After flying into London City Airport, making our way into Central London to leave our luggage at Kings Cross Station, it was definitely time for some well deserved food. We had plans to go see Wicked that evening so we needed something substantial that would fill us up, keeping the hunger monsters at bay. Honest Burgers did just that.

Ross had raved about Honest Burgers as he previously had one of their special burgers, onion rings and chicken wings while he was in town for the London Coffee Festival and was adamant that I should try it.

Even though they have Honest Burgers Locations dotted all over London, trusty Google Maps ensured us that it was only a stone’s throw away from Kings Cross. My tired sore feet were rejoicing. Being a Bank Holiday, we weren’t quiet sure if they’d be open but luckily they were and were able to get a table without any difficultly. A rare occurrence in London for the most part.

The menu is petite, pretty much like the restaurant, but the food sure does pack a punch. I opted for the Tribute Burger (£10) after playing a game of eenie meenie miney mo. My burger was topped with bacon (naturally, you can never have too much bacon, as long as it’s crispy!), American cheese, burger sauce, French’s mustard, onions, pickles and lettuce. Ross decided to try the namesake Honest Burger (£10) which was topped with red onion relish, smoked bacon, mature cheddar, picked cucumber and lettuce. Our waitress asked if we’d like our burgers medium, definitely. It’s the best way to enjoy a burger in my opinion.

What I love about Honest Burgers (other than the great ingredients they use) is that all burgers come with fries. Not just any fries though, skin-on rosemary fries. It’s a nuisance at times having to order separate fries, or should I say actually remember to. As we were starving and my boyfriend is a human dustbin, we also got BBQ Chicken Wings and Onion Rings on the side.

We didn’t have to wait long before our food was in front of us. First impressions? It looked rather inviting with the cheese oozing down the sides. Oh boy. I’m currently salivating. 

Upon first bite, the burger was full of flavour. You could taste the fresh ingredients and as I was battling to not let the cheese drip onto my white t-shirt, I proclaimed that this was the best burger I had ever tasted. High praise indeed. I may have had my mouth full of juicy burger goodness at said time as well. The beef did all the talking, the combination of toppings were icing on the burger cake. It was divine. A joy to eat. 

A little pet peeve of mine is when burger restaurants ask how you’d like your burger cooked and what you get in front of you is not what you asked for. If they state that their burgers come medium or even recommend it themselves, ensure it is medium and not well done. Luckily, Honest Burgers get it right. It was perfectly pink.

Mid burger munch, I tried the skin-on rosemary fries. Perfectly seasoned, these fries were crisped to perfection. Marvellous. Not too crispy, not too limp. I loved the addition of rosemary which was different to the norm you’d get at other burger outlets. I couldn’t get enough of them. Cheesy thumbs up from me!

Sadly, I was a little let down with the rings and wings, which I hate to admit. As I bit into an onion ring, it was rather watery which in turn made them slightly flavourless. The BBQ Chicken Wings on the other hand were nice but a little underwhelming compared to the burgers. I adore chicken wings, but I just can’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong with them, maybe the tangy sweet BBQ sauce?

My boyfriend who has ordered both of these sides in the past even admitted himself that they were “different” this time. Both were edible but not as rememberable as the burger. 

It’s hard to fault a place when the staff are so friendly, attentive & always had a smile of their faces. I loved the décor and the chilled out relaxed vibe. Prices weren’t as expensive as I thought they were going to be and unlike some places I’ve eaten in, there was no rush to get you out the door as soon as you had finished your food. The food, for the most part, was superb hence the high overall score and I would honest-ly (heh!) go back in a heartbeat.

Now if only they’d open in Glasgow…. until then, see you soon Honest Burgers

Growing up in the Middle East exposed me to Lebanese and Gulf Arabic food. I instantly fell in love with dishes such as falafel, tabouli, kebbeh, shawarma, fatayer and machboos laham to name a few. When I moved back to Scotland, it soon became apparent that I would find it rather hard to get my hands on my favourite food.

Ahead of my current trip to London with Ross, I asked my twitter followers for Lebanese restaurant suggestions. Noura Restaurant spotted my tweet and invited me to dine at their Belgravia restaurant. After checking our their menu, reviews and realising it was only a short journey away from our hotel, we booked a table. 

We were welcomed by owner Hani Bou Antoun who talked us through the extensive menu. In the end, I left it to Hani to choose our dishes as quite frankly, I couldn’t choose. Hani picked some popular dishes for us a try and it turned into a feast! To complement our dishes, Hani suggested we try his favourite Lebanese Wine, Ixsir Grande Reserve Red 2010. The wine is a mixture of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, perfect to accompany red meat. 

Our waiter brought us a bowl of crudités to snack on along with a basket of fresh Lebanese bread which they make in-house. Not quite sure how lady like it is to snack on a whole cucumber and tomato in public though!

Noura Belgravia- Lebanese Bread

Noura Belgravia- Cruidites

Not before long, our selection of hot and cold mezze started appearing at the table as and when they were ready. It didn’t take long for our table to be overloaded. Everything looked too good to eat and smelt wonderful. 

The first dishes we tried were the cold mezze; hummous (puree of chickpeas with sesame oil and lemon), moutabbal (puree of grilled aubergine with sesame seed oil and lemon juice) and tabbouleh (parsley, crushed wheat, tomatoes, onion, lemon juice and olive oil). 

