1 /5 Zoe Z: Misleading, Overpriced, and Poor Value
Don’t be misled by the £17.50 price with tea and dessert, it’s £25 per person. This is London-level pricing for a very poor selection of meatless stew rice and salad. The dining room was silent and awkward, while Islamic music was strangely kept to the shisha area. Most concerningly, there were young children in the smoking area and a total disregard for food hygiene.
> The Food & Value:
Despite the owner personally assuring us in advance that the buffet would include dishes like makloubeh and shish barak, the reality was a huge letdown. The buffet was almost entirely plain rice and meatless kabsa. The "makloubeh" had no meat, eggplant, or cauliflower it was just seasoned rice. Aside from a few chicken legs, there was almost no meat. The desert was so disappointing, overcooked and heated in the microwave.
> Hidden Costs:
For a final bill of £25 per person (once they added separate charges for tea and dessert), this is incredibly poor value. When we questioned the bill, the owner’s justification—that he had "given us the water for free"—was embarrassing and unprofessional, especially as the water was already sitting out on the buffet table for everyone. For that price, you could get a full mixed grill at any other local restaurant or a high-end buffet in London with triple the options.
> Atmosphere & Concerning Practices:
The experience felt "off" from the start. We ate in a big, silent room with five other families no music, no Ramadan nasheed only to later realize Islamic songs were only being played in the shisha area.
> The most concerning parts in order:
> Toddlers in the shisha area: We saw very young children in the indoor shisha area while adults were smoking around them, which felt completely inappropriate.
> * Food hygiene: When we left two hours after Iftar, the food was still sitting out uncovered, making me question whether it would simply be reheated and served again the next day.
> * Lack of hygiene and care: As we walked to our table, there was a prayer mat just lying flat on the floor in the shisha area that no one had bothered to put away. Leaving it there for people to walk over is not only unhygienic, but many would also find it incredibly disrespectful. It should have been folded and put away properly once used, especially in a smoking area.
Misleading marketing and a complete lack of basic Ramadan atmosphere in the dining room. We won’t be returning.
