Name: Byblos Harbour
Address: 41 Millharbour, London, Canary Wharf, E14 9NB, UK
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7538 4882

I met my friend at an incredibly buzzy Canary Wharf tube station on Friday evening and we fought our way to the bar at the Slug & Lettuce wondering where all the people had come from and what had happened to the recession. Having sat outside because it was so busy, we found it to be a rather chilly evening and so we drank up quick and headed to the DLR.

Just two quick stops along to South Quay and we emerged into a relatively quiet residential area near Penn Penisular – a large complex of expensive apartments. With some trepidation we set off into the dark amongst the strangely quiet blocks and the numerous hoardings for all the construction sites – surely we couldn’t be on our way to a restaurant?

Anyway, after only a few minutes walk we crossed a sort of pedestrianised area and were confronted with a fantastic view of the water at Millharbour. It really is quite spectacular. Turning right we quickly spied the signs for Byblos Harbour and hurried along. There were a few tables and chairs outside which, on a warm evening, must be in high demand with a view like that. At 730pm it didn’t appear very busy – but noticeably the majority of people in here were family groups – with (well behaved) but quite young kids appearing to be quite happy.

The décor is – not surprisingly – new and modern. The music suitably Middle Eastern and the welcome was genuine if a bit restrained. The smart disabled lift to the lower level (where the loos are – sorry, but the soap dispenser was empty – and also the private dining area) is noticeable – good to see such facilities available. The kitchen area is alongside the bar so you can see for yourself the cleanliness and efficiency of the food preparation. The tables are sensibly positioned so you don’t feel crushed in.

The drinks menu – both wines and spirits - here is extensive. We said that we wanted to try some Lebanese wine and were directed towards the Bekaa Valley Ksara White Blanc de Blancs – which was chilled and delicate and rather nice.

I must admit that I am not an expert at Lebanese food although many years ago I was taken by a Lebanese business and his Islamic art specialist wife to a number of extremely good restaurants in the West End. I always remember the beautiful flavours and the excitement of a raw lamb mince dish – a bit like steak tartare. So I asked for some guidance on what to select and the owner – Aboud – provided honest and helpful advice.

So. We choose three Mezza dishes to start. As we all know and love Hommos so much we thought we’d try the Moutabal Baba Ghanouj (£5) – which uses aubergine instead of chickpeas. It was lemony rather than garlicky and I have to say that I felt I would have preferred the Hommos – although the pomegranate seeds that were served with it were lovely and fresh. The falafel (£4.75) – another favourite – looked a bit like dark donuts that had been coated in sesame seeds. They were dry in texture and very crumbly but the pale pickled beetroot straws and chillis that accompanied them were crunchy and flavoursome. My favourite starter was the Halloum Mishwi (£5.50) which my daughter calls “squeaky cheese” at home – a generous portion size, salty, beautifully grilled and presented with lots of fresh tomato and cucumber pieces on a bed of shredded lettuce.

By 830pm the families had been replaced by some couples and also a pair of what appeared to be Middle Eastern business men. The music changed too – although I didn’t think that the more modern music suited the atmosphere as much as the earlier music. But it wasn’t loud enough to have a major impact on our evening – and we were chatting away most of the time with frequent glances out of the large window over that fabulous water view. The only hiccup on the horizon was the garishly lit floating Chinese restaurant across the way.

Preferring chicken, the Shish Taouk (£11.95) had been recommended to me. A plate arrived with a seriously large portion of large chicken chunks coated in what looked like paprika with a small dish of garlic sauce. All of the spices were delicate and the predominant flavour was lemon. We shared a bowl of brightly coloured vermicelli (£3 – basmati rice with steamed wheat strands).

My companion opted for the Kafta Khoush-khash (£11.95) – which is ground seasoned shoulder of lamb with onion shaped into what looked like kofti kebabs and smothered in a rich tomato, chilli and garlic sauce. Good job she was hungry as this was another generous portion.

The total bill came to £59.15 without service – and whilst the food was OK, I wondered whether the spiced dishes had been tamed a little for the Western palate. Meat eaters would be very happy here, particularly those with a big appetite. The various lunch platters and set menus probably mean that the place does a roaring trade at lunchtime with all the local office workers. And as the immediate area is a bit short on restaurants, I should imagine that all the residents here use is as one of their regulars. And I really like that is a family friendly environment – at least during the early evening. Whilst I felt welcomed and well looked after, I thought the staff could have been a little warmer and friendlier – this would have raised the stakes for me a lot.

Byblos Harbour

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