Layali Lounge

Unfortunately, my second experience here was horrendous. Had the first one not have been so brill then this would have been a 1 star but I need to give it another go to give the final verdict.
For now, lets talk about the first time I went for my best friends bday — arrange by myself. I booked a table, paid a deposit for everyone and we all had a timely, well fed and entertaining evening by the bellydancer. It’s quite fancy looking too which is always helpful if you plan to go partying afterwards in Clapham since it’s just down the road.
The second time I went was for my birthday, no need for a deposit this time (weirdly) but DEAR GOD, they nearly ruined my night! We all had to wait over an hour for our food as there was only one chef (why they could not inform me of this prior, I do not know), waitresses were lost pretty much all the time and ignored us plenty. Even after waiting such a long time, several dishes were not even served, so some of my guests ended up eating from our plates. I had hoped to have tried out their shisha since it was nicely presented in the front but was so delayed in plans as we were meant to go out to shake a leg locally, that we legged it as soon as we paid — not that they deserved any money since our food was dry and burnt too!
I’ll need to build up some courage before I come back here again I say.

This really is a hidden gem.
Just away from the hustle of bustle from the main at Clapham Common it this lovely Lebenese Restaurant and bar.
A friend found this restaurant while looking for a restaurant that would take the Taste Card. In the end we took advantage of their mid-​week deals of 2 courses for £9.95 — bargain.
The food was simple, fresh and generous. I had a Halloumi starter which was perfectly grilled and not too squeeky at all and an Okra and rice main. All were very tasty, very generous and came with a fresh side salad.
The menu is very good for vegetarians and has an extensive drinks list. More impressivly, alongside it’s really reasonably priced cocktail list was a great selection of non-​alcoholic drinks (not just a can of diet coke for me)
We had fantastic service from a very freindly guy in a blue jumper and our waitress, who pre-​empted our desire for extra chilli and garlic sauce.
Overall I was very plesantly surprised. I normally dislike restaurants that play popular music and have a version of MTV showing on all walls, but the music wasn’t soo loud it drowned out the conversation.
There’s plenty of room inside and outside. With Shisha and outdoor heaters as well as a clean and sleek decore, I can see this place ticking all the boxes for a good night out with drinks too.
So if you’re in the area and fancy some fresh grub and a bit of Shisha — take a turn off the main road for a real solid establishment.

We went to this place for Shisha and LOVED it! The atmosphere was great and so was the staff! The owner was super nice. He offered to call us a cab and find the right bus and tube route back to our hotel. I would recommend this place to everyone!!!

We had a great night last night for my partner’s birthday! We had arranged to reserve an area outside for 20 ppl and wanted something special. We went in last week and met with Deepa who made excellent suggestions for some mezze. I got there early to decorate and the area looked great! Nice couches, plenty of table space and we could have balloons and decorations to give it a nice birthday touch. The staff were great! Very attentive and friendly. The mezze was the big surprise! The food was AMAZING! Deepa knows her business. Everyone had loads and couldn’t stop trying all the different delicacies. The hummus was incredible, the salads were exceptional and the kibbeh and soujouk were gobbled up quickly. After dinner, we had shisha and everyone had different ones. All of them exceptional and the staff knew their shisha skills. They kept going for hours! Ah… then the unexpected belly dancer entertained us and got the whole party up for a bit of a belly dance. Hilarity ensued…
A TOP night and one we will never forget. My only suggestion for improvement in the men’s toilet. There is only one and the wait to get in was a bit long and the hand dryer simply didn’t work. Certainly didn’t take away from the magic of the evening!
We were lucky to have a warm summer night but even if it isn’t, they have canopied the area and put in sufficient heating so it is comfortable any time of the year!

Not a bad new place. In the same location where Verso pizza was for many years. On the way to Grey Goose pub from Clapham Common tube. Food menu is quite interesting, but have to say that the scallops and chips combination is a bit weird and overly fatty. The fourth star I awarded for the excellent service — the night we were there was pretty busy and there were only two staff on duty. Still, they managed to keep up the service and really had control of the joint — it was a pleasure to experience. Why can’t other establishments with so much more staff still not get things right? Even nicer was that they didn’t even add the automatic service tax onto the bill! It was easy to give them 15% ourselves!