Abu Zaad Shepherd’s Bush

Excellent food! The staff was top-notch, very kind, and professional. May the business and the people who work here stay strong and prosperous. 🙏👍👏💯

Discover the heart and soul of Damascus right here in London at Abu Zaad. The decor and atmosphere will whisk you away to the ancient streets of Old Damascus. Here are my top recommendations that made my visit to Abu Zaad truly memorable: 🍽️ Cold Starters: Moutabal: Silky, luscious, and absolutely delightful! 😋 Baba Ganouj: Rich, smoky, and utterly irresistible! 🥰 Warak Inab: Flavor-packed little bundles of joy 🌿 🔥 Hot Starters: Kibbeh Shamia: Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. A must-try! 🤤 BBQ Kibbeh: Perfectly grilled, these are a smoky treat! 🔥 Fattet Makdous: A wonderful mix of flavors in every bite! 😍 Foul Moudammas: The ultimate comfort food! 🫘 Fried Cheese, Chicken, and Spinach Pastries: A trio of crunchy, cheesy, and savory delights! 🧀🍗🌱 🍛 Main Dishes: Makloba Shish Bunak: A harmonious blend of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds! 🎶 Kibbeh Labanyeh: A comforting dish that warms the heart! ❤️ 🍲 Moroccan Specialties: Tajin (Lamb) with Couscous: Tender lamb paired with fluffy couscous, a perfect combination! 🐑🍚 🍖 BBQ: Grilled Lamb Fillet: Juicy, succulent, and grilled to perfection! 🍖 🐟 Seafood: Sea Bass: Fresh, flaky, and fabulous! 🐟 🍰 Desserts: Baklawa: Sweet, nutty, and simply divine! 🍯 Konafa: A cheesy, syrupy treat that you can’t resist! 🧀🍯 🥤 Beverages: Fresh Juices: Refreshing and invigorating! 🥕🍏🍋🌿 Ayran: The ideal companion to your main dishes! 🥛 Arabic Coffee: Finish your meal with a strong, aromatic touch! ☕️ 👨‍🍳 Friendly and Professional Staff: The team is always ready to offer the best recommendations with a smile! 😊 For groups, Abu Zaad offers an impressive lamb with rice platter, perfect for sharing and creating a festive atmosphere. Prices are: Whole half lamb with starters: £250 (without starters: £190) Whole lamb with starters: £400 (without starters: £320) Come and experience the magic of Abu Zaad, where every meal is a celebration of authentic Syrian cuisine! 🎉

Such an amazing experience! We had the best meal at Abu Zaad, which is located opposite Shepherd’s Bush market station and there is a bus stop right in front of it for easy transportation. There were many vegan and vegetarian options, good service and reasonable prices. Once we sat at the table, they offered us complimentary olives and two types of sauces. All the meals arrived at different times and the portions were big. At the end they offered us a complimentary dessert which was fresh and matched perfectly with the whole meal. We will go back again, highly recommended! Thank you! 🙏🏻

Welcomed with a big smile of their face. Place was very busy and the table they given to us we didn't like the location so they arrange another location. Once sat down the server attended us straight away and helped us decide what to order. Good ambiance and clean enviornment. Starter arrived within 15 minutes, well prepared and fresh. Main 20 mins after starters. We were served by Ahmed who was excellent and provided amazing service and a brilliant experience.

Wow! True authentic Middle Eastern cuisine. Perfectly flavoured, the most succulent chicken I’ve had in London.. it reminded me of the quality of food in the Middle East! I cannot wait to go back and visit this place. Homely and beautiful decor and aesthetic, 5 star food and hygiene rating, and wonderful prompt friendly service! So yummy. A must visit if you’re in the area! We were so pleased with all of our dishes and the lovely lemon and mint drink as well. Everything was so fresh and tender. Perfectly seasoned and cooked. Thank you guys so much, I can’t wait for my next visit!

Best middle eastern food I have ever tried. All the foods we ordered are all 10/10. We ordered falafal, fatet houmous and chicken shawarma with rice and yes very special mango juice.

We came here for brunch and we had a lot of options to choose and was delicious. We were served by an amazing friendly and professional staff named Hamza who recommended us to have a Moroccan tea after we ate. It was tasty! I would recommend this restaurant because of the amazing service we had .

