Harden's survey result
Summary
Covid-19 was not kind to Marouf & Houda Abouzaki’s long-established Lebanese chain, and none of its Maroush-branded branches now survive in its original Edgware Road heartland (not counting their Ranoush and Beirut Express branches which do still operate there). Of its longstanding outlets, only Maroush II – the seasoned Beauchamp Place café/restaurant a short walk from Harrods – now remains with its dated, once-glam interior; and it’s still “always consistent with the quality of the food” (although rather than the full restaurant menu, some feel “the best option is to grab a shawarma” from the sandwich selection in the café). The Abouzakis have far from given up, though, with the 2021 opening of “a very modern canteen, located in the middle of the Park Royal industrial estate”, which is well-rated by those who’ve made the trip.
Summary
“Consistently delicious Lebanese food” remains a hallmark of Marouf and Houda Abouzaki’s well-established restaurant group after more than 40 years. Even experienced Beirut hands report “very authentic” cooking, although service can be “inconsistent”. The group shrank during the pandemic, but has bounced back with a large new restaurant/bar/emporium further west, in Park Royal. A sandwich wrap in the busy café on the ground floor of the Beauchamp Place branch is one of the top cheap eats in the Knightsbridge area.
Summary
“Fun, reliable Lebanese cuisine served Beirut-style” – “shawarma and meze-type dishes at their best” – has built an empire over 40 years for Marouf and Houda Abouzaki’s well-known chain (and its sister brand, ‘Ranoush’). The pandemic brought branch closures, including of the original Edgware Road site, although Knightsbridge’s Maroush II with its café-style ground floor (and including a sandwich wraps menu) is still going strong. And – showing the resilience for which the Lebanese are renowned – a large new “open plan” site opened in 2021 in distant Park Royal.
Summary
“The garlic sauce is a symphony on your tongue when you have shish taouk or a mixed shawarma at 3am on the way home” from the café sections of this “long-standing favourite Lebanese chain” (you may need to ask for the wrap menu at the posh Beauchamp Place branch). When it comes to the main menu, “expect the usual staples” of Lebanese cuisine. Opened 40 years ago by Marouf and Houda Abouzaki, sites have come and gone over the years, especially over the pandemic. The original ‘Maroush I’ at 21 Edgware Road is closed as of September 2021, and its return seems very uncertain at this point, so we’ve marked it as closed, RIP. That leaves four in the stable currently open – the well-known Knightsbridge branch, a smaller Earl’s Court Café, and a very dramatic, vast new-build restaurant, wine bar and market that opened in the boonies of Park Royal in summer 2021 (a bold opening that deserves support), and the Maroush Express on Edgware Road. (Under the same ownership: the eccentric but excellent Crockers Folly in St John’s Wood – see also – plus the more grab-and-go Ranoush branches).
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Maroush Express?
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑1 am |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑1 am |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑1 am |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑1 am |
| Friday | 12 pm‑1 am |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑1 am |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑1 am |
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