Layla is a welcome addition to Esher, as plenty of the restaurants here are parts of chains, and its always good to try out somewhere authentic. Layla has been around for about 3 years, and is still going strong. It is often hard to get a reservation on a weekend, but if you do, make sure you start off in the lounge bar first for a couple of cocktails. They are strong, well made and have a strong Middle Eastern feel to them, so lots of pomegranate, rose hip and lychee.
The menu is mainly Lebanese, with some Asian twists to it. Dishes are not too expensive, around 4-5 pounds for cold mezze, 5-7 pounds for hot mezze and 7-12 pounds for main dishes. I would recommend getting as many different mezze plates as you can, although they are not large portions, so you may find yourself ordering more than you planned to. A good bet is the baba ghannough, or the fetta bathinjan, both aubergine dishes. Last time I was here I had the fish of the day, which was tilipea served with seasoned rice. If meat is more your thing, my friend said that her lamb dish was fantastic and very fragrant. When I am next here I will probably skip the main meals and go for the mezze dishes. There are also combination mezze platters, which include about 5 different dishes.
Desserts are typically sweet, and the baklava can't be missed. After sharing a good bottle of Syrah, we went back to the lounge and after sinking into the comfy sofas with plenty of cushions and throws, found it extremely hard to get back up again. read more