The Cedar West Hampstead is a Lebanese restaurant at 202 West End Lane that has served the neighbourhood since 2015. Vintage furnishings, wooden tables and a warm, informal welcome create the feeling of a family dining room where guests are encouraged to settle in and share food.
Cold and hot mezze provide the natural starting point, with dishes such as hummus, moutabal, tabbouleh, vine leaves, sambousek, fatayer and kibbeh. Fresh herbs, pulses, aubergine, yoghurt, tahini and crisp pastry bring contrast across a selection designed to be passed around the table.
Grilled kebabs and other meats can be paired with rice, salads and warm bread for a more substantial course, while dishes such as mujaddara show the comforting role of lentils and grains in Lebanese home cooking. Vegetarian choices are woven throughout the menu rather than treated as a small separate section.
Breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner service make the restaurant useful throughout the day, and wine and cocktails suit a longer evening meal. Sweet pastries and Lebanese desserts offer a traditional finish, while the downstairs private room provides additional space for family celebrations and group gatherings.
Address: 202 West End Lane, West Hampstead, London NW6 1SG, England
The Cedar Menu
Cold Mezze
Hummus
Purée of chickpeas with sesame paste and lemon juice
Hummus Beiruty
Purée of chickpeas with sesame paste, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, and chili
Moutabal
Purée of grilled aubergine with sesame paste, garlic and lemon juice
Batinjan El Rahib
Smoked grilled aubergine, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers combined with garlic lemon olive oil and pomegranate molasses
Muhammara
Spicy mixed nuts blended with olive oil
Shankleesh
Aged cheese with thyme, served with tomatoes, onion, and parsley
Warak Enab
Vine leaves stuffed with rice, tomatoes, onion, parsley, and spices
Labneh Bel Toum
Creamy yogurt cheese with fresh garlic and dried mint
Loubieh Bel Zeit
Fresh green beans cooked in tomato sauce and olive oil
Mousakaat Batenjan
Oven-baked aubergine with tomatoes, onions, and chickpeas
Moudardara
Lentils and rice cooked with olive oil and spices, topped with crispy fried onions
Makdous
Pickled baby aubergine stuffed with walnuts, garlic, and spices
Salads
Tabouleh
Fresh herb and bulgur salad with parsley, onion, tomato, olive oil, and lemon juice
Fattoush
Chopped Mediterranean salad with lime dressing and crispy pita croutons, with pomegranate molasses and spring onion
Greek Salad
Feta cubes, olives, and veggies tossed in lemon juice and olive oil
Halloumi & Tomato Salad
Halloumi & tomato salad with a mint and olive oil dressing
Green Salad
Fresh letuce, parsley, cucumber, mint, green peppers, and lemon olive oil dressing
Mixed Salad
Green salad with tomatoes, no parsley
Hot Mezze
Hummus Awarma
Hummus topped with spiced minced lamb
Hummus Ras Asfour
Hummus topped with diced cubes of lamb filet
Hummus Shawarma
Hummus topped with slices of marinated lamb
Falafel
Crushed chick peas & broad beans toasted in spices
Fatayer
Oven baked pastry stuffed with spinach, onion, herbs and lemon
Sambousek Lahem
Fried pastry filled with minced lamb, onion and pine kernels
Sambousek Jibneh
Fried pastry filled with Lebanese cream cheese and herbs
Kibbeh Lahem
Fried lamb and crushed wheat shells filled with seasoned minced lamb and onions
Kibbeh Yakteen
Fried pumpkin and crushed wheat shells filled with seasoned spinach and chick peas
Batata Harra
Diced potatoes cooked with peppers, coriander, garlic & spices
Makanek
Signature Lebanese-style lamb and pine kernel sausages with lemon juice
Cheese Rikakat
Fried crispy rolls with a delicious cheese filling
Arayes
Lebanese bread filled with kafta
