Their chicken hummus shawarma was really nice, needs some variation with the naan served with it.
Loved the flavour of their special tropical sheesha but it was quiet strong.
At first it seemed a like a tourist trap and I didn't want to go in and just walked past, but I did see a few locals and I thought that I should give it a try.
I was there with a couple of Kiwis who haven't had Middle Eastern food ever. End of the day, they did enjoy the meal.
Except for one of the waiting staff, the others seems like they didn't quite enjoy what they were doing there. Their service was quite hurried and without a smile.
But the saving grace for the place was the food. Having lived in the middle east for more than 15 years, I can vouch that their meat grills, shawarma, grilled lamb, Feta Sambousak, Lamb Kibbeh were good.
Their Hummus wasn't upto mark though
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Living in the area which is full of choice when it comes to Middle Eastern food, I have ended up trying quite a few of the restaurants on Edgware Road. To be honest with you, a lot of the food is very similar at whichever restaurant you pick. So when people ask me which one I would recommend, I always say Al Dar. This is mainly because the food is always decent. Now, I'm not saying it's the best, but it's definitely the one I choose to go to every time.
The food is tasty, and not overly priced, unlike some of the others, but it's definitely reasonable for the portion sizes you get. I particularly like the Kafta Kosh Kash, which is the grilled minced lamb skewers mixed with onion, spices and parsley, served with a spiced sauce. Personally I wish the sauce was spicier but it's still yummy nevertheless. It tastes particularly delicious with some rice. I'm drooling just thinking about it.
We ordered the Cheese Sambousek to start which is a pastry filled with a tangy feta cheese which I love. And we ordered a vegetarian dish so that we can also get some veggies in us. Whenever I go to a halal restaurant, I always end up ordering only meaty dishes, so we thought we should balance this out a bit. We went for this aubergine stew which was cooked with tomatoes and chickpeas and was rather nice with some rice.
The thing with this place is that I know what to expect when I go, and although the service can be quite touch and go, they are usually much nicer and friendlier than a lot of the other restaurants on Edgware Road. I really don't understand the decor and why it needs to be lime green, but luckily I don't visit this restaurant for the interior design. They do leave you alone which can be nice when you want to sit for hours and talk the night away. Otherwise it can be annoying when you don't have the luxury of time and have to try and get the attention of the staff.
If you're looking to try Middle Eastern food in this area, do give Al Dar a try and let me know what you think.
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