegetable dishes also turn out well, like green beans simmered with tomato, onion and herbs (loubia bizeit), okra (bamia) and batata harra (spicy potatoes), as well as stuffed vine leaves. These are all small dishes, with grilled meats, fish and veg coming as larger dishes – the mezze grill includes chicken, lamb kofte, and chunks of lamb (lahem mishwi). On a future visit I’ll make a point of trying grilled sea bass. And don’t deprive yourself of the pleasure of passing around the houka, the Levantine water pipe with an assortment of mildly sweet and aromatic herbal tobaccos, a wonderfully social post-prandial smoke.

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