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Abu Zaad

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29 Uxbridge Road, W12 8LH Full details & map

Café: Syrian

 

Time Out says   7 Users say 4/5 Rate it

Posted: Oct 28 2011

Step off teeming Uxbridge Road into Abu Zaad and you're transported to Damascus - this is the sort of workaday Formica-tabled eaterie that proliferates across the Middle East. Big screens showing BBC Arabic news to a soundtrack of Arabic divas add to the vibe, as do long tables at the back packed with multiple generations of family members tucking into hearty, tasty food.

There's no alcohol, so indulge in one of the fab freshly squeezed juices, which include the Damascene favourite, spritzy lemon with mint. Turnover is fast - with lots of takeaway orders as well as all tables full - so the dishes are generally strikingly fresh.

From our perfect crunchy shell of kibbeh shamieh (minced lamb) and properly chewy cheese fatayer, to the lemony fattoush with crisp squares of flatbread and the silky houmous, we were treated to honest comfort food. Mains include the usual chargrilled skewered meats, as well as Syrian specialities such as chicken kabseh: tender roast poultry with spicy tomato rice, served with plump golden sultanas and cooling cucumber yoghurt.

Finish with dense Syrian ice-cream packed with pistachios - its characteristic chewiness comes from the addition of mastic (a plant resin) - and wonder at the small size of the bill.

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Abu Zaad details

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Address

Abu Zaad

29 Uxbridge Road W12 8LH

Transport Shepherd's Bush Market tube

Telephone

020 8749 5107

Abu Zaad website

Meals served 11am-11pm daily

Main courses £5-£14. Unlicensed no alcohol allowed

Credit cards MC, V

Facilities

Babies and children welcome ( high chairs ), Booking advisable ( weekends ), Separate room for parties ( seats 36 ), Takeaway service

Abu Zaad map

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Comments & ratings 4/5 (Average of 7 ratings)

By Lucy - Jan 16 2012
5/5

One of my favourite restaurants; great food, wonderful staff - amazing value. GO!

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By emily - Oct 20 2011
5/5

amazing food good prices, fresh salad good portions, the number one place to go for good wholesome healthy food, no doubt about it i am a very regular customer amd i can not get enough! a definite must!

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By gaenor - Aug 26 2011
5/5

Friendly service. Freshly made, well seasoned food, clean, professional and outstanding in price. I don't think you can ask for more. I love eating out, and this is a place that I am definitely going back to regularly. It came highly recommended, and I can now see why. Having eaten in Syria and Lebanon, I can say with confidence this is as good as it gets!

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By Alexandra - Aug 3 2011
5/5

The best place in London! The staff is friendly and the food is great! One of the best places I ever been!!! Five star restaurant!!!

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By Jason L - Jul 2 2011
4/5

Ate there this evening, and the food was delicious. My partner and I had a very generous portion of smoky moutabal and refreshing tabbouleh for starter. For my main course, I had the lamb cubes marinaded with olive oil and lemon - very succulent and tasty - served with rice and salad. The flavours of all of our dishes were rich but well balanced. I also really liked the melon juice, which was wonderful. Everything on the menu is incredibly good value, and we were amazed at how inexpensive such a great meal was. Even though it was very busy, the staff seemed very courteous and showed just the right amount of attentiveness.

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By sebyle - Jun 18 2011
2/5

Being there today food was very nice as usual but staff very rude and unprofessionnal seems to me like they want to chase the clients away. Atmosphere very stressing and very loud music which was only on to entertain the staff!!

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By Ata Rahman - Mar 31 2010

So whats inexpensive Syrian food in Shepherds Bush like? One word. Good.
This restaurant produces your usual good quality grilled meat with rice standard Middle Eastern dishes but they have a lot of other alternative choices if that is beginning to bore you. When coming here, I had the mixed grill with rice, in which you begin to realise the spice difference between this and Maroush's typical Lebanese take on the dish. Both are delicious and I was not disappointed. Id advise coming on an evening where you intend to relax, possibly after a heavy night out the night before and eating to your hearts content and then sip the remainder of the night away with mint tea.

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