Comptoir Libanais — Restaurant in London

Avoid Comptoir Libanais for Iftar or Special Occasions

On Friday, my family and I (a group of five) visited Comptoir Libanais in Southbank, Belvedere Road, for a pre-booked Iftar menu. We arrived punctually at 5:45 pm.

Upon entering, we witnessed the manager, Olu, loudly reprimanding a waiter, saying, “No, not there! Table 21.” His abrupt and unprofessional tone immediately created an unpleasant atmosphere, though he quickly changed his demeanour and greeted us with a smile.

Once seated, two waitresses and an assistant manager advised us to place our order at 6:10 pm so that the food would arrive fresh and warm at the time we were breaking our fast—6:20 pm. We ordered at 6:08 pm and were reassured multiple times that our food would be served precisely at 6:20 pm.

However, 6:20 pm arrived, and our starters were nowhere to be seen. Instead, they were slowly brought out from 6:30 pm onwards, and even then, not all dishes arrived together—we had to remind staff about missing items. Meanwhile, a large, loud group at the neighbouring table, who had also booked the Iftar menu but arrived after us, were served their meals promptly at 6:20 pm. From their conversation, it was evident they were not fasting, yet they were prioritised over us, who were actually observing Iftar. They were also drinking alcohol whilst awaiting their iftaar meal.

By 6:37 pm, only two of our main courses had arrived. At 6:55 pm, with two meals still missing, I approached Olu to raise a complaint. Instead of addressing my concerns, he dismissively stated, “Can we get one of the other managers to speak to her?” and ignored me. I was left standing there, waiting for someone to acknowledge the issue.

Rather than the management handling the situation, the waitstaff—who had been courteous and accommodating throughout—stepped in to resolve it. Our missing mains eventually arrived, including a Tajine and a Shawarma Rice Bowl. However, the Shawarma Rice Bowl was of such poor quality that my sister, who was celebrating her 16th birthday, felt sick after just two bites and lost her appetite.

When we requested to have the dish removed from the bill, Olu returned to confront me, asking why I believed he was rude. Instead of listening, he dismissed my concerns, insisting that my perception was incorrect. Rather than taking accountability, he questioned which staff members had promised our food at 6:20 pm, seemingly shifting blame onto them rather than addressing the management’s failure. I made it clear that the staff had been professional and that the issue lay with his attitude and lack of organisation.

Eventually, we were given a partial discount, paying for only two out of four Iftar set menus, with a free children’s meal. However, this felt less like an act of goodwill and more like an attempt to placate us so we would leave.

Most disappointingly, Olu displayed a complete lack of understanding of Iftar, falsely claiming that “everyone who came for Iftar was fasting and Muslim”—which was demonstrably untrue, as we had heard the neighbouring table openly discussing how they were not Muslim but excited to try the Iftar menu. When we explained that Iftar must be broken at a precise time, he dismissively replied, “Not necessarily.”

This was our first time experiencing Iftar at a restaurant, and it was a thoroughly disappointing and distressing experience, particularly for my mother, who left feeling anxious and upset.

Comptoir Libanais falsely advertises an Iftar experience. Iftar is a religious practice, not just a meal. If a restaurant offers an Iftar menu, it must serve food at Maghrib time and accommodate those observing the fast, including providing a space for prayer. This restaurant failed to do either.

I will not return, nor would I recommend it to anyone seeking an authentic and respectful Iftar experience. However, I would like to extend my gratitude to Simran and Kuda for their kindness and professionalism. Unfortunately, they are the ones who will bear the consequences of poor management. Perhaps Olu could learn from...

Server wasn’t helpful, another server was rude and told me to put the pram away even though there were other prams out. They didn’t clean the table before we sat down.

Pros: We ate. Cons: The wings for sharing came with five wings total, even though I asked if it would be enough for five people. They tried to push me to order from the kids’ menu, even though it didn’t make sense.

They charge a service fee, but I didn’t see my waiter help our table at all. I kept having to call her over and wait ages each time. The kebab was drier than a sandal in the sun. They say it’s a Lebanese restaurant, but there are Moroccan pictures, tagine on the menu, and the decor is Moroccan. Either they don’t know the difference, or they think it's the same — it’s not.

I’ve never had uncooked rice at a restaurant before, but I can say I have now — so thanks for that. Our bill also included an item that never even came to the table.

Overall, wouldn’t go back. I’m sure both Lebanon and Morocco would be ashamed. I’ve visited both countries and they are beautiful, full of amazing food and hospitality — this place had neither. Oh and the chips were 5 star thanks so much.

Advice: Improve service. Remove the service charge when the staff are this useless. One waiter, Senna, wanted us to mention her name in a review, so here it is: Senna, please don’t try to clear a table over customers’ heads — especially when they’re under 5. And don’t try to rush mothers with babies out the door. We were clearly...

Dropped by on a Thursday late afternoon. Was pretty empty. Food was delicious (ordered the lamb kofta dish well done, which was delicious, fresh and balanced, and hummus, which wasn't all that, but the bread it was served with, was delicious), and service was friendly for the most part. Drink was daylight robbery given it was only 200ml!

Indian lady with a suit served my mains and while doing so, two customers walked in, so she kinda served my food while simultaneously turning away to attend to the walk in, and didn't hear me say excuse me. She was smiley otherwise, but also had a can't be arsed attitude about her. The younger waitresses were much more polite.

They serve the main with a tiny garlic sauce and harissa sauce portion and don't offer other sauces. A bit of a rip off considering the price point.

The toilets are designed like aeroplane toilet size. Makes absolutely no sense considering the large size of this place. Even for a small person, it's just an awful size. The Hand-wash holders are defective in design and obstruct the function of the pump.

Near my table, 5 minutes in, I smelt a strong incense smell which was awful and gave me a headache.

They added a service charge. That will always annoy me. I'm a paying customer. Service charge is such a scam! I'm already paying for my food. Its not gonna walk out to me, so has to be served.

Overall, I enjoyed my visit, and would probably visit again if in the area looking for halal...