Hiba Express — Restaurant in London

We visited this restaurant expecting a great experience, but unfortunately, we left feeling very very disappointed and misled.

As soon as we sat down, a middle-aged Lebanese man approached us with the menus. However, instead of letting us look at them properly, he immediately steered us towards ordering the Family Platter, making exaggerated claims about how generous and satisfying it was. Intrigued, we decided to go with his recommendation. The place was very cramped and People coming in and going out Kept bumping into our chairs. We didn’t really mind that because we were excited for the food…

The starters arrived quickly, and while they were decent, nothing really stood out except for the falafel. Then came the real shock—the main course was an absolute scam!

One platter consisted of just one skewer of each type: chicken cubes, kebab, and lamb pieces. The other platter contained a mix of chicken and lamb doner meat, but the portion barely enough for one adult. Those two platters were meant to serve four people! Our teenage son and daughter ate most of it, assuming there was more coming, only for us to realise that was all we were getting.

To top it off, the waiter slapped a small plate with a few pieces of baklava on the table, claiming they were “on the house”—but in reality, they were supposed to be part of the Family Platter, which should have included 12 pieces. We were also supposed to receive a pot of mint tea, which never arrived. The deal also included free Coke or beer, but those never got offered to us. Instead, we had to order 2 small bottles of water, which we were charged extra for.

The Family Platter was listed at £120, but with unexpected extras, our total bill came to just under £150 for four of us. Total Daylight robbery, right!

When we go to Turkish restaurants we normally have twice as much the food for maximum of £80-£90 and you can’t even start comparing the quality of the food from the two cuisines. We needed to go to the toilet downstairs before we left, but the state of the toilet was disgusting and absolute filth.

We basically chose this restaurant to support the Palestinian cause and this allegedly Palestinian business. However, our experience left us feeling completely let down. What made it worse was their lack of accountability—when we called to complain, we were told twice that the manager would call us back, but no one ever did.

We were reluctant to leave a negative review, but we feel other families deserve to know what to expect if they decide to go there. It’s deeply concerning that this business may be exploiting the Palestinian cause to attract diners while actually harming this noble cause.

We will never return to this place, nor would we ever recommend...

Dining here after having dined at Mini Hiba Walthamstow was truly an awful experience, which I guess is a testament to the Walthamstow branch and it's staff. They're SO welcoming and treat you like family whereas here - you're just a table number.

At this Holborn branch I found service frustrating - staff weren't listening to me. Moreover it was quite a bug bearer for two staff members to come over and ask for our order after having sat down for less than a minute..where is the logic?

I haven't even talked about the lack of attention to detail..giving a bottle of water, in a flimsy plastic bottle, filled to the brim - which resulted in a lot of water spilled on me..where is the common sense!?!? To say I was unhappy is an understatement.

The hummus didn't taste the same as the other branch (I enjoyed this more) and more importantly it didnt come with the fresh bread, thr Walthamstow branch offers. Menu didn't even offer maqluba or musakhan which was a shame..

My experience at Mini Hiba Walthamstow was my 1st experience of Palestinian food and I was excited to have this again and even introduce my mum to it however her verdict sadly was that this isn't a food she wishes to try again. I know she would have enjoyed the musakhan if that was offered here and the fresh bread to accompany the hummus.

The imposition of a service charge is poor given the service doesn't match.

I feel this meal really left a sour taste in my mouth and felt like a waste of money - I didn't leave with a full heart that i did when I dined at the Walthamstow branch 2 weeks ago.

I genuinely do wish I made the journey to Walthamstow from central rather than bother with the Holborn branch.

Funnily I rang the Walthamstow branch to reserve a table and told her that I'm just outside Tottenham Court Road - the lady advised me of the Holborn branch which was closer to where I was. Bad judgement call on my part and this goes to prove: go with what you know.

This branch isn't it and I would say to...

An Heavenly, Amazing Experience at Hiba Express: A Shout-Out to Mimi!

Hiba Express truly delivered an beautiful dining experience for us this last Tuesday. Myself & my colleagues left absolutely delighted. From the moment we stepped foot into the restaurant, we were greeted with warm smiles with all stuff being accommodating with lovely customer service.

The vibe of the restaurant was buzzing (exactly what you would expect from somewhere in central) and inviting, making us feel right at home. The real star of the show was the DELICOUS food. Each dish was amazing and you could tell it was made with authenticity. Truly beautiful.

Our waitress was called Mimi and she honestly provided the most exceptional service provided that truly made the difference. She was so lovely and caring - it was one of my colleagues birthday and she overheard us saying so and brought out baklava and candles and tea. It was so special - and even gave some to takeway! She was so kind and attentive and honestly delivered such great service. It is evident that she takes genuine pride in her work, and her infectious smile made the experience all the more enjoyable. Hiba Express should be immensely proud to have such a gem in their team as Mimi's service undoubtedly elevated our dining experience to a whole new level, and we cannot thank her enough for making our visit truly unforgettable.

If you find yourself in Hiba Express, make sure to seek out Mimi; she will ensure your time there is truly special. Without a doubt, we wholeheartedly recommend Hiba Express for its delectable food and outstanding customer service. It's a place of truly heart-warming hospitality and I will definitely be visiting again and...