I have frequented another Lebanese restaurant just down the road on Beauchamp Place for over 2 decades now. I thought I will give LayaLina a try and what a pleasant surprise it was. The whole experience is perfect. First rate staff, above classy decor and the Lebanese food is as good as it can get at a reasonable price too. Highly recommended. read more

After a slightly disappointing time at Maroush, I'd started to question the logic of turning Lebanese food into a higher end dining experience. The joys of Ranoush and Yalla Yalla are well documented elsewhere but it is, clearly, a cuisine that lends itself very well to grazing and informal eating. I won't say I entered Laya'Lina with trepidation - that would just be silly: it's a restaurant not a sadistic challenge from a Saw movie. But I was, I suppose, prepared to be underwhelmed. A glass of excellent house wine in - in the "understated bling" of the bar - I was warming to the fact that there's more to Lebanese wine than Chateau Musar. Three forkfuls in to the meze selection, and I was convinced that, yes, actually, this is a food that can be done at the higher end of the scale. If further proof was needed, a group of 35 extremely well-heeled people arrived for a champagne-swigging private party in the room downstairs. The worst dressed was wearing a suit that was approximately twice the value of my entire wardrobe - and that includes the actual wardrobe. That sort of wealthy diner isn't exactly short of choices in Knightsbridge... Meat was tender, flavoursome, and perfectly grilled. The vegetable dishes were light, spicy, rich. Breads... were a little unexciting but served to mop up all the lovely bits of sauce and oil and stuff. And the red house wine was even better than the white. Pudding was an impossibility so we went the baklava and mint tea route. Interestingly, the baklava were less sticky and sweet than you usually find and, as a result, blooming gorgeous (and didn't stick to your teeth for the next three hours). Next time we're Albert Hall bound, I sense a wee diversion to Beauchamp Place is in order... Nice one. read more

Amazing shawarma and great service. Also open late! Gave me a whole new perspective on lebasneese good and middle eastern food in general. If you are in Knightsbridge this is a must! read more

Amazing Lebanese food...extremely fresh and the service was impeccable.

This restaurant is an excellent restuarant that I have just been to. They serve some of the best lebanese dishes around London. Yes they do - as almost every other restaurant - reheat their food, but their food wasn't cooked that long ago and the result is a fresh and delicous food. I have had a homous which was okay but very buetifully presented, a hot meze selection which was very nice and a lamb shank which didn't taste as the freshest but it was cooked to excellency. The restuarant might be devided into five areas, a limited outdoor seating area, a bar with five or so stools, a lounge area, the main upstairs dining area and the downstairs dining area which if I remember has a piano. Each seating area feels as if it was on its own and that gives the place a sort of intimacy that I like. The decor is modern european, in fact it is so modern that you would never think of the place as a lebanese restaurant. I felt that the place was a bit let down by not caring about some of its aspects; the floor needed a proper polish, the ceiling needed some cleaning and the shiney cutlery is not shiney any more. The restaurant is currently participating in the "taste London" card which would give you a 50% off the food bill which is good value for money and makes the place very affordable. expect to pay around 25£ without the discount+ drinks (which are a bit expensive). read more

Layalina is an essential spot to relax after a long day of walking. Great selection of teas, shisha, and modern Lebanese food. The shisha some of the best around London, using quality hookahs (Khalil Maamoom) and great shisha. Everyone working here is genuine and hardworking. Flower is a fantastic waitress, highly recommended and extremely pleasant to have around. If you're getting a hookah ask for Omar to prepare it, he's had years of experience and is very kind, knowledgable, and funny. I've had great experiences at this place and I'm sure anyone else will too. read more

Went for shisha, huge disappointment. They shouldn't even bother using the outside space since it is so cramped.

I bought a deal via Groupon and it was delivered very well. I think it might have been very pricey otherwise but the food was very good and I would definitely go back again. Excellent location. Lovely decor. read more

