The Afghani rice dishes are a house speciality — lamb is slow-cooked until tender and served on a bed of basmati rice studded with sultanas, julienned carrots and nuts. A pot of yoghurt comes on the side to cut through the richness. The combination of sweet dried fruit and savoury lamb is distinctly Syrian-style comfort food. Quandoo reviewers highlight this as one of the favourite dishes from the menu.
Tips from diners
Mix the yoghurt into the rice rather than eating it on the side — it balances the sweetness of the sultanas and brings the whole dish together.
The mixed grill platter is the centrepiece order at Abu Zaad. Portions are described as enormous by reviewers — enough for two to three people easily. The meats come off the charcoal grill with real smoke flavour. It includes a combination of lamb, chicken and seekh kebabs alongside rice and fattoush salad. Several blog reviews single this out as the best-value meal on Edgware Road.
Tips from diners
The portions are huge — one mixed grill platter comfortably feeds two people. Order a couple of mezze dishes on the side and you have a full meal for a group.
The falafel at Abu Zaad are made in-house from soaked chickpeas (not canned), which gives them a lighter, more textured interior than many versions on Edgware Road. They are fried to order and come out crispy on the outside with a green, herb-flecked centre. Yelp reviewers highlight them as a standout among the mezze selection.
Tips from diners
The falafel, fattoush, hummus and moutabal together make a filling vegetarian meal. Abu Zaad is one of the better options on Edgware Road for a meatless dinner.
A classic Levantine salad done properly — cos lettuce, cucumber, tomato and fresh mint tossed with sumac and a generous olive oil and lemon dressing, topped with shards of crispy fried pitta bread. The pitta adds crunch and the sumac provides a tart, slightly fruity acidity. Food bloggers who have reviewed Abu Zaad consistently praise the fattoush as one of the best in London.
Tips from diners
Order the fattoush at the start of the meal alongside hummus and baba ghanoush. The crispy pitta goes soggy if it sits — eat it as soon as it arrives.
Creamy hummus made from crushed chickpeas blended with tahini and lemon, dressed with olive oil and topped with thinly sliced shawarma meat. This is a meal in itself when eaten with the complimentary bread, or works as a generous starter for two. The shawarma adds a meaty, spiced dimension that plain hummus lacks.
Tips from diners
Order this alongside the plain hummus and the moutabal (smoky aubergine dip) for a proper mezze spread. The bread basket is complimentary and keeps being refilled.
Abu Zaad stands out on Edgware Road because it serves Syrian rather than Lebanese cuisine, which makes it unusual in an area dominated by Lebanese restaurants. The dining room is decorated with framed transparencies of Damascene vistas and atmospheric lanterns. The kitchen specialises in charcoal-grilled meats, traditional Syrian mezze and large family-style platters. With multiple locations now across London, the Edgware Road original remains the most well-known.
You can eat well for around £20 per person including a drink. The mezze dishes are generous and the main plates are large enough to share.
Abu Zaad is Syrian, not Lebanese — the food is noticeably different from the Lebanese restaurants that dominate Edgware Road. If you have only eaten Lebanese here before, try this for comparison.
The restaurant is family-friendly with highchairs available. The dining room has Damascene-inspired decor with lanterns and hanging rugs — more atmospheric than many casual Middle Eastern places.
Open daily from noon until 11pm. No reservations needed for most visits — walk-ins are the norm. It rarely has long waits except during Ramadan iftar time.
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