We had the whole lamb! We gathered a team of 9 and still couldn't finish all of it! wonderful experience :)

What a great and affordable meal! I was with 6 other friends, so we proceeded to order a significant portion of the menu. And it was all really good. But the fan favorite was the Mix Grill (lamb fillet, lamb kofta, shish taouk Jawaneh, and shawerma served with chips and rice). We did not leave hungry. And when we got the bill, I was amazed at the price! So affordable. Definitely worth a try.

Stopped by Abu Zaad for dinner and had a lovely experience. As a self proclaimed fattoush salad snob, I loved theirs! I also enjoyed the hummus with schwarma and finished the meal with baklava and tea. Yum

Three years on and every time I get back to the Shepherd's Bush Market area (usually for a play at The BushTheatre), I return to Abu Zaad for more of their Damascus marvels. Be warned: portions are large and delightfully filling. I enjoyed falafel and labneh for starters, then a mountain of mandi (lamb shank, rice, sultanas, cashews) for my main. At £12.95, mandi is great value since you can usually get two meals from it...but sometimes they run out. No worries: I can vouch for the lamb tagine, kibbeh, and several other mains. You can round out your meal with fruit juices or perhaps a hot mint tea is more your style. Pair it with a tiny baklava to sweeten your evening. With inexpensive mains, afters are affordable.

When I turned up here and walked inside I felt like I had been given passage to Damascus. From the decor to the patrons, it all looks the part and yet even if you don't, you'll be warmly welcomed. A visiting pal from San Francisco and I joined a regular here for dinner and he took care of all the ordering. I enjoyed everything we ate but one dish in particular stood out: Farrouj Abou Zaad. These three words I scarcely know how to pronounce must mean "over the top tasty." Or maybe the translation is grilled boneless baby chicken? Whatever the case, the farrouj abou zaad (grilled boneless baby chicken) is some of the most incredible chicken to ever pass my lips. It is served with a divine salsa-like tomato sauce that makes you want to lick the container it comes in. The baklava we ended our meal with made me reconsider every syrupy, unappetising baklava I've had in the past (and my stance on not liking it.) This stuff was flaky, light and absolutely worth going back for. Make sure to order mint tea to go with it. Why fly to Syria when you can take the tube to Shepherd's Bush Market and come to Abu Zaad instead?

I really want to give more than just three stars but my most recent visit was just a bit surreal. Admittedly this was quite a late supper after a performance at the Bush Theatre, on a hot summer's night. We were shown to our table without delay but then waited ages for the menu, then further ages for someone to take our order, the water we ordered never arrived, several of the dishes were no longer available, fast forward and we had to ask for the bill several times and it took ages for someone to take payment ... you get the picture, service was very poor on this occasion. But the food was lovely and good value, we shared a couple of mezze dishes and a serving of grilled chicken with rice. All fresh and delicious, and I will definitely be back.

Me, my brother and a few friends came here once, we ordered half a lamb with roast and it came with hummus and salad. The slow cooked lamb was amazing and it fell off the bone, however, the rice that came it was even better. Yes even better! The rice we ordered was half and half of Qabuli and Mandi, it's the Mandi rice that turned out to be winner. Overall, Abu Zaad is generally good. The service could always improve I believe, I've been to other restaurants with service to be fair. The decor isn't bad at all. The food on the menu is usually good, but if you do go to Abu Zaad it is recommended that you go for the lamb roast with rice. Bear in mind you have to order in advance, I think it's 48 hours in advance.

One of my favorite Syrian restaurants in London, similar to the other branch in Edgware Road. The food is generally quick. You don't usually need to wait. Some of recommended dishes are the Farooj (boneless chicken) as well as, my favourite, Maklooba (lovely tender lamb cubes with Aubergine and Rice, just delicious). The quantity as well is generous. Their main dishes can definitely be filling. I doubt you'd be able to finish them especially if you have appetizers too. They have the common hot and cold appetizers such as Vine Leaves, Fatoush, Kebba. The seating in this Shepherds Bush branch is nice but not necessarily very big. At busy times, you might need to reserve. They do collection as well. The drinks including juices are really nice as well. I recommend Lemonde with Mint. The prices are generally reasonable especially with the generous portions that you get.

I needed somewhere to go for dinner before see Kate Nash at the Shepherds Bush Empire on Saturday so naturally I turned to Yelp for help. And I am so happy with my fellow yelpers right now! They delivered me to Abu Zaad and I am eternally grateful. I even took the advice on which dish to order and I am stoked to report that the Farrouj Abou Zaad: boneless baby chicken, is indeed spectacular. Along with the chicken we ordered the Makloba: aubergine rice, lamb cubes and nuts cooked in special sauce, flat bread and Damascene and Abu Zaad tropical juices... I had to stop myself from licking the plate. The atmosphere was noisy and busy, and all the restaurant guests seemed to know the waiters personally. It did make for slightly erratic service - so be aware if you are a stickler for one waiter per table or any such particular. I plan to return with a hoard of hungry friends and order every kind of meat they have.

