Abu Zaad

I was excited to find a Syrian restaurant in London, but the food here is really not great. I tried the lamb maglouba and it was so unappetising in flavour and mediocre in every way that I had trouble finishing it. I have also tried the chicken moulloukhia, and the moulloukhia itself was bitter and not tasty at all and made the chicken hard to eat as well. The only decent thing i had here was the grape leaves and they were just average. I am rather disappointed with this place. Syrian food is great but no one would know it from this place.

Really amazing Syrian food. The starters were super tasty, and the lamb chops were delicious. Portion sizes were huuuuuge, 8 lamb chops with rice, salad and bread. The waiters were really nice and made my friend feel extra special on her birthday. Prices are very reasonable too.

Poor service, bread was stale, meat Luke warm, no sauce with my ‘special mixed grill’, very dry, no water offered.

We had a low key meal at this Syrian restaurant. Great value (£23 for the two of us) made even better once we checked in and got a free tabbouleh starter!
I ordered the Farrouj Abu Zaa which is the boneless baby chicken. Very tender and tasty. It only comes with a uninspired iceberg lettuce salad so I ordered some frikeh too. The waiter said it was ‘cooked seeds’ but it was actually pearl barley. Very nicely done though. It was tasty.
My partner ordered the Kabab Halabi which was like kofte but with a spicy kick. Really delish and it came with rice and salad.
They gave us some complimentary filo dough desserts too.
Great little spot. The food is simple and not fancy but prepared well.

One of my favorite Syrian restaurants in London, similar to the other branch in Edgware Road. The food is generally quick. You don’t usually need to wait. Some of recommended dishes are the Farooj (boneless chicken) as well as, my favourite, Maklooba (lovely tender lamb cubes with Aubergine and Rice, just delicious). The quantity as well is generous. Their main dishes can definitely be filling. I doubt you’d be able to finish them especially if you have appetizers too. They have the common hot and cold appetizers such as Vine Leaves, Fatoush, Kebba.
The seating in this Shepherds Bush branch is nice but not necessarily very big. At busy times, you might need to reserve. They do collection as well.
The drinks including juices are really nice as well. I recommend Lemonde with Mint.
The prices are generally reasonable especially with the generous portions that you get.

Excellent choice if you want food before going to O2 Shepherd Bush Empire. Very good food. Fresh. Prompt service.

This place is great! Found it through a recommendation on Unilocal and really enjoyed dinner here. The service was a bit slow to start with but the food was amazing. Very tender and well spiced.
Try the hummus, it’s the best hummus I ever had. Definitely coming back here!

Gutted! I went to Abu Zaad last night and it was a huge disappointment. Luckily I didn’t go out of my way to go here and was en route to a the Bush Hall. I was recommended the restaurant by a friend and the reviews on Unilocal also looked promising.
The restaurant is about an 8 minute walk from Shepherds Bush Market tube station and is pretty standard inside, not dressy but quite bustly and atmospheric.
I ordered the Arayes to start, which is pitta filled with veal, onion cheese and something else-​anyway I should have just ordered a tuna melt as that is what it tasted like. I didn’t let this put me off and proceed to order the Abu Zaad special Chicken Shawerma– I waited 10mins to then be told that they didn’t have it anymore so then the waiter recommended a chicken grill dish for me and I chose rice to come with it (you get the option of rice or chips). Dish arrives with chips (typical!) so then the waiter said i could keep the chips and he’d bring the rice-​The rice never turned up! The main meal itself was awful, my salad looked like it had given up the will to live, brown around the edges and my chicken tasted of nothing… then for the whole night it just sat in my stomach like a huge weight. I still tried to give Abu Zaad a chance and ordered the hummus and at last something good! Bill came to £26 for 2 people and that included 1 starter, 2 pepsi’s, 2 mains and a side of hummus. Good Points– Cheap and the waiters were friendly. Bad points– food wasn’t tasty!
I think after going to ‘Fanoos’ in Chiswick I’ve been spoilt and will never go back to Abu Zaad. Sorry Abu Zaad I wanted to like you

I needed somewhere to go for dinner before see Kate Nash at the Shepherds Bush Empire on Saturday so naturally I turned to Unilocal for help.
And I am so happy with my fellow Unilocalers right now! They delivered me to Abu Zaad and I am eternally grateful. I even took the advice on which dish to order and I am stoked to report that the Farrouj Abou Zaad: boneless baby chicken, is indeed spectacular. Along with the chicken we ordered the Makloba: aubergine rice, lamb cubes and nuts cooked in special sauce, flat bread and Damascene and Abu Zaad tropical juices… I had to stop myself from licking the plate.
The atmosphere was noisy and busy, and all the restaurant guests seemed to know the waiters personally. It did make for slightly erratic service — so be aware if you are a stickler for one waiter per table or any such particular.
I plan to return with a hoard of hungry friends and order every kind of meat they have.

This is definitely the best you can find to eat in Shepherd’s Bush. The restaurant is amazing from top to bottom the food, the staff, everything is on a really high level, nearing perfection.

One of the apps I’ve grown to really love is my Unilocal app. Whenever I’m in a new area in London, I always do a quick search to see if there is a good place to try out. I was taking a photoshop class in the area and stopped by due to the rave reviews.
My hangover urged me to order takeaway so got the boneless baby chicken, halloumi and moussaka. The halloumi was a bit salty — it’s deep fried and the moussaka… if you’re used to greek moussaka, this def doesn’t resemble it. It was more like a tomato sauce like dish with a few aubergines and chick peas. Will probably give those dishes a pass.
But the chicken… Even after eating it up in the microwave at home I thought it was one of the best chicken dishes I’ve ever tasted. Get involved with that garlic white sauce! This dish def pushed my review up to 5*s. I will be back for more.

