Inside Bar Encore – London’s Stylish New Listening Bar Hiding Beneath TOUM

Last Updated on November 14, 2025

Mayfair Gets Its First Habibi Funk Listening Bar

I’ve been quietly learning about Lebanese food this past year via award-winning author Lina Saad. Her Substack is full of stories of Lebanon, Lebanese recipes and ingredients – Mulukhiyeh, Carob, Kishk, Labneh and more. But I confess, I have not yet eaten a proper Lebanese meal, so I headed to TOUM in Mayfair to kick start my journey.

TOUM is the vision of Tarek Farah, who also runs Aline Lebanese Kitchen. It blends Lebanese flavours with French accents in a brasserie-style setting. Rotisserie Chicken is the star of the show here. Chickens here are brined in herbs, left for 12 hours and then air-dried for another 24 hours before being roasted on a state-of-the-art Rotisol oven. Beyond the chicken, there are a variety of Lebanese small plates, larger fish-based mains, and dips and sauces: Chicken Jus, Café de Paris Butter, Chimichurri, and, of course, the restaurant’s namesake – Toum.

Toum is a Lebanese condiment – a fluffy emulsion made from garlic, salt, lemon juice and olive oil. Here in Mayfair, Tarek’s team adds ice to make it even more silky. It’s similar to aioli but completely vegan, akin to mayonnaise but not as greasy or heavy. The garlic and salt are crushed into a paste, then the olive oil and lemon juice are slowly poured in to create a stable, foamy emulsion. I chose to try it on the Toum Flatbread with Heritage Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs, whereas my companion kept it traditional with a half chicken.

We chose a crisp and fruity Lebanese white wine from the Bekaa Valley to accompany our meal. Lebanon has been making wine for over 5,000 years, dating back to the Phoenicians, who were among the earliest traders of wine and vine cultivation across the Mediterranean. The Bekaa Valley is the heart of Lebanese wine with its high altitude, hot days and cool nights. The French monks first cashed in on this area with French viticulturists arriving later to leverage this perfect terroir for their European grapes.

What makes the TOUM menu unique is the mini cocktails. Why other restaurants don’t do this more is beyond me. It’s a wonderful way to try the creativity of the mixologist without breaking the bank. Upstairs, the focus is on Negronis – Sumac, Chocolate, Smoke and Artichoke. Perfect aperitifs or digestifs, depending on which way you are inclined.

Downstairs, the new Bar Encore has even more for cocktail lovers.

But it’s not just a bar. It’s a Listening Bar, and for those of you new to the concept, that means here the tunes are not just background music but rather at the centre of your experience. It’s inspired by Japan’s kissaten and jazz kissa culture, where people come together to listen to a carefully curated list of vinyl on high-quality sound systems.

Here in the heart of London, you can immerse yourself in Arabic Disco, Habibi Funk, French Nouvelle Vague, Bossa Nova, jazz and blues alongside innovative cocktails every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening. It’s a relaxed and intimate atmosphere with low lighting, wooden panels and cosy burgundy leather seating all warmly lit with candles. The vinyls play through a pair of refurbished 80s vintage Tannoy Little Gold Monitor speakers. The music is interesting but unobtrusive.

And as far as cocktails go, this little underground den has some interesting choices: Open Sesame (Bulleit Bourbon, sesame, honey, smoke), Artichoke Sour (Bombay gin, artichoke amaro, Topinambur, lemon, sugar), Truffle Whiskey Sour (Bullet Bourbon, truffle honey, rosemary, lemon) or Foret Noire (Cognac-washed butter, raspberry, Nutella foam, served with a spoon on the side) on the Signature cocktail list of the classics. I chose one that sounds quite simple – Mezcal Spritz. It’s made with Illegal Mezcal, Black Lime Cordial and Soda. Black lime is known across the Levant as loomi or lumi, bringing a deep, tangy acidity to slow-cooked dishes. Its smoky and sour notes make it a natural partner for the intense mezcal, and the soda lifts them both into a very refreshing drink. Nothing simple at all.

Overall, we enjoyed our early supper at TOUM. It was relaxed with options to eat at the bar around the Rotisol oven or at small, French brasserie-style tables. I’d opt for the bar next time as it felt a bit more convivial – somewhere I could easily grab a bite on my own. The rotisserie chicken is juicy, well-seasoned and paired with small plates that make for a great pre- or post-theatre meal. Downstairs Bar Encore is a cosy, warm and welcoming space with cocktails that are both creative and full of Lebanese inspiration. It’s easy to relax here with a team that makes you feel at home.  

Address and reservations

Toum and Bar Encore | 18a Maddox Street, London, W1S 1PL | 020 4580 1447

Toum is open 7 days a week | Reserve online

Bar Encore is open from 6 pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays

Looking for more Lebanese Food? We also recommend Lebnani in Surrey