The Palomar in Ḩalfāyā

Found this gem after theatre hours, and enjoyed excellent food and hospitality. We had hummus and pita breads, persian chicken and spicy lamb chops - both grilled to perfection just in front of us. Excellent amount of food late at night - warmly recommended.

Tiny portions in beautiful restaurant.Didn’t expect plate sizes to be this petit. Sorry guys, you can’t call it a “sharing plate” if it’s not even enough for one. Some dishes served were so tiny that they looked like a “compliment from the chef” in other London restaurants. We went for few starters, mains and desert but ended up leaving hungry and having a second meal nearby.

Used to be my favourite before renovation. Now it does look brighter, but portions are so tiny, we had to eat in another restaurant after. We ordered 4 starters and 4 mains + side and bread for 4 petite ladies. If people are expected to order 5 dishes per person, they should not cost 20£ each on average. We got a wrong desert and needed 2 reminders for drinks, no apology, and the bill came without us asking. Not coming back.

Great Israeli style food, awesome atmosphere at the bar. Babaganoush with caramelised onions was amazing. Would like to see more Israeli wines on the menu

Amazing food! Great service! Wow, so much flavour and taste, would really recommend this place and to be seated in the bar to get a proper experience of the restaurant. Just amazing!

Exceptional! Everything from the service, food, atmosphere, and hospitality was 5+ star. We sat at the bar, which I highly recommend, and the amazing chefs prepare the food in front of you and then serve directly. Our server was lovely, as were the entire team. The menu has so many options, and the flavors and execution are flawless. And, the playlist was on point. Thank you for the experience. Can’t wait to come back.

The experience was amazing. The staff were really friendly and helped out with recommendations from the menu. We decided to go with a surprise me kind of style and every dish that was picked out by the staff was amazing. A really good place to have a celebratory meal and 10/10 would come back again!

The food is amazing, absolutely delicious, fresh bread, amazing dips, creative and unique dishes that are more than worth a visit. I highly recommend and cant wait to go back.

Food was very enjoyable. I got the crab kofta and it was delicious, my brother got the grilled octopus and he enjoyed it a lot. The Kubaneh was absolutely amazing, as was the tahini. Server was very attentive and nice. Overall good experience, wish we sat at the bar next time though. Would’ve been fun time

Food was adequate, rather dry. Honestly I can name plenty of places in soho to eat better, especially with better quality Bartenders. Unfortunately the cocktail, neshama was so bad I threw up and ruined my dinner experience. The restaurant owner needs to brush up on the bartenders, asap.

Amazing food & coffee. Highly recommend!

Quite a disappointing experience👎What started as an excitement and anticipation of an amazing food experience ended up in loss of appetite, embarrassment and exasperation…the food was probably good but honestly, all I tasted was salty and sour. I was very disappointed with the whole experience!I have food sensitivities and have disclosed this when I booked our table but whoever that was serving us seemed annoyed at me for not telling her my food sensitivities and for making her come back and forth to verify things with me. It felt like she tried to be nice by saying nice things to cover up her annoyance. Sadly, I didn’t feel her sincerity. I did not appreciate how the whole thing was handled.What’s the point of asking about allergies & sensitivities ahead of time and yet when you get there, they weren’t prepared for it? I was given the regular menu. I was hungry & excited, ordered the wrong thing and was embarrassed in the process.

Hands down my favourite non-Asian restaurant in London. Everything from the bread ( I break my non carb diet to eat here. But they also have non gluten bread as well). I try to only eat here at lunch. Why? Because everything in the menu is delicious (with the tiny exception of the meat which was a bit tough). I am in a food coma to go out after dinner.. eat a huge lunch and stroll back home via Hyde Park..Its best to go with three or four people ( in my opinion three is bestto share all their dishes. I say three instead of four, because with four people the competition will be tough to get a second bite of your favourite dish.. all out war :)Must order:chicken (I think it may be even better than chiltern’s 36 hour chickendeep fried fish (Asian takedip starters (lamb is the bestbreads are to die for.. order order away. If you can’t finish take it home. I always plan to but end up finishing it all at Palomar.

Tasty food! The restaurant is a bit small and sits very close to the next table.It was a pity that the food was rushed through and we were done in 1 hour!

The food is great, the vibe is nice, and unlike some recent reviews we didn’t feel rushed. But you need the James Webb Space Telescope to find the food on the plate. £20+ per plate that’s gone in two bites?

Fabulous lunch, great atmosphere, very cool vibes, and importantly, sensational food. Start with a tear and dip, then follow with a mix of sharing plates. The flavours were incredible, great variety on the menu too. The cocktails were also exceptional - loved the sour and honey bee. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it.

