Leila's at The Grand — Restaurant in Bowral

Last night we dined in Leila’s Lebanese restaurant in Bowral. It was one of the worst Lebanese food we have ever had. Since we have been having Lebanese food for many decades, all around the world and Australia particularly, we have a decent understanding of what is excellent, good, reasonable and bad. The tap water, which we asked for, was lukewarm, tasting as if it was a run off from the dishwashing sink. The bread was so stingily served that we had to portion it amongst the three of us. The skewered, Chicken, mince and lamb were two bites each, about 12 centimetre long and as skinny. The mince was tough, dry, under cooked and had no taste. The lamb chunks were not marinated, were too chunky, tough and over cooked, but on such low heat that the meat had dried up. The chicken was plain chicken on sticks, no Saffron, lime or any other aromatics. The combination kebab platter, which was for two people, had six small sticks of meats as described above, a few undercooked string of onions, a few slices of pan fried potatoes and one half of a pitta bread (HALF), far from being enough for two people and we are not big eaters. The glorious and beautiful combination platters, which we have had all our lives, filled with reasonable amount of meat, dips, salads, pickled veggies, toasted warm bread, bbq tomato, aromatic saffron and other herbs and marinates, it was not. A sorry excuse, if not outright insulting to Lebanese...

As we stepped into the crisp Bowral evening, our hearts (and stomachs) were set on one thin, a Middle Eastern feast to remember. With great friends and lively kids in tow, we were buzzing with anticipation for a night of flavour, fun, and feasting.

From the moment we walked through the door, the warmth of the welcome melted away the cold outside. We wasted no time diving into the banquet menu and ordering a gorgeous bottle of vino to kick things off in style.

The kids’ meals arrived first, generous, well-presented, and devoured in record time. Then it was our turn. Out came an irresistible spread of dips and pillowy breads, followed by a parade of traditional Middle Eastern delights that had us all drooling. And the kofta? So good it was un-kofta-gettable. Juicy, spiced to perfection, and the true hero of the table, it really meat every expectation and then some!

The staff didn’t miss a beat, making us feel like long-lost family rather than first-time diners. Attentive, warm, and genuinely passionate, they helped turn a great meal into a fantastic experience.

An absolute must-visit for any foodie (or kofta fanatic) passing through the Southern Highlands. Trust us, your tastebuds...

We booked a 3 course set menu for a group of 12 from Newcastle and Sydney in Bowral for a 30th weekend. When we arrived the restaurant was half full, but we were treated with cold service and no enthusiasm. We had to ask for water, menus, drinks and refill's. The food was reasonable (although not befitting of the price - for instance the cold meats were folded and stuck together straight from the packet) but the service was overwhelmingly poor. Staff were inattentive, rude and extremely tardy. Twice we had to search for waitstaff to request another bottle of wine, which was handed to us over the counter unopened. We had to collect and pile our own plates at the end of each course, which sat in the middle of the table for over 30 minutes. Each course took over an hour (entree and main completed in 2.5 hours), and therefore we requested that the dessert could be served in take-away dishes. On payment of the bill ($2,000), one of our guests politely provided some feedback to the waitress in charge, which was met with sarcasm and disrespect. We hope this feedback gets back to the owners of the restaurant. It was an extremely disappointing mark on an otherwise great...