The best Lebanese restaurants in Manchester

This colourful eatery is the go-to spot for Lebanese dishes in Manchester, with the decor-driven venue bringing authentic and healthy Mediterranean cuisine to the heart of Spinningfields. With the name translating to ‘Lebanese Counter,’ the menu spans everything from fresh man’ousha flatbreads, slow-cooked tagines and spicy koftas, alongside a range of mezze dishes – build your own platter with the likes of cheese samboussek parcels, falafels and dips such as baba ganoush and tabbouleh. When you enter the restaurant, you’re greeted with everything from geometric tiles to quirky jars of ingredients lining the walls – there’s even a traditional souk shop selling everything from handmade bags to dry ingredients. 

Based in Prestwich, Remal is a hidden North Manchester gem offering a true taste of Lebanon in an intimate yet lively setting. Their extensive menu features an exciting selection of hot and cold mezze starters, hearty grilled meat mains, rich vegetable stews and many more freshly made Lebanese staples to make sure there’s something for everyone to enjoy. If you’ve yet to try muhammara – an indulgent walnut and pepper dip – served with fresh pita bread, this is the place to do it. To celebrate your culinary voyage to the Middle East, you can pop open your best champagne at no extra cost, thanks to Remal’s generous BYOB policy.

Opening its doors in Manchester last year, Maray is a Liverpudlian export that takes its inspiration from the Marais neighbourhood of Paris, a bubbling pot of Lebanese, Syrian and North African cuisine. Packed with Middle Eastern flavours, the restaurant has made quite a name for itself with its signature ‘disco’ cauliflower, served whole and doused in a potent mix of harissa, tahini, pomegranate and chermoula. Unlike the majority of the eateries on this list, the menu is dominated by fragrant veggie options, such as the spiced lentil mejadara and tahini-doused sweet potato. Fear not if you prefer meat, there’s still the likes of king prawns, pork cheeks and lamb shawarma on the menu. With its decor clearly nodding to the sophisticated cafe culture of France, it’s a fantastic opportunity to sample a wide variety of Middle-Eastern influences.

Before it opened its restaurant site in Levenshulme, Jandol was an established sweet wholesaler offering a huge range of baked goods from Turkish delight to baklava. While also operating as a takeaway, the eatery is warm and welcoming inside, with friendly staff and a whole host of authentic Lebanese dishes – including mouth-watering sweet treats. The selection of hot and cold starters includes some lesser-known options from Lebanese cuisine such as arayes, stuffed pita sandwiches, and kibbeh, stuffed with mince and bulgar wheat. From shish to shawarma, kebabs dominate the main menu at Jandol, alongside a range of tender stews made with lentils, beans and plenty of veggies. 

Fresh from his success with the award-winning El Gato Negro and Canto, Simon Shaw is the household name behind the new Middle-Eastern eatery Habas. Trading tapas for ingredients and influences from the shores of the Mediterranean, the restaurant is centred around a large Chef’s table and open kitchen concept. Located in the old wine cellars of the impressive Manchester Club, guests are invited to order large platters to the table, packed with mezze options, kebabs and seafood dishes. The Lebanese influence is clear from the menu, which includes the likes of harissa and honey chicken shawarma served on a fluffy homemade pita, and aubergine grilled on a Josper oven alongside chilli and mint chickpeas. 

When it comes to Lebanese cuisine, you won’t find anywhere more authentic than family-run eatery Zaytoon. This hidden gem is tucked away in the heart of Chorlton, serving incredibly generous portions of Middle-Eastern mezze dishes from the warm and welcoming site. Served on huge platters, meat-lovers can enjoy sizzling chicken shawarma and lamb chops, whereas the vegetarian version is packed with grilled halloumi and handmade falafels – all served with a mountain of hummus and bathed in a signature garlic tahini sauce. There are also traditional dishes such as oven-baked moussaka, alongside a daily chef’s special of a whole grilled fish, such as sea bass and bream.