Food review: Head West for a unique taste of Lebanon

The huge range of dishes that most of us haven’t even heard of, never fails to amaze me.

So it was in the spirit of discovery that we headed to Mount Lebanon on West Street. The restaurant is upstairs so you have great views of the ups and downs on one of the city centre’s busiest streets.

It wasn’t busy when we arrived on a Saturday evening but a steady flow of diners followed.

If you haven’t got a clue where to start when it comes to picking a dish, there are plenty of photographic helpers on the menu.

We opted to share two mixed mezza for starters. Even though there were four of us we were warned that we might have to take a doggie-bag with leftovers.

The vegetarian platter cost £12.95 and included hummus, moutabel, tabbouleh, falafel, warak inab bl ziet and batata harra. The meat option was £1 more and consisted of hummus, falafel, batata harra, lamb shawarma, lamb sambousek and sojok. It was a huge amount but everything was delicious and we quickly polished it off. My personal favourite was the tabbouleh which was generously served with a mass of fresh, green herbs.

I would really recommend the mezza as an introduction to Lebanese food. There were some completely new experiences and new twists on old favourites such as hummus. It would make a perfect lunch for two.

The best main we tried was lahem meshwi – marinated lamb cubes chargrilled, served with Mount Lebanon tomato sauce and a choice of rice or chips.

The lamb was well seasoned and the tomato sauce had a fearsome chilli kick. The rice was absolutely delicious. Very flavoursome and unusually mixed in with strands of noodles. A surprising touch and surprisingly delicious. It was a reasonably sized serving for £11.50.

The vegetarian dishes are also worth a try, even if you are a dedicated meat eater.

The low point was the kids’ meals. They were very bog standard and you could find them on any menu. We tried the chicken burger at £3 and most of it wasn’t eaten.

It is worth noting that Mount Lebanon only accepts cash at the minute so be prepared.

I enjoyed our dalliance with food from the Lebanon. The restaurant has only been open a few months and it is trying hard to please. The more destinations in the world of food now on offer in Sheffield, the better.