Sawda Dajaj
Tangy marinated fried chicken liver
SoujouK
Armenian spicy sausages with garlic, sautéed tomatoes,onions and spicy sauce
Jawaneh
Grilled chicken wings with garlic sauce
Grilled Halloumi
Stove-top pan grilled halloumi chunks
Kallaj
Halloumi cheese with a special thyme mix, served on warm pitta bread
Prawns Provencial
Pan-fried prawns with tomato, garlic, coriander, lemon
Samki Harra
Baked cod served with spicy ratatouille: peppers, chili, garlic, tomato sauce, onions and pine kernels
Octopus Tomato
Tender octopus cooked with garlic, tomato, coriander and lemon
Spicy Octopus
Tender octopus cooked with garlic, chili, lemon and parsley
Cod Tajen
Slow-cooked cod in a clay pot with tahini, onion and pine kernels
Main Course
All main courses served with rice, chips or salad
Lahem Meshwi
Lamb fillet cubes served with onion & tomatoes on skewers
Kafta Meshwiye
Minced lamb mixed with onion, parsley, and spices, served on skewers
Shish Taouk
Marinated chicken fillet pieces served on skewers
Mixed Grill
A selection of skewers: lamb fillet cubes, chicken fillets and minced lamb (kafta)
Farrouj Meshwi
Baby chicken marinated with garlic and lemon
Kaftah Khashkhash
Grilled minced lamb served with spicy tomato sauce
Castaleta Ghanam
Grilled marinated lamb cutlets
Lamb Shawarma
Thin slices of spiced marinated lamb, tenderly roasted
Chicken Shawarma
Thin slices of spiced marinated chicken, tenderly roasted
Mixed Shawarma
Thin slices of spiced marinated lamb and chicken, tenderly roasted
Grilled Sea Bass
Served with tahini sauce
Samak Bizri
Crispy fried whitebait
Loubieh & Rice
A popular vegetarian summer dish in Lebanon—green beans cooked with tomatoes and olive oil, garlic and served with vermicelli rice
Batenjan & Rice
A healthy, protein-packed dish made with aubergines, tomatoes, onions and chickpeas, served with vermicelli rice
Dish of the Day
Ask for the chef’s special
Sides
French Fries
Rice
Kabis
A selection of Lebanese pickles & olives
Wraps
Wraps are available till 6pm
Falafel
Falafel with hummus, tomato, turnip, lettuce, mint, parsley and tahini sauce
Shish Taouk
Chicken cubes with tomato, lettuce, cucumber pickles & garlic sauce
Lahem Meshwi
Lamb cubes with hummus, tomato, onion, cucumber pickles, tahini sauce & parsley
Kafta
Kafta with hummus, tomato, onion, cucumber pickles and parsley, tahini sauce
Chicken Shawarma
Chicken shawarma with tomato, lettuce, cucumber pickles and garlic sauce
Lamb Shawarma
Lamb shawarma with tomato, onion, cucumber pickles, parsley & tahini
Makanek
Lebanese sausages with tomato, lettuce, cucumber pickles and garlic sauce
Sawda Dajaj
Chicken liver with tomato, lettuce, cucumber pickles and garlic sauce
Makali
Fried aubergines, cauliflower, fries, lettuce, pickles, tahini sauce, tomato and garlic
Halloumi
Grilled halloumi with tomato, lettuce, cucumber & mint
Labneh
White cream cheese with tomato, cucumber & mint
Soups
Lentil Soup
Known in the Middle East as Shorbet El Adas, this hearty and delicious lentil soup is a comforting classic. Served with lemon wedges and crispy fried pitta bread croutons.
Chicken & Vegetable Soup
A wholesome chicken broth with roasted chicken and stir-fried vegetables, packed with the flavors of a roast chicken dinner.
Terwika / Breakfast
All dishes are served with freshly baked pita bread.
Shakshouka
Eggs cooked with tomatoes and onions
Mousabaha
Hand mashed chickpeas with tahini, garlic, lemon and olive oil
Foul Modammas
Tender cooked mix of broad beans and chickpeas with lemon, olive oil,cumin and garlic
Balilah
Slow cooked chickpeas with lemon, olive oil, cumin and garlic
Labneh
Creamy yogurt cheese
Bayd Awarma
Eggs & minced lamb baked in traditional clay pans
Bayd Bel SoujouK
Eggs and spicy Armenian sausages baked in traditional clay pans