Abu Zaad Shepherd’s Bush — Restaurant in London

Considering our meal started around 6, for an early dinner, the whole thing took so long we missed a little of the show we were meant to see at Bush Hall. I cannot possibly believe that the good reviews for this restaurant have been left by real customers. There is very little that I could praise about the restaurant. The only saving grace was the waitresses were apologetic, brought a dessert to share and knocked the rice off the menu. Here is a list of the disasters we encountered: Struggled to get any service, even when getting the waitresses attention we were told they’d come back and wouldn’t Squished in like sardines, it was like a competition to see how many tables we could fit in Grilled halloumi was in fact fried, sorry dieters Cheese pastries did not describe which cheese was in there - I asked and the waitress didn’t ask the chef, just guessed halloumi. Sadly it was feta which I can’t stand. The description of the mixed grill is that it’s gluten free but is served on bread Asked if we wanted bread to go with the meal, said yes and it never came. Ordered the lamb fillet, then waited for ages and it never came and they got the order wrong. Then told me it would be five minutes which is physically impossible unless you want food poisoning or are chucking it in the microwave. Spoilers alert, it was a lot more than 5 minutes and was lukewarm when it came. Bizarrely, they brought rice in the meantime which of course went cold and wasn’t going to be eaten in the meantime. They flapped and took my friend’s cutlery away once I finished my meal even though she hadn’t had hers yet due to the obscene wait. All the meat was of poor quality, in particular, the kofta was an odd reddish colour and had lots of white gristly bits in No food was hot. Asking for the bill was another long wait. Feel especially sorry for those who had their valentines meal there. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone unless you hate them and want some...

Discover the heart and soul of Damascus right here in London at Abu Zaad. The decor and atmosphere will whisk you away to the ancient streets of Old Damascus. Here are my top recommendations that made my visit to Abu Zaad truly memorable: 🍽️ Cold Starters: Moutabal: Silky, luscious, and absolutely delightful! 😋 Baba Ganouj: Rich, smoky, and utterly irresistible! 🥰 Warak Inab: Flavor-packed little bundles of joy 🌿 🔥 Hot Starters: Kibbeh Shamia: Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. A must-try! 🤤 BBQ Kibbeh: Perfectly grilled, these are a smoky treat! 🔥 Fattet Makdous: A wonderful mix of flavors in every bite! 😍 Foul Moudammas: The ultimate comfort food! 🫘 Fried Cheese, Chicken, and Spinach Pastries: A trio of crunchy, cheesy, and savory delights! 🧀🍗🌱 🍛 Main Dishes: Makloba Shish Bunak: A harmonious blend of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds! 🎶 Kibbeh Labanyeh: A comforting dish that warms the heart! ❤️ 🍲 Moroccan Specialties: Tajin (Lamb) with Couscous: Tender lamb paired with fluffy couscous, a perfect combination! 🐑🍚 🍖 BBQ: Grilled Lamb Fillet: Juicy, succulent, and grilled to perfection! 🍖 🐟 Seafood: Sea Bass: Fresh, flaky, and fabulous! 🐟 🍰 Desserts: Baklawa: Sweet, nutty, and simply divine! 🍯 Konafa: A cheesy, syrupy treat that you can’t resist! 🧀🍯 🥤 Beverages: Fresh Juices: Refreshing and invigorating! 🥕🍏🍋🌿 Ayran: The ideal companion to your main dishes! 🥛 Arabic Coffee: Finish your meal with a strong, aromatic touch! ☕️ 👨‍🍳 Friendly and Professional Staff: The team is always ready to offer the best recommendations with a smile! 😊 For groups, Abu Zaad offers an impressive lamb with rice platter, perfect for sharing and creating a festive atmosphere. Prices are: Whole half lamb with starters: £250 (without starters: £190) Whole lamb with starters: £400 (without starters: £320) Come and experience the magic of Abu Zaad, where every meal is a celebration of authentic...

The food was lovely. But it was how our situation was dealt with was poor. We booked a reservation, all details correct. We turned up and the shift manager was checking her reservation list and said there's no reservation and walked off. She then came back and checked again and I can see we're not on the list. So I showed my proof and confirmed this is the restaurant and "today's" date. She agreed that the confirmation details are correct. She then said there's no booking and walked off again! Im puzzled at why she kept walking off abruptly.

Then we called her back and she said all bookings after 4pm have been cancelled. There is no booking and there's no spare tables. (There was but I assumed these were booked) I have had no notification via email or a phone call. She then walked off again!

This statement of bookings cancelled after 4pm is nonsense, because she had a reservation list in her hand which was full of reservations. If all reservations were cancelled after 4pm then she wouldn't be looking at the sheet, it was 6pm. As a manager she couldn't manage this situation, she couldn't handle it, this is extremely poor

The right thing to do would be to own up and apologise, then make a suggestion or come up with a solution, which she couldn't.

It was actually another staff who kindly gave some dates and water (after my husband asked) so he could break his fast. Then suggested to come back in case of any cancellations. Which we did after 15/20mins only because the restaurants were full in the area. There was a table available when we came back.

The food was lovely, it arrived quick. Shame about...