The feeling after having dinner at Palomar is that this place used to be good, and now it is in its descending phase. Food is tasty, though not special. Service is personal, though not always attentive. Felt a bit like being at a diner where food is served in batches. The price tag is a bit high for the quantity and quality of the food served.

Absolutely stunning experience, food was amazing, staff was amazing and attentive and a 5 star experience overall. We got bread, some dips, baked aubergine, a big juicy fish and 4 cocktails, we were stuffed and tipsy and also got our dessert to go. Bill came to £148. My wife thinks its top 5 restaurants shes been to in her life, which says alot because this is her favourite cuisine as well. This was definitely top 10 for me. Well done The Palomar!!

Food was great! Cocktails were great! But our server was incredibly rude to us the moment we sat down.Then after we waited about 10 minutes to put in our dessert order, when it was delivered she told us “we need the table back in 5 minutes). We hadn’t ordered any coffees so it was clear we were getting ready to head out after dessert.Have never had such an unwelcoming server at such a great restaurant.

Coffe was great , staff are very nice , good vibe but the menu lacks variety and the portions are very small for the price

Great restaurant with some very unique dishes. Weve ordered the kubaneh bread, the green olive labneh from the starters and the josperised aubergine and cumin broccoli from the mains. All were really good, our favourites were the two starters though. A bit overpriced for the quantity of food, but the dishes were really good and actually unique. Great service as well.

Whatever you do, you must get the squid. It is a work of art. There are so many delicious dishes on the menu - from the mezze style dishes that embody everything great about middle eastern cuisines. Dips that make the taste buds sing, peppers that add some spice to your life and cooking that is delivered straight from the heart! If I was going to fault anything - I found the broccoli a little bland even with the dip underneath - I felt it could have a bit more seasoning on top. I also felt the music in the background didn’t necessarily match the quality or vibe of the restaurant - pop music aside everything else was on point. Bring a group of people and try a few different thing and let your senses be taken away.

I would give it between 3 and 4 stars. I was really looking forward to visiting this place but I felt the food were not up to the expectations and it was maybe slightly better than average.The grilled octopus was the best part of the meal. Dips were nice.I also had onglet steak which I didn’t really like because it was a bit cold. The aubergine didn’t really work with me as well, it was too cold, nutty and creamy - hiding the natural taste of the main ingredient.The restaurant’s atmosphere was nice but we would’ve welcomed little more explanation on the menu.

Delightful experience! Food has a unique twist in flavor and is made with love and passion by talented chefs.

3.5/5 Heard people raving about this place for a long time so thought I’d give it a try finally - I’d come again for bread/dips & cocktails as a ‘casual yet refined late night snack’ hangout but not for main meals.Particulary underwhelmed by main dishes, they were certainly interesting with middle-eastern flavour yet not worth the price and portion. There was simply no ‘wow’ from any of dishes (We had octupus and crabcake dishes as well, apart from the dishes in the pics)I liked the starter though, brioche-type textured bread was beautiful and the hummus dips were fresh and nice enough with interesting flavours. Staffs were attentive and kind.

Great restaurant, used to be better.Used to have such a fun vibe specially sitting on the bar. Also food used to kick your tastebuds in so many ways that will leave you speechless.Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t to die for. There aren’t dishes that making you wanna come back like the Polenta and Shakshukit back in the day. Over all was great value for money and we did enjoy it.

Extravagantly refreshing food with great music and vibe. Extremely sociable and easy going staff.Shared food, tapas like system. A fusion between Yemeni and Israeli cuisine with an overall infusion of Middle East..

It’s a lovely small restaurant with friendly atmosphere. Food was delicious and worth the price.

The best meal I’ve had in London, without a doubt. An authentic gem! The pictures do not make justice. I went there with a friend on a Sunday eve before a show. The place was buzzing. It’s small but really cozy and warm. Staff were extremely nice. We shared the bread with some dips (do try the bread!). It was sooo good. Then we had the radicchio and the aubergine and they were both AMAZING. The radicchio was particularly exquisite. Not a big fan of desserts in general but this was lighter than expected. The wine list was interesting and I had an orange wine from Italy which was a very good recommendation. I’ll definitely go back next time I’m in London!

A phenomenal place, one of my absolute favourites in London. When it first landed it had an unbelievable freshness and energy that havent gone away over the years. This is a buzzing, exciting restaurant, a small theatre almost. And the food is spectacular. Fresh and original Eastern Mediterranean specials. Every single item on the menu is worth it. All in all, highly recommended. Definitely sit at the counter.