Noura Belgravia- Hummous

Noura Belgravia- Moutabbal

Noura Belgravia- Tabbouleh

Using our fresh bread, I scooped up some hummous to try. It was the smoothest I had ever tasted. I couldn’t get enough. By far the best hummous I had the pleasure of tasting. I asked Hani how they made it and he revealed the secret was blending the chickpeas with ice cubes. By using ice cubes, it helps to regulate the temperature while ensuring that it’s the smoothest it can possibly be.

I personally wasn’t a fan of the moutabbal, Ross loved it though and almost finished the entire bowl himself. There wasn’t any wrong with the dish, I’m just not a fan of blended aubergine or the texture. 

Tabbouleh has always been a favourite of mine and I haven’t had it in years. Upon first taste, you could tell how fresh the produce were. It was clean, crisp and well-balanced. A beautiful delicious salad. It worked well in the bread with some hummous added for good measure. 

Following the cold mezze, we were presented with plates of kebbeh (lamb and cracked wheat shell filled with seasoned minced lamb and pine kernels), sojok (spicy sausages), rikakat (filo pastry filled with mixed cheese), arayess (Lebanese bread filled with seasoned minced lamb and pine kernels) and my all time favourite falafel (bean croquettes chickpeas, garlic and sesame oil).

Noura Belgravia- Kebbeh

Noura Belgravia- Sojok

Noura Belgravia- Arayess

Kebbeh is one of my favourite Lebanese dishes and Noura did not disappoint. They were utterly mouth-watering. Lebanese food is designed to be shared and I reluctantly shared them with Ross as he had never tried them before. Instant hit with the boyfriend. I added some hummous with kebbeh onto my fork, great combination. I couldn’t get enough of them.

Hani recommended that we tried the spicy sausages, sojok, which were one of his favourites. The beef sausage meat are mixed with lots of garlic and a mix of aromatic spices. The intensity of the garlic is what you are first met with but luckily, it does not overpower the sausages. I could only eat a few though as I still had to try so many other dishes. 

It’s no secret that I adore falafel. I cannot get enough of it. I can honestly say that the falafel I tried at Noura‘s were the best I’ve ever had. They were beautifully crisp on the outside, soft and flavourful in the inside. Words cannot express how much I loved them. Dipped into some tahini as well as hummous along with some of the fresh bread, sensational.  I want them right now as I’m writing this.

Noura Belgravia- Falafel

Noura Belgravia- Rikakat

Rikakat are little spring rolls normally with a mix of feta and cheddar cheese along with herbs and then deep-fried. They are delicious little parcels of pastry, simple to make and wonderful as little snacks. I could snack on these hot or cold. Yum!

We still had more food to try but if I ate anything else at that moment in time, I’d burst. Unfortunately I did not try the arayess so left it up to Ross to try. They are rather similar to quesadillas, with the Lebanese bread being filled with minced lamb, pine nuts and toasted. Ross likened them to a kebbeh sandwich and that does sound rather good to me! Will need to save that for next time.

Managing to find some space, Ross & I shared the Mixed Grill. Noura‘s version comes with three skewers of chargrilled meat; lahm meshwi (lamb), shish taouk (marinated chicken) and kafta meshwiyeh (minced lamb) along with a fattoush salad (mixed salad, lettuce, tomatoes, mint, sumak, onion and fried Lebanese bread). Each skewer was perfectly cooked on charcoal, lahm meshwi and shish taouk being personal favourites. Sometimes when you ordered meat that has been cooked on charcoals, it can be overcooked and dry. Thankfully, Noura impressed me yet again with flavorful, succulent and mouth-watering pieces of meat. Perfect scooped up with some hummous and Lebanese bread.

After a well deserved break and chatting with Hani about the food, we were unexpectedly given a plate of baklawa and a selection of ice creams which are made in-house. I’ve loved baklawa ever since I was a child, I think that is where my love for anything pistachio based comes from. The baklawa we were given were so light and soft. Thankfully they weren’t heavy as I doubt I could have handled them. Hani informed us that they used to make the baklawa in-house but when the chef making the baklawa opened his own bakery, they now order from him instead.

Noura Belgravia- Selection of Ice Cream

Noura Belgravia- Baklawa

The ice cream selections (chocolate, mango, vanilla and strawberry) were smooth and creamy. The strawberry and mango were more like a sorbet and very well received after the amount of food we ate, but in all honestly, I could only fit in a little spoonful before resigning to the fact that I was well and truly stuffed.

Overall, the food I tasted at Noura, has to have been one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. I’ve missed good quality, authentic, home-style healthy Lebanese food and I now know where I’ll be returning on my future visits to London. The staff were very friendly and attentive throughout, even when the restaurant was filling up. It is a little on the pricey side for some dishes, but the quality of ingredients and  food produced makes it value for money. 

What I loved about the restaurant, other than the food, was the vast amount of Arabic friends, families and embassy staff dining at the restaurant, the sign of a good Lebanese restaurant. If you are in the area or visiting London, Noura is not to be missed. 

Disclaimer: I was invited by  Noura Restaurant as a guest in return for a review. Whilst my meal was complimentary, I was under no obligation to write a positive review and my comments reflect my true experience that evening.