Feeling hungry in Shepherds bush and you don't fancy the food court of the Westfield shopping centre then this is a sure place to visit. The food is fresh and if you're like me and rushing around to get something hot fresh and tasty then this is your place to go! £3.25 for a wrap and a drink... Give me two!!

One of the apps I've grown to really love is my Yelp app. Whenever I'm in a new area in London, I always do a quick search to see if there is a good place to try out. I was taking a photoshop class in the area and stopped by due to the rave reviews. My hangover urged me to order takeaway so got the boneless baby chicken, halloumi and moussaka. The halloumi was a bit salty - it's deep fried and the moussaka... if you're used to greek moussaka, this def doesn't resemble it. It was more like a tomato sauce like dish with a few aubergines and chick peas. Will probably give those dishes a pass. But the chicken... Even after eating it up in the microwave at home I thought it was one of the best chicken dishes I've ever tasted. Get involved with that garlic white sauce! This dish def pushed my review up to 5*s. I will be back for more.

It is a slice of the middle east in W12, Damascene to be exact. It became a regular when I found myself with very little will to cook and it became our christmas dinner last year when for a foolish mistake we didn't get to go to Paris for the holidays. They are very friendly and have an extensive menu, lamb, chicken and stuffed vegetables with mince cooked in yoghurt to name few. The chicken Shawerma is under £5 and feeds you well, with thin slices of chicken, salad, rice or chips and a pitta bread. But, I specially like their stuffed courgettes, tangy taste perfectly completed with yoghurt. Their hummus, feta triangles and dolmades are all good starter choices. Complement any meal with their fresh juices, you must try the lemonade with mint, lovely! They also do take away and it is a £10 minimum with card. It is no the coziest of environments, but it is full of flaming character with the noise, the overly decorated ceramic tiles and massive golden mirrors in the back room this place will sure raise and eyebrow or two.

Restaurant itself was buzzing, popular and larger than it looks from the outside. Service was prompt. Food: A-OK sums it up for me. The moutabal aubergine puree starter was nice and smoky but bread a touch leathery. Main courses were OK but didn't stand out. Had the chicken cous cous which probably wasn't what the waiter would have suggested if I had asked for a reco, but nevertheless was a bit bland. My partner's lamb dish with wheat was also similarly OK. Definitely good value though with low prices.

This place is great! Found it through a recommendation on Yelp and really enjoyed dinner here. The service was a bit slow to start with but the food was amazing. Very tender and well spiced. Try the hummus, it's the best hummus I ever had. Definitely coming back here!

Abu Zaad is a popular Syrian restaurant that serves the Shepherd's Bush Arabic community well. I recently decided to try their fare as the two Lebanese Shawarma outlets currently in my local area of Chiswick are lousy. They ONLY have a Chicken Shawarma but do have Lamb Shish & Kofte for those willing to wait around. The chicken shawarma came in "kit form" with garlic sauce and a small amount of tomato, onions & pickled gherkin as salad. The quality of the white meat was excellent, the portion was generous too. The bread was fine and the simple salad was OK, though there was not much of it. The garlic sauce was good. Service was pleasant enough though the method of paying the cashier who passes a note to the kitchen means it is hard to build the sandwich to one's preferences easily. The shawarma cost £2.50 - which is great value in my opinion it is cheaper AND better quality than any I have found recently. RECOMMENDED!

We had a low key meal at this Syrian restaurant. Great value (£23 for the two of us) made even better once we checked in and got a free tabbouleh starter! I ordered the Farrouj Abu Zaa which is the boneless baby chicken. Very tender and tasty. It only comes with a uninspired iceberg lettuce salad so I ordered some frikeh too. The waiter said it was 'cooked seeds' but it was actually pearl barley. Very nicely done though. It was tasty. My partner ordered the Kabab Halabi which was like kofte but with a spicy kick. Really delish and it came with rice and salad. They gave us some complimentary filo dough desserts too. Great little spot. The food is simple and not fancy but prepared well.

