Cafe Helen

"Cafe Helen is something of a west London institution, and for those familiar, it’s a go-to at any hour of the night. The Lebanese restaurant has two hulking shawarmas spinning from late afternoon to 6am, so if you’re after a speedy post-work mezze, or a solo late-night wrap on Edgware Road, this is the place to go. While it’s not the most carefully made shawarma in the world, the fact that you can call on Cafe Helen any time of night more than makes up for it." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak

"Until 6am daily For shisha obsessives and shawarma lovers, this Lebanese spot on Edgware Road is something of a west London institution. The red glow of Cafe Helen’s signage is a siren call for anyone needing comfort late at night or early in the morning. Be it baskets of warm flatbread and bowls of creamy labneh, or piles of dripping shawarma meat with a mound of rice. There’s plenty of seating inside but you can swing by the takeaway shop next door too." - jake missing, sinead cranna

"The majority of people only see Cafe Helen, an all-hours Edgware Road classic, by darkness. The Lebanese restaurant is known for its late-late opening hours (from 4pm to 6am) and is popular with early morning mezze crews. Two glistening shawarma spin in its takeaway shop next door or, you can sit down in the restaurant for a plate of juicy chicken or lamb shawarma, rice, and plenty of flatbread to mop it up." - team infatuation

"London isn’t exactly synonymous with good nightlife, but then it depends what you’re looking for. Cafe Helen is something of a west London institution and for those familiar, it’s a go-to at any hour of the morning. The Lebanese restaurant has two hulking shawarmas spinning from late afternoon to 6am so if you’re after a sit-down mezze or a late-night wrap on Edgware Road, this is the place to go. Friends smoke shisha outside, while others pile into the takeaway shop next door for a meaty fix. A spicy wrap is recommended and although it’s not the most carefully made shawarma in the world, the fact that you can call on Cafe Helen any time of night more than makes up for it. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch" - Jake Missing

"Edgware Road offers a copious, even overwhelming amount of places to eat Lebanese shawarma, but out of all of them, Cafe Helen is the best bet. Both the chicken and lamb are more subtly spiced than Ranoush Juice or other Lebanese spots, and the flavour is still giving. All the components of the sandwich are compactly packed into a khobez wrap: the pickled cucumbers are punchy; the amounts of tahini and toum well-balanced — and the chilli sauce offers a pleasingly effervescent kick." - Joel Hart