Levant

Levant is about fun over fine, and the Marylebone restaurant makes that clear from the off. The Bedouin-tent private booths give the room an immediate sense of occasion, while the atmosphere settles quickly into something warm, loose and sociable. Posh mojitos helped, but the real pleasure was the feeling that the evening had room to expand — into conversation, shared plates and the belly dancers who eventually captivated the crowd.

Starters arrived as a free-for-all. Warm bread rolls with sumac, soujoc, hummos and baba ghannouj made a generous opening; fattoush was awesome, sambousek excellent and the halloumi meshwi totally superb. Meaty jawaneh and kibbe kept the table moving. The mashawy mixed grill, kafte, laham meshwi and shish taouk were all excellent, while tagine bil d’jej was superb. We bit off more than we could chew, but that felt like a problem created by enthusiasm rather than a lack of appetite.

Middle Eastern sweets brought the meal to a suitably generous close, followed by a complimentary shisha pipe. Levant is not fine dining, and it does not need to be. It is a very fun night out with a good vibe, food that rewards sharing and enough theatre to keep the room lively. At 36.5, it is wholeheartedly recommended for anyone who wants the evening to feel like an occasion rather than a performance of restraint. The generosity is the point: order widely, accept that the table may overreach, and let the restaurant’s warmth carry the night. The result is the kind of meal that works best when everyone is prepared to share the excess and enjoy the room’s theatrical side.