London is packed full of diverse eateries and restaurants. Whilst the most common place are the ubiquitous Chinese, Italian and Indian, some cater to a more individualistic and unique pallet. Middle Eastern cuisine is one example.

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Today, I had the pleasure to dine out at an authentic Lebanese and Moroccan restaurant. The quaint “Comptoir Mezze” is located in the heart of Kensal Rise close to where I live. It received excellent reviews with TripAdvisor and Timeout Magazine. So I thought I’d give it a go and see what all the fuss was about.

The environment within is cosy and has a very homely feel to it. Considering it was a weekday evening, it was still quite busy. A good sign for things to come.

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For starter, I tried a selection of their delicious hot and cold mezze. These are small little snacks similar to tapas. I can tell you I was not disappointed. They were beautifully presented on a ceramic platter. My favourite had to be the grilled halloumi cheese steak which had a unique soft and tangy texture. Very delicious indeed.

The green salad was lightly dressed with a hint of lemon flavouring which I found very refreshing.

Special note must be given to the deep-fried falafel ball. They are made of broad beans, coriander, dill, crushed chick peas with garlic and peppers. It was crunchy on the outside while soft and mushy on the inside.

Finally, a helping of humous finished the platter served with freshly made traditional flatbread.

A perfect combination of starters.

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For the mains, I ordered Lamb Tagine which is slow cooked in a traditional clap pot with Moroccan spices, almonds and prunes. Because of the unique way it is cooked, the meat literally falls off the bone. Very tender and soft meat chunk in a rich, flavourful sauce. Served with a special bread that was crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, it was the perfect complement to the fantastic food.

My friend ordered mixed grill which included skewers of lamb shish, tawouk and kofte. I’ve had experiences in the past where it’s been overcooked and can turn out a little dry. These, however, were simply perfect. These juicy and succulent pieces were absolutely delicious.

The bill at the end was presented in what looked like an antique jewellery box with beautiful designs and intricate patterns.

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All in all, a great experience and one I’d recommend to anyone who would enjoy something a little different. It’s quite reasonably priced and the service is friendly and accommodating.

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伦敦热热闹闹地挤满了各式各样的餐馆。 最常见的是中餐，意大利餐与印度餐等。但这个城市也不乏一些迎合大众的独特风味餐， 如中东美食就是一个例子。

今天我在一家地道的黎巴嫩和摩洛哥餐馆与朋友吃饭。这家餐馆叫做“Comptoir Mezze”，位于Kensal Rise地区，离我我住的地方不远。不少杂志和网评都说这家餐馆性价比较高， 所以我决定去看看，亲身体验一下，呵呵。

餐馆内环境优雅，有一种非常亲切的感觉。今天不是周末但用餐的人不少，是个好兆头！

我点了几款热和冷的mezze作为前菜。Mezze是饭前小碟菜，有点儿像西班牙的 tapas。Mezze被精致地摆在一个陶瓷盘上，确实没让我失望。我最爱的是烤halloumi奶酪，口感松软配着略焦的味道， 非常美味！

绿油油的萨拉散发着柠檬香味，吃起来感觉特别清新。

值得一提的还有油炸falafel球（也叫“中东蔬菜球”）。这是由蚕豆，芫荽，鹰嘴豆以及大蒜和胡椒等制成，外面酥脆里面松软，香料味道好惊艳，好好吃哦！

最后，还有一小篮的新鲜传统大饼，伴着中东餐必不可少的humous（又叫“鹰嘴豆泥”），太有feel了！

这是完美的前菜配搭，呵呵。

我点了羊肉煲作为主菜。Tagine是一个呈倒转漏斗形的陶锅，是摩洛哥人做菜的器皿。拿它做出来的慢炖菜更原汁原味。这道羊肉煲就是用这种传统的陶锅烹饪，肉汁被紧紧锁住，羊肉吃起来味道浓郁，配上杏仁和西梅煮成的酱汁，配上新鲜松脆的大饼吃最滋味！

我的朋友点了烤肉大杂烩，有烤羊肉和羊肉串等。 烤肉其实挺讲究功夫的，稍微过火肉汁就会流失。这些烤肉美味多汁，绝对是一流的厨师。

最后埋单的时候，账单被摆放在一个古色珠宝盒里，非常特别。

总而言之，这家餐厅价格合理，服务也不错，值得推荐。喜欢品尝另类风味食物的朋友，请别错过哦！