A gem in the heart of shepherds bush.

Abu Zaad is a popular Syrian restaurant that serves the Shepherd’s Bush Arabic community well.
I recently decided to try their fare as the two Lebanese Shawarma outlets currently in my local area of Chiswick are lousy.
They ONLY have a Chicken Shawarma but do have Lamb Shish & Kofte for those willing to wait around.
The chicken shawarma came in «kit form» with garlic sauce and a small amount of tomato, onions & pickled gherkin as salad.
The quality of the white meat was excellent, the portion was generous too.
The bread was fine and the simple salad was OK, though there was not much of it.
The garlic sauce was good.
Service was pleasant enough though the method of paying the cashier who passes a note to the kitchen means it is hard to build the sandwich to one’s preferences easily.
The shawarma cost £2.50 — which is great value in my opinion it is cheaper AND better quality than any I have found recently.
RECOMMENDED!

From the outside this is a light brown, tacky looking place, which appears cheap and nasty. However venture indoors and you’ll find a fantastic décor, amazing food and a friendly atmosphere. Did I also mention that the prices here are also dirt cheap! My friends and I shared starters, mains, sides, mint tea and drinks and it came to less than £15 a head! Bargain! With a lovely, energetic vibe and some unusual menu options this place is sure to delight. I would however suggest that you are careful when ordering as you shouldn’t assume you know that you are going to get. I ordered lamb with yogurt and was presented with a bowl of yogurt which had lamb pieces hidden in it. Whilst a little taken back, this dish tasted superb and featured the most tender meat I believe I have every tasted. The pomegranate juice I had was delicious, although maybe a little sweet for my liking. My mezze cold starters were also fantastic, but more in line with expectations. The only downside is that they do not serve alcohol here. But that said, believe the food is more than worth it! I already have another trip planned! My biggest tip for this place is if you have the chance, check out the back room. The decorative wall tiles found here are stunning.

When I turned up here and walked inside I felt like I had been given passage to Damascus. From the décor to the patrons, it all looks the part and yet even if you don’t, you’ll be warmly welcomed.
A visiting pal from San Francisco and I joined a regular here for dinner and he took care of all the ordering. I enjoyed everything we ate but one dish in particular stood out: Farrouj Abou Zaad.
These three words I scarcely know how to pronounce must mean «over the top tasty.» Or maybe the translation is grilled boneless baby chicken? Whatever the case, the farrouj abou zaad (grilled boneless baby chicken) is some of the most incredible chicken to ever pass my lips. It is served with a divine salsa-​like tomato sauce that makes you want to lick the container it comes in.
The baklava we ended our meal with made me reconsider every syrupy, unappetising baklava I’ve had in the past (and my stance on not liking it.) This stuff was flaky, light and absolutely worth going back for. Make sure to order mint tea to go with it.
Why fly to Syria when you can take the tube to Shepherd’s Bush Market and come to Abu Zaad instead?

Restaurant itself was buzzing, popular and larger than it looks from the outside. Service was prompt.
Food: A-​OK sums it up for me. The moutabal aubergine purée starter was nice and smoky but bread a touch leathery. Main courses were OK but didn’t stand out. Had the chicken cous cous which probably wasn’t what the waiter would have suggested if I had asked for a reco, but nevertheless was a bit bland. My partner’s lamb dish with wheat was also similarly OK.
Definitely good value though with low prices.

I went there yesterday with other 4 friends, a busy Saturday night full of families with screaming children, but the esquisite food screamed louder than those toddlers and soon I forgot about the noise and concentrated on my meal and the good company of friends.
Most of them ordered the tagine with lamb or chicken and I ordered the mixed grill. The starters were excellent and were brought over in a flash. Everything is fresh and tasty and very reasonably priced. Surprisingly fast service.
The freshly prepared fruit juices and mint tea were excellent.
Thumbs up all around apart from the screaming kids!

Great food, great location, great prices! I went with a group of 5, and even though it was lunch, we were easily seated and taken care of. The TV’s were a bit loud (soccer was on, and the staff were obviously invested in the game), but the portions were massive. My moussaka starter was enormous, and my basic lunch special ‘gyro’ made me think I would have to take leftovers home! Make sure to take time out of your day to check out this little jem.

Great quality cheap restaurant serving the middle-​eastern classics and a number of dishes that will be less familiar to the casual middle-​eastern cuisine fan! It’s alcohol free but the juices (Strawberry is my favourite!) are excellent and reasonably priced.
Its a friendly restaurant and by far the best budget eatery in the area. It’s possible to eat 3 courses with freshly made juices for less than £15 per head including tip!

It is a slice of the middle east in W12, Damascene to be exact. It became a regular when I found myself with very little will to cook and it became our christmas dinner last year when for a foolish mistake we didn’t get to go to Paris for the holidays.
They are very friendly and have an extensive menu, lamb, chicken and stuffed vegetables with mince cooked in yoghurt to name few.
The chicken Shawerma is under £5 and feeds you well, with thin slices of chicken, salad, rice or chips and a pitta bread. But, I specially like their stuffed courgettes, tangy taste perfectly completed with yoghurt. Their hummus, feta triangles and dolmades are all good starter choices. Complement any meal with their fresh juices, you must try the lemonade with mint, lovely! They also do take away and it is a £10 minimum with card.
It is no the coziest of environments, but it is full of flaming character with the noise, the overly decorated ceramic tiles and massive golden mirrors in the back room this place will sure raise and eyebrow or two.