db openings: Comptoir Libanais

Lebanese canteen and delicatessen, Comptoir Libanais, is opening two new London sites.

The first launched in Paddington at the end of August, while the second is due to open its doors at the O2 Centre on the Finchley Road towards the end of September.

Of the two venues, Paddington will be smaller, featuring a display counter with an extensive array of Lebanese dips, salads, hot wraps and tagines, together with pastries and freshly baked bread.

A long communal table and window seating caters for diners, although the main focus here will be on the take-away crowd, who can pop by for a souk-style snack as late as 1am.

Up in the larger Finchley branch, the dining area offers everything from morning snacks to light lunches, relaxed dinners or late night bites until 2am. Each venue has an alcohol licence, serving a range of cocktails, wines, Turkish and Lebanese beer, together with a refreshing selection of fresh juices, smoothies, frozen yoghurt and blended lemonades.

Both new sites will also feature a classic Lebanese shawarma rotisserie, using Aberdeen Angus beef and corn-fed chicken, combined with fresh ingredients in a bid to show customers, especially the late night crowd, a more appetising alternative to the infamous doner kebab.

These openings mark the third and fourth branches of Comptoir Libanais, whose owner Tony Kitous launched the first venue at Westfield in November 2008, followed by Wigmore Street in March.

Outlining his vision for the chain, Kitous said: “Lebanese food is my real passion. I have always wanted to make it more accessible by serving it against an exciting and modern design, relevant to today’s consumer.”

Comptoir Libanais Paddington
26 London Street
London
W2 1HH
Tel: +44 (0)207 262 1111

Comptoir Libanais O2 Centre
225 Finchley Road
London
NW3 6LU

www.lecomptoir.co.uk

Gabriel Savage, 01.09.2009