*This restaurant is now closed*
If I were restricted to eating out on just one street in Cardiff it would unquestionably be City Road.
The melting pot of Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Indo-Pakistani, Southern Indian and Veggie-hipster restaurants would mean that I could happily eat something different seven days of the week.
Or, more likely, I would eat seven different kebabs.
Mezza House, a new Lebanese restaurant on the former site of Casa Bianca, is one City Road restaurant which I’d happily add to my regular rotation.
The first thing worth shouting about is their brilliant bread which they bake fresh daily. Warm, soft and stuffed or topped with a variety fillings, they are each a snack in themselves.
Muhamar (£1.25), my favourite, was topped with a paste of tomato, olive oil and a good wallop of chilli.
Lahem b’ajeen (£1.50), Mrs G’s pick, was capped with a layer of mildly spiced minced lamb and tomato.
The other two excellent varieties were fatayer sabanekh (£1.50), filled with a layer of spinach, onion and sumac, and fatayer jibneh (£1.50) filled with a layer of pleasingly gooey, salty cheese.
Whilst Mezza House’s main courses include wraps, kebabs and stews, we decided to stick to the restaurant’s namesake and ordered a gargantuan selection of mezza.
Complimentary pickles comprised of an eclectic selection of green tomatoes, gherkins, cabbage, carrot, purple coloured turnip and mixed olives.
A whopping mixed mezza (£6.50) comprised of warm and soft stuffed vine leaves; crisp and tender falafel; a pleasing yet run of the mill hummus; and a killer pair of smoky aubergine dips – a creamy muttabal (the pick of the bunch) and a pepper twanged babba ghanoush.
A bowl of intensely meaty and herby lamb meatballs (£2.75) were served in a tomato and pepper sauce.
Musaka (£2.75) wasn’t what I expected but turned out to be a hearty stew of aubergine, peppers, tomato and garlic.
Soujuk and halloumi (£3.50) combined two of my favourite ingredients in the world, spicy beef sausage and crisp salty cheese, in a no-nonsense manner.
The only two disappointing elements of the meal were a slightly dry bowl of bread accompanying the mezza and fruit juices that tasted out of a carton.
Accompanying the bill were a couple of complimentary pieces of syrupy and nut-rich baklava.
And here’s the thing, all this food cost £23.
The Details:
Mezza House, a new Lebanese restaurant on the former site of Casa Bianca, is one City Road restaurant which I’d happily add to my regular rotation.
The first thing worth shouting about is their brilliant bread which they bake fresh daily. Warm, soft and stuffed or topped with a variety fillings, they are each a snack in themselves.
Muhamar (£1.25), my favourite, was topped with a paste of tomato, olive oil and a good wallop of chilli.
Lahem b’ajeen (£1.50), Mrs G’s pick, was capped with a layer of mildly spiced minced lamb and tomato.
The other two excellent varieties were fatayer sabanekh (£1.50), filled with a layer of spinach, onion and sumac, and fatayer jibneh (£1.50) filled with a layer of pleasingly gooey, salty cheese.
Whilst Mezza House’s main courses include wraps, kebabs and stews, we decided to stick to the restaurant’s namesake and ordered a gargantuan selection of mezza.
Complimentary pickles comprised of an eclectic selection of green tomatoes, gherkins, cabbage, carrot, purple coloured turnip and mixed olives.
A whopping mixed mezza (£6.50) comprised of warm and soft stuffed vine leaves; crisp and tender falafel; a pleasing yet run of the mill hummus; and a killer pair of smoky aubergine dips – a creamy muttabal (the pick of the bunch) and a pepper twanged babba ghanoush.
A bowl of intensely meaty and herby lamb meatballs (£2.75) were served in a tomato and pepper sauce.
Musaka (£2.75) wasn’t what I expected but turned out to be a hearty stew of aubergine, peppers, tomato and garlic.
Soujuk and halloumi (£3.50) combined two of my favourite ingredients in the world, spicy beef sausage and crisp salty cheese, in a no-nonsense manner.
The only two disappointing elements of the meal were a slightly dry bowl of bread accompanying the mezza and fruit juices that tasted out of a carton.
Accompanying the bill were a couple of complimentary pieces of syrupy and nut-rich baklava.
And here’s the thing, all this food cost £23.
Delicious and a total bargain. And the service was super-friendly.
Mezza House is a great addition to City Road and another go to destination for me to add to the mix.
The Details:
Address - Mezza House, 175 City Road, Cardiff, CF24 3JB
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