A Soho mainstay for a late evening dinner. I have been coming here sporadically over the years, here is what I can say about my latest visit:Food wise, I guess this would be best described as contemporary Middle East comfort food with a Mediterranean twist. To start with we ordered several small plates to dip some pita bread into and the glaced octopus and crab cake for mains. Pretty good stuff! Also, dont forget to order some Kubaneh, a wonderful fluffy brioche style bread. We had it as sort of a savoury dessert.Wine selection is short, but that doesnt mean its dispensable. They stock some decent bottles and our choice of champagne, a Charles Dufour Bistrøtage, certainly was a good pairing option.

AVOID AVOID AVOID3,5 starters, two mains (one of them the size of a starter (chicken skewerand two cocktails for £100?? Seriously guys? What a rip off! Yes it was tasty, yes service was attentive and yes it was a rip off!!! But wait…you get complimentary water!! Wohoooo!!! Go to Dishoom people!!!

Amazing food, wine and atmosphere. We had a very friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable server and everything was delicious from start to finish - Highly recommend and will definitely be back 🍷

overall: everything was extremely delish & finger-licking. dishes are made for sharing & quite small, hence would recommend going in small groups.kubaneh 🍞: extremely fluffy & buttery, look at that beautiful aerated dough! i prefer to enjoy it by itself as the sauces makes it slightly soggy.white bean m’sabacha 🥚: a spin-off of hummus. love the extra beans on top that adds texture to the grainy texture of the dip. not a fan of the pickled egg though (but that’s just i personally don’t like pickled foods)zucchini tahini 🥒: another amazing dip packed full of umami flavours. to my surprise, this taste very different to the normal tahini served with kubanehpita 🫓: as per description ‘handmade with love’. comes in 4 cute light fluffy buns.metugan bream 🐟: striking presentation of the fish literally looking at you. the texture of fish is firm (i prefer it& since the fish is ‘standing up’, both sides are fried crispy, unlike others where the bottom side is soggy. the freshness of the green harissa balances the greasiness of the fried fish.glazed octopus 🐙: super tender juicy tentacles. love the sweet molasses coating the octopus. first time trying kohlrabi as well, texture similar to radish but has a more prominent flavour.beef tartare 🥩: layers of texture, chewiness of the beef, popping tapioca crisps, crunchy sunflower seeds. perfect balance of herbs & spices.josperised aubergine 🍆: aubergines are soft & moist inside, with a grilled exterior. the yogurt just adds an extra creamy texture but light feel.malabi 🥥: thick layer of berries couli but i can still taste the strong coconut.sumac & lemon tart 🍋: a normal lemon tart, couldnt really taste the sumac.

📍@palomarsoho🍞Kubaneh with tomato and tahini - Traditional pull-apart bread with nutty undertones.Zucchini Tahini - A nice change to my usual tahini with candied walnuts.🍆Josperised Aubergine - Sadly I felt my aubergine had been slightly over grilled but the cucumber yoghurt and cherry tomatoes made a nice topping.🐙Glazed Octopus - Paired with Kohlrabi (German turnip). I’m unable to comment on the following as I’m not a fan of this fish.⭐️Google rating - 4.6🙋🏻‍♀️My rating - 3.9Overall pleasant experience, however, I did think the food was overpriced for what we had. It didn’t quite match the chef table experience I have previously enjoyed. Sadly, I didn’t feel much warmth from the staff either.Not worth the hype in my opinion☹️

Fantastic food and the service is exceptional. My friend is vegan and the lady serving us made notes on the menu about all the options and what they could substitute to accommodate for her. I’ll definitely be returning!

I’m going to give an unpopular opinion and not rave about the Palomar. Not terrible, but I wasn’t swept off my feet (like at ROVI for example).One might argue that with great expectations, comes great potential to disappoint. Yes, it’s partially that. I had been to the Palomar only once before 5 years ago, and it was a magical evening, with good food, great ambiance, but mostly the excitement of having just moved to London. And so maybe that experience stuck in my memory. Then I kept hearing about it left and right, but had never managed to get a table there. So yes, my expectations were as inflated as a hot air balloon in Cappadocia.But also.. putting that aside, there was something off on the evening were I made my second visit to the restaurant, walking in after a workout class in soho. The music first off… was out of place. I wanted Mediterranean or middle eastern turns, to fit with the identify of the place and transport us in time and place, but instead some 80’s disco tunes were blasting. At a high volume.Second the food. Not bad. I would even say generally good. But there was no blockbuster, no dish that makes you close your eyes while you slowly chew each magical bite, or that makes you re-focus the conversation on it. Maybe the crab kafta played slightly that role.. but only slightly. The dips were ok. The spicy one was… spicy so we couldn’t really grasp the full flavor. The handmade pitas with love, I’m sorry to say, had nothing special. Just some pitas to use for dipping. I wanted to feel more love. Then the lemon cake was fine. A sweet treat but nothing extraordinary.The other element that played a part in the less than ideal impression is the fact that the service staff seemed distracted. Our order took a while to be captured, the cake order was forgotten, and just generally… call me emotional, but we did not feel the love.