A really great arabic restaurant. Its the only restaurant where I've experienced Syrian cuisine in London, but I believe its probably hard to find other restaurants like this one. The food can sometimes be somewhat basic, i.e. if you order , with various meat and rice combination main meals, but the meat is cooked very well, with a smoked barbecue taste. You really must have a three course meal when you come here. The food is cheap and the starters and deserts are nothing like I've experienced before. The juices here are amazing. You can order a nice mint tea, as well, but for me the various fresh juice combos that they make are some of the best in London. Did I also say this restaurant is extremely good value for money?

Abu Zaad is like stepping into the Middle-East but without the imminent threat of violence. The décor is charming, as are the helpful staff. The range of Syrian 'tapas' is impressive and the portions tasty and generous. This is a really fun place to come with a bunch of friends so you can taste lots of different dishes. The prices are very attractive as you get a lot of nosh for your dosh and you can't help but think it's good for you. They do have a lovely selection of teas and juices but no alcohol, which is where your love affair with Middle-Eastern tradition may end, but you shouldn't let it affect your enjoyment of this delightful restaurant.

Great quality cheap restaurant serving the middle-eastern classics and a number of dishes that will be less familiar to the casual middle-eastern cuisine fan! It's alcohol free but the juices (Strawberry is my favourite!) are excellent and reasonably priced. Its a friendly restaurant and by far the best budget eatery in the area. It's possible to eat 3 courses with freshly made juices for less than £15 per head including tip!

Great food, great location, great prices! I went with a group of 5, and even though it was lunch, we were easily seated and taken care of. The TV's were a bit loud (soccer was on, and the staff were obviously invested in the game), but the portions were massive. My moussaka starter was enormous, and my basic lunch special 'gyro' made me think I would have to take leftovers home! Make sure to take time out of your day to check out this little jem.

I went there yesterday with other 4 friends, a busy Saturday night full of families with screaming children, but the esquisite food screamed louder than those toddlers and soon I forgot about the noise and concentrated on my meal and the good company of friends. Most of them ordered the tagine with lamb or chicken and I ordered the mixed grill. The starters were excellent and were brought over in a flash. Everything is fresh and tasty and very reasonably priced. Surprisingly fast service. The freshly prepared fruit juices and mint tea were excellent. Thumbs up all around apart from the screaming kids!

The Mezze's are really good. The prices are also reasonable. I lived the kibbah, fattoush and falafel. I would definately be going back.

Fantastic value and extremely tasty food - try the grilled chicken, and the halloumi. A solid meal for two washed down with mint tea (Muslim so no alcohol) came to £30 including service. The only thing keeping it from getting 5 stars is the pitta bread which was a tad too chewy, but that shouldn't detract from an otherwise excellent, and filling, meal.

Excellent choice if you want food before going to O2 Shepherd Bush Empire. Very good food. Fresh. Prompt service.

Really amazing Syrian food. The starters were super tasty, and the lamb chops were delicious. Portion sizes were huuuuuge, 8 lamb chops with rice, salad and bread. The waiters were really nice and made my friend feel extra special on her birthday. Prices are very reasonable too.

I was excited to find a Syrian restaurant in London, but the food here is really not great. I tried the lamb maglouba and it was so unappetising in flavour and mediocre in every way that I had trouble finishing it. I have also tried the chicken moulloukhia, and the moulloukhia itself was bitter and not tasty at all and made the chicken hard to eat as well. The only decent thing i had here was the grape leaves and they were just average. I am rather disappointed with this place. Syrian food is great but no one would know it from this place.

Gutted! I went to Abu Zaad last night and it was a huge disappointment. Luckily I didn't go out of my way to go here and was en route to a the Bush Hall. I was recommended the restaurant by a friend and the reviews on yelp also looked promising. The restaurant is about an 8 minute walk from Shepherds Bush Market tube station and is pretty standard inside, not dressy but quite bustly and atmospheric. I ordered the Arayes to start, which is pitta filled with veal, onion cheese and something else-anyway I should have just ordered a tuna melt as that is what it tasted like. I didn't let this put me off and proceed to order the Abu Zaad special Chicken Shawerma- I waited 10mins to then be told that they didn't have it anymore so then the waiter recommended a chicken grill dish for me and I chose rice to come with it (you get the option of rice or chips). Dish arrives with chips (typical!) so then the waiter said i could keep the chips and he'd bring the rice-The rice never turned up! The main meal itself was awful, my salad looked like it had given up the will to live, brown around the edges and my chicken tasted of nothing....then for the whole night it just sat in my stomach like a huge weight. I still tried to give Abu Zaad a chance and ordered the hummus and at last something good! Bill came to £26 for 2 people and that included 1 starter, 2 pepsi's, 2 mains and a side of hummus. Good Points- Cheap and the waiters were friendly. Bad points- food wasn't tasty! I think after going to 'Fanoos' in Chiswick I've been spoilt and will never go back to Abu Zaad. Sorry Abu Zaad I wanted to like you

