Comptoir Libanais Chelsea Review: It May Be a Chain, but It’s a Rather Good One

I said it the other day and I’ll say it again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a chain restaurant – providing it’s good of course. So many of them have either gone into administration or grown too big over the years, but the ones still here have clearly got it all right and the proof is in the business. Rossopomodoro never disappoints with its pizza, Masala Zone serves up delicious Indian cuisine and Comptoir Libanais, serving Lebanese food has managed to get the balance of a restaurant with an equally popular take-out menu perfectly perfected.

We recently visited our local Comptoir Libanais on the Duke of York Square in Chelsea which has recently undergone a fabulous new refurb, playing to London’s floral Instagram sensation. We arrived for lunch at around midday and by 1pm, the entire restaurant (both inside and out) was completely packed and at least twenty people were queuing outside. It’s not often you see a restaurant this busy, which is clearly saying something about the food.

We sat down on our table outside and ordered a bottle of the house white wine which went down a treat. The restaurants own-label wine made is made by Chateau Ksara, Lebanon’s oldest winery and is very easy drinking. We also ordered some marinated Damascus olives whilst we settled in.

Lebanese food is all about sharing and so we started with a selection of small meze. My absolute favourite was the baba ghanuj. A blend of smoked aubergine purée, tahina, garlic & lemon juice – topped with pomegranate seeds. Smokey and delicious. When dining in any Lebanese restaurant this is always my go-to dish.

We also ordered one of the specials off the menu which was their classic hommos, topped with marinated spicy chicken, as well as a side of the good old classic batata harra. The latter, Lebanese spiced potatoes with fresh coriander, garlic & chilli. It was good, but the potatoes were just a touch too cold if being extra picky.

For mains, I completely fell in love with the fattets. It’s a dish I wasn’t familiar with to be honest and had no idea what was about to arrive, but I’ll most definitely be coming back for more. With a choice of either aubergine or lamb, I went for the latter. Delicious spiced grilled lamb koftas, with a warm tahina & yoghurt sauce, crispy onion and pita crisps. Honestly, this really was a lovely plate of food, packed with flavour and textures. It was also huge – so come hungry.

Our other main course was the from the grills section of the menu, all of which come with Comptoir salad & vermicelli rice. We opted for the marinated chicken taouk which was grilled marinated chicken breast with garlic & fresh thyme. Another lovely generous dish, but perhaps that chicken could have been ever so slightly more juicy. The flavour and spice was spot on.

With barely any room left, we somehow managed to tuck into a huge slice of mango & vanilla cheesecake. Creamy, rich and very dense – just the way I like my cheesecakes. This vanilla cheesecake came topped with a layer of sweet mango and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. I’d definitely order this dessert again, though perhaps arrive with a little more space next time and skip breakfast.

It’s been years since I last visited a Comptoir Libainas and after this visit, it most certainly won’t be the last. There’s a great atmosphere inside this restaurant, the food is well priced and generously portioned and the service (especially considering how busy it was) was very attentive. If you’re looking for good quality take-out food or a relaxed dinner/lunch then you’ll have a great time here and don’t forget, order that fattet – you won’t be disappointed. Would we come back? Yes!