Very good experience at the Palomar, the concept is to take multiple starters and mains and to share it. The flavors are out of this world, you can see the chefs preparing the food in front of you. I had been to Barbary a few months ago and this was a good addition to it !

Probably one of my favorite restaurants in London. Great atmosphere, delicious food, super nice staff. Love this place 🙌🏼🙏🏼

The perfect restaurant!!!The food was excellent!We sat at the bar and it was a pleasure to see how everything on the strip works in such a perfect way leading by the head chef Omri McNabb!

Had a wonderful experience at palomar. We sat on the high stools near the kitchen and could watch the chefs prepare dishes. It seems like their menu has changed from pre pandemic and I couldnt order food that was recommended here. We tried their kubaneh bread, zucchini tahini and lamb white bean masabcha and liked the tahini and masabcha a lot. For mains we ordered fattoush salad and jasperised aubergine. Fattoush salad tasted way better than what I expected and the japerised aubergine was creamy and delicious. Although I couldnt taste any aubergine in the dish. The service was excellent and the restaurant wasnt very crowdedn on Sunday at dinner time.

Here is one of my favourite restaurants. I can say this is the best Middle eastern restaurant in London! Absolutely loved all the dishes that I had and enjoyed the bustling atmosphere.

I have been there before Covid. And it was 7 stars not 5 . But now the menu is small the dishes not special and they lose the happy vibe they had . Hope it return to be like it used to be

Words cannot so justice to how incredible the dining experience at Palomar is - delicious food, excellent service and a great vibe! Highly recommend everything on the menu, but the labneh, the bream and the octopus were particularly outstanding.

Another great place from the group that runs Coal Office and The Barbary (as well as places in Paris and in Jerusalem).Great food, perfect services, they just know how to run a restaurant and make great food.Every thing we ate was great, our favorite was the pork belly, but well definitely come back for the whole fish that looked very good coming out of the oven infront of us.

So glad we got a chance to eat here. Had to wait for a table but boy was it worth it. Loved sitting at the bar and watching all the action in the kitchen and bar.Every staff member from greeting, ordering drinks, and helping choose our good were so genuinely friendly and really enjoyed what they do. Being served by chefs added to the experience.The food was really delicious, we absolutely loved every dish. We had the bread, tahini & tomato, the sea bass, octopus, eggplant (aubergineox tail & kofta and the delicious mess desert. After 5 weeks travelling this meal was definitely a big highlight for us. Thanks team keep up the good work - we can’t wait to return.

Excellent main dishes. The palenta and chicken livers were a standout. The restaurant provides a very intimate atmosphere in the back or a more active atmosphere at the bar. The appetizers were good and desert was decent. Service was also great. Highly recommended.

Easily one of Londons finest restaurant.I love the counter dining experience so I could see all the amazing things the chefs are doing to make my food taste amazing. Its small dishes so they are for sharing. Order about 5-6 small dishes, that should do the trick with a glass of wine. The service was super speedy, friendly and efficient - youre never left waiting to be served. Its small but lively with pulse-quickening dance music keeping the atmosphere exciting.There is a wait for a table because its so popular, but its so worth it. Plus, its virtual queue which means you can put your name down and go off to do your thing, theyll call you when youre table is ready (typically an hour on weekdays at dinner.A great place to catch up with friends or even dining alone (the chefs are great to chat to. This is Israeli food and dining reinvented and its brilliant. I cant recommend it enough.

Fantastic experience, pleasant and exciting at the same time. Full of favour yet perfectly balanced small dishes to share in an intimate modern location on one of the back streets near Piccadilly. We were lucky to just walk in for lunch on a Saturday and after a 5 mins wait get seats at the counter next to the head chef, who was very attentive and happily responded our questions re the dishes we had ordered. Super friendly staff, impeccable service. Very reasonable prices. Fair to say that it has exceeded our hyped expectations.

Wow. What an immersive dining experience! The Palomar packs in great service, flavour and ambiance. We had a number of the favourites but we felt like we should have tasted the whole menu - saving for next time. Recommend that you eat at the counter so you can experience the freshly cooked delights in front of you. We’ll definitely be back!