2-3 Beauchamp Place,
Knightsbridge,
London,
SW3 1NG
(020) 7581 4296
The ViewLondon Review
Tucked away down the stylishly salubrious Beauchamp Place, LayaLina brings excellent modern Lebanese cuisine to Knightsbridge, throwing in belly dancing, music and a nicely informal atmosphere just for good measure.
The Venue
LayaLina enjoys some good company, sharing the des res road with a veritable plethora of established bars, restaurants and other Knightsbridge institutions. It’s certainly sophisticated enough for the area, with a sleek, dark exterior softly illuminated by little blue spotlights that lead you into a restaurant furnished with dark woods, black marbled walls and some really rather excellent cutlery. A larger downstairs area opens at the weekend, offering a few more tables, a little stage for music and plenty of room for incredibly toned bellies to do their shaky thing.
The Atmosphere
As with any Knightsbridge venue there’s a chance you’ll hear (usually refined) accents from across the globe, with anyone from US businessmen and rich Russians yet to make the journey home, to genuine Lebanese and, of course, the rangers being driven round the corner from Sloane Square. Whoever’s inside are assured of somewhere that’s pleasantly relaxed and informal, despite the obvious quality of the food. Dining in the main restaurant is quiet and romantic, whilst downstairs is a little more animated and communal thanks to all that impressive entertainment.
The Food
Although there are some solid staples done very well indeed, LayaLina sets itself apart from most restaurants of its ilk by modernising Lebanese cuisine on an enticing and innovative menu. Firstly, the complimentary olives have to be mentioned - they’re excellent. Mezzes are a very tasty secondary introduction, whetting the appetite for the more contemporary mains. If you’re not too sure on what to order, or just fancy a little taster of a few bits, then the hot mezze selection (£6.95) is a good place to start, with a slightly stodgy falafel being the only disappointment. The cheese bourak is light with crunchy, flaking filo; the lamb and cheese sambousak boasts tender lamb and a buttery, thin pastry; and the kibbeh is very good indeed, with lamb that’s seasoned well, mixed with pine nuts and housed within a crunchy wheat shell. Perhaps though, the best starter is the absolutely divine samek harra (£6.95) - an excellent cut of perfectly cooked pollock immersed in a spicy, sweet tomato salsa with herbs and pine nuts.
Mains get even more impressive, notably the mixed grill (£19.95) that features some very, very good cuts of meat that are cooked superbly. The lamb cutlets look cooked to medium, yet taste as tender and soft as medium rare; the chicken taouk is perfectly cooked too and lightly informed with just the right amounts of cinnamon and garlic; and the lamb meshwi is succulent, rich and flavoured with tiny hints of rosemary, garlic and allspice. The authentic Lebanese fish and rice stew, the sayadieh (£16.95), is perhaps the best though, with another exquisite cut of pollock slow-cooked so that it falls off the fork, and served in a deliciously rich, thick sauce made with onions, cumin, lemon, saffron and fish stock before being served on a bed of rice and garnished with pine nuts.
If you’ve got enough room for dessert then the baklava (£6.50) is some of the best around, and thankfully isn’t drenched into sickening submission by syrup. Instead, these, elegant little creations are pretty moreish, with crisp, sweet pastry housing artistically aligned pistachios, almonds and pine kernels. If you haven’t got enough room then you might like/need a Lebanese coffee (£2.50), an outrageously thick and strong coffee that acts as the perfect propulsion home.
The Drink
As you might expect from somewhere with a location like this, LayaLina boasts an impressive wine list, enabling visitors to go from the affordable to the extravagant in one swipe of the platinum card. The selection starts at a very, very reasonable £15 for a superb Lebanese red from Clos St Thomas, full of fruity, cherry flavours and the tiniest hint of liquorice. It steadily moves up through more excellent Lebanese options with a smattering of very well chosen Spanish, French and New World wines, right up to a very impressive, complex American pinot noir at £112.
The Last Word
With excellent contemporary Lebanese cooking at prices that belie the restaurant’s envious location, you’re more than likely to take full advantage. If you do, leave the belly dancing to the experts and settle for one of those coffees instead.
LayaLina has been reviewed by 6 users