Al-Dar

On Wednesday, Swine 'Flu-free and Tamiflu finished, we go to the opening night of Harry Potter on the Kings Road. This is a two and a half hour blockbuster and we'll need sustenance before battle with the Dark Lord commences. So we all meet up at Al-Dar for an early supper of meze.

I've been to Beirut only once and probably shouldn't have. Certainly I wasn't scheduled to be there but in 1980, with a second weekend free between Damascus and Amman, I decided that it would be good to visit the city and hired a car for the 170 km trip. With a war raging around me I went through 4 checkpoints on the way and was probably lucky not to be taken hostage. Perhaps people in their early twenties are just lucky. Anyway I spent Thursday evening and Friday in Beirut, ate meze and more meze, swam, drank Arak and enjoyed the city and managed to return to the Intercon in Damascus without anyone noticing I had been away.

Al-Dar is a little piece of Beirut magically transported to Chelsea and certainly turns the heads of passers-by as the tempting aromas of lamb and chicken shawarma (شاورما ) waft into the Kings Road. Many are tempted and there is always a lively queue at the counter as Chelsea shoppers mix with taxi drivers and bike messengers awaiting their chosen sandwich to take away in black cabs or to their fixies. Lebanese shawarma lines the pita with tahini or hummous followed by the meat and then the sandwich is topped with various pickles. Turnips, beetroot and radish are common together with salad leaves.

But one can also dine in. Al Dar translates as 'at home' and beyond the counter there are 12 rather basic tables for four where one can meet friends and family eat meze and then pastries. If your party is two you will probably have to share. Maroush or Noura it is not. One does not dine here to enjoy the heights of Arabian cuisine. But it is friendly and reasonably priced and one can eat fast or slow. The menu features all of the Lebanese meze one would expect - Hummous, Moutabel, Tabouleh and Falafal are standard fare and these are followed by more substantial vegetarian meze - the young man particularly enjoys the grilled Haloumi and we enjoy the pickled stuffed aubergine - then meat. We often cannot resist the pastirma though from time to time this is 'finished'. So too are many of the Lebanese wines suggested by the list. The best plan is to go to the bar and see what they really have. (I no longer touch Arak tough they offer several varieties). Or order one of their made-on-the-spot fruit smoothies. With sweets and pastries to finish it's a perfect pre or post cinema treat. It's a very cosmopolitan little cafe and in addition to Arabic and English one often hears conversation in four or five different languages. Enjoy! - we do.

Whilst we enjoy Al Dar in the Kings Road this is a growing culinary enterprise. With 4 other outlets in and around central London as well as a home delivery service and a 'traiteur' providing meze catering for the home and office it's clear that Beirut is alive and well in London. Look out for 'le patron' around town. You will know him by his license plate - A1 DAR.


Al-Dar II,
74 King's Road,
London,
SW3 4TZ