Last Updated on August 18, 2025
Escape from Oxford Street
4.5 out of 5.0 starsNoreen bills itself as a “Middle Eastern oasis in the heart of Marylebone,” and the description isn’t far off. Tucked away in St Christopher’s Place, the newly opened restaurant (its name meaning “two lights” in Arabic) offers weary Oxford Street shoppers, as well as anyone in search of refined cooking, a welcome retreat.
The restaurant serves an enticing menu of dishes inspired by two regions, the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant. The kitchen is headed up by Mehdi Hani (from Em Sherif at Harrods and The Dorchester). Drawing on his Lebanese and Syrian heritage, he aims to reinterpret traditional flavours from across the Arab world for the modern day.
Diners can eat outside on Noreen’s well-appointed terrace (the street is pedestrianised, so no noisy traffic to contend with). We arrived in the drizzle and decided to eat inside the comfortable restaurant, which was busy mid-afternoon with large family groups as well as pairs of friends and couples.
The team at Noreen has obviously put a lot of work into making their non-alcoholic drinks menu as interesting as the strong stuff. All of their signature cocktails (of which there are many tempting options) come in a mocktail version, too.
My teetotal friend, for once, felt well catered for and chose the zero alcohol Black Lime and Mango Sharbat. Once she had acclimatised to this mix of black lime and mango cordial with Botivo non-alcoholic aperitivo, she said it was almost beyond description in its loveliness. High praise.
I was not so virtuous and ordered the Barberry Negroni – a potent and delicious mix of orange blossom gin, Noreen barberry vermouth and Campari.
Every restaurant should have at least one dish on its menu that keeps you going back for more. The very first dish we tried at Noreen fit this bill perfectly – one mouthful in and my companion pronounced their Cardamom Bun “exquisite. This pull-apart milk bun was served warm with whipped butter and date molasses, all making for that irresistible combination of sweet, salt and fat plus carbs.
We were also impressed by Noreen’s superior take on the ever-popular aubergine dip. Like most of the dishes we tried, the Badenjan was layered with flavours, details and textures, including aubergine two ways – burnt aubergine puree (lovely and smoky) and miso roasted aubergine, laced with tahini and scattered with pomegranate, walnuts and Aleppo chilli.
My dining companion is a big fan of Fattoush, so was keen to try Noreen’s version. She was not disappointed by the appearance of a generous bowl of baby gem, mint, and parsley, marinated cucumber and tomato, pomegranate, spring onion, radish, pomelo and crispy pita bread squares. The addition of the grapefruit-like zing of the pomelo and the freshness of the ingredients lifted the whole salad.
While many of the sharing plates we tried were familiar to us, the Mushroom Kubbe were a delightful discovery. This trio of burghul (bulgur wheat) dumplings were stuffed with juicy mushrooms and accompanied by a Syrian seven-spice crema and toasted pine nuts.
We also shared a family-sized plateful of good falafel. My vegetarian friend made impressive inroads while I enjoyed my fish main dish.
Noreen’s Sea Bass Tahini from the large plates section of the menu turned out to be a complete meal in itself. The tender fish was well spiced with Arabian fish baharat and served on a bed of citrus tahini alongside samphire, roasted garlic and shoestring fries. This was a very well-balanced dish with excellent depth of flavour.
After enjoying Noreen’s savoury dishes so much, we agreed we had to try at least one of their desserts. We opted for the Rose Booza, a simple dish of rose ice cream and pistachio brittle. This was a delicate pink rose ice cream, reminiscent of Turkish delight in terms of flavour and with the consistency of a melting Kulfi.
We both very much enjoyed our large, late lunch at Noreen. The restaurant is very well-staffed and we were carefully looked after throughout our visit. Highly recommended for lovers of Middle Eastern cuisine.
28-32 St Christopher’s Place,
Marylebone,
London
WIU INU
Phone: 020 300 60010
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