Leila – Review

 We started with a sharing platter of Lebanese dips (£11.95). For me the starters are always the highlight of any Lebanese meal. They are the epitomé of what contemporary small plate dining is about, being light, full of flavour and texture without too much emphasis on meat. We tasted a delicious hummus, a tabbouleh that had a terrific parsley crunch. There was a classic Greek style aubergine moussaka, some herbed olives and Levantine style pickles, but my favourite was the Moutabal, roast aubergine with its signature deep smoky taste punctured by the sweet/sour flavour of pomegranate seeds. I could have eaten this all day!
For her mains her Ladyship had the Mix Mashawi (£13.50)- a mixed grill of chicken, lamb and minced lamb cooked over charcoal and attractively served with a spiced flatbread, salad and a mountain of chips. She loved the chicken which was moist and full of flavour but found the lamb kebabs a bit tough.

I went for the sea bass tagine, a Moroccan style hotpot with the fish baked in a rich tomato sauce, with the tang of preserved lemon and herbs (£ 13.50).

Served with a really attractive bed of couscous the fish felt rather swamped in the tomato sauce but still had a good flavour and texture.
Raspberry and mango sorbet (£3.95) was a light and refreshing way to end the meal but probably didn’t need the extra dusting of sugar as it was quite sweet already.

I’d love some more of the Lebanese restaurant owners to serve the mains dishes in smaller tapas style servings and without the huge plates of carbohydrates that accompany. These could still be available as sides. There are a few places doing it now and it seems like a smart and healthy way forward. The food is ideally suited to that style and is so delicious it would allow customers to try more dishes. But I really enjoyed my meal at Leila which delivered just what you want from a local restaurant, good food reasonably priced with friendly service and may just have to come back on the weekend to see how lively it does get!