Taste the Best of Lebanese Flavours at Grilandia Wimbledon

Possibly the best restaurant in Wimbledon? In fact, almost certainly.

I went with a party of 5 for a birthday celebration. There was a brief mixup at the door and we were initially put on a table that was too small, but somehow by osmosis, staff realised that wasn’t necessarily to our liking (I know I sound like a bit of a knob saying that!) and without hesitating they moved us without us having to ask. That set the standard for the service throughout the evening.

Amir, Sediya and Semiya were incredibly attentive and fun without being annoying or overbearing, which is such a fine line to hit. They were genuinely lovely and obviously enjoyed their jobs and were passionate about the cuisine.

The food. As far as I’m concerned, Lebanese food is the best in the world, so I may be biased. This is some of the nicest, more upmarket Lebanese food I’ve had in London. The baba ganoush was superb and perfectly smoky, Houmous was just epic and the fattoush confirmed to me that it is the greatest salad on earth. We ordered the set menu and you know how sometimes a set menu always leaves you feeling a bit short changed? Like there is something from somewhere else on the menu that you’re missing? Not with this, dear reader. A great assortment of mezze to start, with that great baba, excellent kibbeh, fantastic falafel (actually some of the best), great dips and all spiced perfectly. The main included keftas, chicken and lamb shish, with rice and chips, all of which was excellent, all finishing with great baklava.

The wine was good, the food was stellar and the price was pretty great considering the service and cuisine. The atmosphere was lovely, with green plants up the walls, warm lighting and contemporary west Asian music (at the perfect volume) in the background. It was occasionally turned up for a bit of clapping along for birthday sparklers, something I’m not normally keen on, but the well-natured vibe of this restaurant made even a sullen-faced Scrooge like me join in.

In all, excellent. Truly excellent. In fact, I wouldn’t change a thing.