When I went there I thought that it was a new restaurant and that the quality of service, food and prices that I got is just because of that but some reviews dating two years ago proved me wrong. To put things in a simple mannar, I think it is very hard (not to say impossible) to find a restaurant of such quality in London especially with the relatively low price tag. Expect to pay around 7£ for a main course (mixed grill is the most expensive at 9.5), and the starters at around 3.5£. it is a halal restaurant so no alcohol is served. It gets pretty cramped up inside but nothing too uncomfortable.

This is definitely the best you can find to eat in Shepherd's Bush. The restaurant is amazing from top to bottom the food, the staff, everything is on a really high level, nearing perfection.

The restaurant is nice but there were some things that I did not like. For instance, our order came nearly 40 minutes after we've ordered and some of the meat was overcooked and one of my friends' salad was way too salty and seasoned in general.

I feel lucky to have this place on the doorstep. Service can be a bit slow when they're busy but it's worth it. It's incredibly easy to over order so beware the portion sizes. It's very difficult to not eat everything when you have over ordered because it's so delicious and you then can't move. The lemon mint drink is amazing. Simple but amazing, which kind of sums this place up. It's a no booze restaurant. I don't know if there's even a bring your own policy or not, don't much care as it tastes so good there's no room to squeeze any alcohol in! Almost always a queue to get in but seems to thin out after around 8pm.

Fab middle eastern restaurant, great for a spot of cheap lunch if you're down Shepherds Bush way. I've been there several times and never had a bad meal. Thedecor's very authentic and looks straight out of Arabian Nights. They often give you free olives at the start of the meal - a nice touch. If you're a girl, the waiters will probably give you a free cup of mint tea too. I do worry that this restaurant will get less business, becauseWestfield has put up shop opposite, so please do check it out and give them some custom - compared to the overpriced boring restaurants in there, it's a real treat.

fabulous food, very reasonable prices and friendly service - there's no doubt about that. But what I like the most is that all nationalities and creeds are made to feel welcome. My congratulations to staff and management. Please keep it up!

Fantastic Syrian restaurant - if you're into your middle eastern cuisine this is really as good as it gets. The food is always fresh and served with a smile, and there are some interesting discoveries to be made for the uninitiated. A wide selection of dishes, great prices and plenty of vegetarian options too. Don't forget to try the fruit juices and end with a nice cup of mint tea.

From the outside this is a light brown, tacky looking place, which appears cheap and nasty. However venture indoors and you'll find a fantastic decor, amazing food and a friendly atmosphere. Did I also mention that the prices here are also dirt cheap! My friends and I shared starters, mains, sides, mint tea and drinks and it came to less than £15 a head! Bargain! With a lovely, energetic vibe and some unusual menu options this place is sure to delight. I would however suggest that you are careful when ordering as you shouldn't assume you know that you are going to get. I ordered lamb with yogurt and was presented with a bowl of yogurt which had lamb pieces hidden in it. Whilst a little taken back, this dish tasted superb and featured the most tender meat I believe I have every tasted. The pomegranate juice I had was delicious, although maybe a little sweet for my liking. My mezze cold starters were also fantastic, but more in line with expectations. The only downside is that they do not serve alcohol here. But that said, believe the food is more than worth it! I already have another trip planned! My biggest tip for this place is if you have the chance, check out the back room. The decorative wall tiles found here are stunning.

great restaurant. nice atmosphere. reasonable prices. lots and lots of vegetarian options.

Lovely food, great prices is it no wonder that whenever we go to this restaurant it is always busy. The place has a real family atmosphere and is deceivingly large. The portions are generous and the cuts of meat used for the various dishes decent. Great stop off prior to going to a gig at the Empire which is 3 minutes around the corner

Poor service, bread was stale, meat Luke warm, no sauce with my 'special mixed grill', very dry, no water offered.

The mezze selection is amazing and it came so fast, even if we went at a busy time. Waiter was sexy and smiling, and genuinely nice. We were not rushed to leave. Definitely worth a second visit.

good food and good value. we went in just to use the toilet but ended up eating a whole meal. good service too.