Comptoir Libanais, Paddington

Comptoir Libanais is the Lebanese reply to fast food. Think less Middle-Eastern McDonalds;  more Canaanite-Carluccio’s fused with Levantine Leon into a  delicatessen-cum-café. The brainchild of Tony Kitous, of Pasha fame, Le Comptoir’s mission statement is to popularize Lebanese cuisine by making it both affordable and chic. The latest branch of the burgeoning chain has just opened in Paddington, offering sumptuous shawarma, zingy mezze bites, tagines, flatbreads, falafel, pastries and frozen yoghurt concoctions alongside a store selling goodies such as cookbooks, preserves, harissa and Moroccan handbags.  If the tantalising Middle Eastern cuisine alone wasn’t enough to lure you to W2 then the wonderfully kitsch decor, packaging and eye-popping murals by the talented Rana Salam should tip the balance.

In many ways, Comptoir Libanais is conventionally Levantine. A long glass counter displays the dishes of the day: dips, colourful salads, filled and deep-fried pastries, baklava, and flavoured breads. There are even Beirut-style confections such as croissants or lemon cheesecake, as befits the Paris of the East. No alcohol is sold; a selection of fresh juices, coffees and fat-free yoghurt smoothies take its place. A high counter runs between this display and the facing shelves which are stacked with carefully arranged harissa tins and hand-appliquéd baskets. At the same time, this is a far cry from the plentiful supply of prototypical Lebanese joints on the nearby Edgware Road. The difference is in the presentation, the neighbourhood, the clientele. In the boldness of its design, it is reminiscent of the Double Club, or Momo’s. Their target group is the design-savvy, the wealthy, quite possibly the health-conscious. It feels more Arabesque than Middle-Eastern; a painting of an (unveiled) woman with come-hither eyes is part of the shop’s branding.

Although Comptoir Libanais is the perfect takeaway, the canteen’s chic interior provides 30 covers, allowing you to snack at the counter’s high stools or to settle, as we did, into the intimate, den-like café area at the rear, with metal stools and huge pop art renderings of Arabic chewing gum wrappers and the like.

We started with a mixed mezze plate, which features several of the warm and cold dips and salads. Visually spectacular: glistening arils of pomegranate atop smoky babaganoush, chickpeas nestled in a whirl of houmous, and shards of preserved turnip, dyed with beetroot juice, gave the platter a hyperreal effect. The lemon juice and fresh parsley flavours imparted an unusual zinginess to the tabbouleh, and the falafel – too often the culprit in sub-standard Mediterranean food – had a fantastically well-packed crumbly core, with deliciously crispy, sesame-seeded crust. My favourite part of the plate was the pumpkin kibbeh, which looked like Scotch eggs but were filled with a layer of kibbled wheat and pumpkin, and an inner layer of ground walnut and pomegranate molasses, served with a romesco-style dip.

Next I tried the lamb tagine on a bed of organic couscous, whilst my friend enjoyed a Halloumi cheese salad and a falafel wrap. We thought the wrap would have benefitted from having an accompanying sauce, as it was somewhat dry by itself, but the cheese was excellent, as was my lamb. By this stage, a tenner a head down, we were so full that only the most mouthwatering of puddings could have tempted us to continue eating. The friendly staff, Penny and Mitchell, gave us a selection of delectable treats to try, including baklava, semolina cake and a divine chocolate brownie. Besides this, we drank our way through a sizeable portion of the fluids on offer; I had a fantastic date and sesame milkshake, and my friend declared his apple, mint and ginger juice a triumph.

The menu is so varied that it would take a number of visits to tire of the mezze dishes and the pastries, and that’s before starting on the rosewater and strawberry tart, or the coffee and cardamom macaroons. The next time you fancy some fabulous Lebanese food with panache, minus the price-tag, go to Comptoir Libanais.