Restaurants

A café-style outpost of the successful Maroush chain, Ranoush Juice does a roaring trade in Lebanese meze, shawarma sandwiches, and – of course – juices, to eat in or take away. Furnishings are of black marble and wood. There are only a few tables, plus a line of stools at the mirrored wall counters. Meze dishes (including the likes of sujuk sausages and chicken livers, as well as vegetarian snacks) are displayed behind a glass counter. Juices are prepared at one end; the other is given over to frenetic shawarma preparation. Tomatoes and gherkins are diced, lamb or chicken is sliced; everything is placed on waiting discs of thin shami bread, garlic sauce is added, the bread is rolled up and the whole thing is wrapped in paper. Quality is high. Our shawarma, with lashings of sloppy garlicky sauce that oozed out with every bite, was satisfying, especially when matched with a dense, garlic-laden houmous. Juices are good too; there’s a wide range, but other places serve them in bigger glasses. A great, cash-only pit-stop, but not somewhere to linger.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008