[Non-photo Review] For full review, please see: http://wp.me/pwXBH-wa LAYA'LINA - A GOOD OPTION FOR LEBANESE IN KNIGHTSBRIDGE Note: I was invited to review the restaurant & did not pay for this meal. We arrived on a chilly November evening, and weren't sure where to enter through the door that seemed to lead straight into the restaurant, or to enter through the bar, which seemed to be the proper entrance. We chose bar entrance, and were led to our table in the ground floor dining room. First impressions were that of a very modern restaurant, with shiny black floor tiles, black tables, and bright blue accent lighting. There was also a little bar on a raised mezzanine level in the back of the ground floor dining room. All of the surfaces are quite hard and angular, and I thought it could do with a bit of softening somehow, especially for acoustics although it was fairly empty, so this wasn't a problem on our visit. Later in the meal, as a procession of middle-aged people dressed to the 9's began to arrive through the door that enters straight into the dining room (we figured this was the 'regulars' entrance), we found out that there was also a downstairs dining room which was mainly used for private events (i.e. live music and belly dancing; more information is available on their website). There was apparently a big shindig that evening to celebrate Eid al-Adha. THE WAITER WHO WOULDN'T WINE We eventually decided to go for lots of mezzes and to share a main course. Being quite into Lebanese wines these days, I had looked at the wine list ahead of time and was pondering ordering one of the two really excellent local wines they had listed. When I asked our waiter a question about the Lebanese wines on the list, he replied by saying, I'm sorry Sir, I don't drink myself, so I can't really tell you anything more about the wines. I didn't say anything at the time, but Mrs. LF and I agreed that irrespective of whatever one's personal consumption happens to be, if you are a waiter in a restaurant that serves alcohol, you (or one of your colleagues) should at least know some basic information about the alcohol you are serving. It's fine if you don't want to serve alcohol in your establishment, but if you do, you have to expect people will ask you questions about it. Also, it's a shame because there is a lot of good Lebanese wine, and it should be talked about more (beyond Chateau Musar). In any case, as Mrs. LF decided she would not be partaking in the alcoholic consumption that evening, and as I felt guilty ordering an expensive bottle for one person (since I wasn't paying), I opted for the Lebanese wine they had by the glass. It was a 2005 Clos St Thomas, Les Gourmets and I was happy enough sipping on it throughout the meal. THE 'MODERN' MEZZE In the meantime, we had been plied with some very tasty green and burgundy olives. We were quite happy munching on these well marinated beauties, but we didn't have to wait too long before our mezzes began appearing. Laya'Lina Cold Mezze Selection: Baba Ghannuge, Muhamara, Vine Leaves, Tabouleh (£5.95) The cold mezze plate was really good. The Baba Ghannuge was packed full of rich, smoked aubergine flavor and the tahini was well balanced and came through well also. It was finished off with the traditional sprinkling of pomegranate seeds, which really complements the richness of the dip (7/10). The Muhamara (a crunchy dip of lightly spiced pureed nuts), which I don't remember having before, was also excellent (7/10). The stuffed Vine Leaves and Tabouleh were both perfectly fine, but not better than those I've had at other Lebanese restaurants (5/10). The accompanying pita and flatbread was also good. In fact, since there was some bread left and we both fancied some yogurt, we ordered some of their Jaigik - a salad of yogurt, cucumber and mint (£3.50). It tasted okay, but it was too watery for both of us; we prefer this type of yogurt dip to be much thicker and unctuous. 4/10. We had also ordered a trio of hot mezzes, which came at around about the same time. Cheese Sambusak: Pastry Parcels filled with Cheese (£5.50) The best of the three was the pastries filled with cheese. They were sufficiently crisp on the outside, and the cheese had a lovely texture and seemed very similar to feta cheese to us it certainly wasn't bland and boring having a rather pronounced flavor which we both enjoyed. 7/10. Halloumi Pizza: Grilled Halloumi in Lebanese Bread (£5.50) I liked the idea of the Halloumi pizzas, and they were well executed. The cheese wasn't too chewy (which can happen if it's grilled and let to stand for too long), and the base of Lebanese bread was very good. I guess this is a Middle Eastern take on the English 'cheese on toast' :), although I'm betting that theirs probably came first. 6/10. Sesame Prawns: Fried Prawns Served with Sweet Chilli Dip (£6.50) Okay, so here is the one really strange thing during our meal. I am no expert on Lebanese cuisine, but I would hasten read more

Went to the one in Leicester Square and it was delicious! Unfortunately we saw about 5 groups of people leave back to back after sitting down and realizing they didn't want to give it a go. The menu was pretty simple with average photos but the food was great! I would definitely give them a try. Plus takeaway is 24hours. read more

This is lebanese cuisine with a modern twist. All the food on the menu is delicious .. albeit a bit expensive .. however who ever is seeking a different experience and is willing to pay a bit more.. Layalina will not disappoint! read more