New Lebanese and shisha site set for London's Duke Street
A new Lebanese tapas-style restaurant is to open on London's Duke Street this May, on the former site of Caffe V.
Lazeez (the word means "tasty" in Arabic) is set to open on 2 May, and serve freshly-made halal shawarma, plus wraps with falafel, halloumi and chicken; and Lebanese-style burgers. There will also be falafel platters, and additions such as hummus and babaganoush, made regularly on-site.
The 90-cover site (50 inside, with 40 outside), opposite department store Selfridges, is undergoing a complete refurbishment, to the tune of £300,000.
Expected to open from 11am to midnight, it will also offer a selection of hot and cold sharing tapas plates (named "tapas" by the restaurant itself), with freshly-warmed bread and Lebanese-style chips. Each plate of shawarma is expected to cost around £7-8.
Drinks-wise, there will be a choice of rarely-seen, Lebanese wine; Mediterranean-Arabic-inspired cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks; and a blend of Turkish coffee in collaboration with Italian brand Illy, served with a selection of pistachios, baklava and dates.
The site will also offer a large selection of shisha.
The name of the head chef is yet to be revealed but owner and operations manager Emilio Malik confirmed he had been working with him on the menu for around a year. The general manager will be Michael Salum.
Malik told Caterer and Hotelkeeper that he is aiming to create a fresh, new approach, making classic Lebanese dishes quickly but to a high-standard, and aiming to serve customers within eight minutes of their order.
He said: "We've changed to Lebanese food, because that's what people want. I don't think there's any real Lebanese competition round here.
"So we're about catering to that gap in the market - fresh, Lebanese food, with Lebanese wine and cocktails. We're all about being fresher."
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