Damascus Bite

A stunning gem in the middle of Brick Lane serving Syrian cuisine. We went for Iftar and it wasn’t too busy. The staff was incredibly nice and we even got complementary bread and hummus. The mixed grill was delicious and juicy. The Falafel was very fresh and crispy and the sauce that came with it was very flavourful.

Stumbled upon this hidden gem in the heart of Brick lane. The ambiance transports you to an authentic Arab setup. The staff is very polite and friendly. We were served by a Bangladesh staff member. I ordered the chicken shawarma platter with rice and salads with chips and pita as extras. The rice was extremely flavourful on its own. The taste of food was extremely authentic and fresh. The quantity was enough to share between 2 heavy eaters. Loved every minute spent here. The place is priced well given it’s location and portions. The only surprise was when we got back home to realise we had a sit in charge of 2.5£ on the bill. Not sure why any restaurant would charge that. Nevertheless a must visit spot.

Absolutely love this place! it's right next to where I live on brick lane, I go there for lunch, the food is amazing and it's very affordable! And the best part is the staff, very kind and attentive people that have a real sense of service! Recommend 100%

Im only bothering to do a review bc im this dissapointed and upset. We bought a box for £24 AND IT WAS BARELY ANYTHING CONSIDERING IT WAS 24POUNDS [it was something worth £10 MAX LITERALLY MAX] . IM SO DISSATISFIED AND DISSPAPOINTED. Anyone telling u this place is lying and hasnt had good ethnic food before. Its also not even that good so what the heck (coming from a actual normal customer) its old and reheated, smells odd and not appealing. If you're looking for a takeaway this is not the spot! 1 its not fresh 2 the rice is literally just lemon rice? 3 THE SALAD ISNT EVEN FRESH EITHER. Probably the biggest waste of money on food iv ever spent.

We decided to give Damascus Bite a try while visiting Shoreditch, and we’re so glad we did. The food (we shared the hummus and chicken shawarma platter) was phenomenal and also plenty for two. The food was extremely flavorful, and the rice simply blew us away with how deliciously spiced it was. It was as flavorful as biryani rice, which both surprised and impressed us. Don’t sleep on Damascus Bites - we’ll be coming by here whenever we are in London again!

I consider myself a Lebanese shawarma fiend (so much so I have a tattoo of chicken shawarma) and can honestly say this is my favourite shawarma place in east London. Suggest you get the chicken with just fries, pickles, garlic & chilli sauce.

it was an exceptional experience! The atmosphere was warm and inviting, creating the perfect setting for a delightful meal. The decor was beautifully done, with a cozy and elegant touch that made us feel right at home. The food was absolutely fantastic. Each dish was bursting with flavor and prepared to perfection. We particularly enjoyed the variety of authentic Middle Eastern dishes, which were both delicious and beautifully presented. The ingredients were fresh, and the spices used added a wonderful depth to the flavors. The service was also top-notch. The staff were friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu. They made excellent recommendations and ensured that we had everything we needed throughout our meal. Overall, Damascus Bit is a gem of a restaurant that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a memorable dining experience. We can't wait to return and try more of their amazing dishes!

Wow, what a place! I stopped here as my visiting Syrian American friend needed to scratch his Syrian/Middle Eastern food itch. Everything was amazing, great setting, food was mega and the service was spot on! I can really recommend the fresh Knafeh when they have it on the menu!

It pains me but I have to downgrade my review for the perfect shawarma because we went back the next day and were served something very different from the first time. It was a different team, and they were very accommodating to remake the second shawarma (after we asked) but even that didn't match the one the day before. So it's just inconsistent. If you order the lamb shawarma be specific that you want it toasted, and it is better with hummus and tahini (second time was dry). This would be a lower rating if I didn't know they are capable of something great.

To start the service was amazing. I ordered Chicken Shwarma but forgot to specify that I wanted a platter so it came in a pita wrap. I'm gluten-free, so I asked the owner to remove the wrap and put it in a box instead. He said, "No, let me make you something SAFE and delicious." I just about cried on the spot; he was so thoughtful. And boy, did he make me something safe and delicious: chicken shwarma, salad, with fresh chips! The portion size was beyond filling too. The owner said this shop has been here for 17 years and it's clear why. They cook amazing food with caring service. Absolutely recommend!

This place is the tits; great food, ambiance, aesthetic, and friendly staff. The decor is amazing. Its quite surreal actually. Coming in off the upscale ish shopping street you have no idea what you're stepping into - you're transported into another realm, where time doesn't exist and you occupy a space that has always been and will always be. I ordered what I understood to be a chicken kabob, but when it arrived as a wrap filled with picked vegetables, a creamy spiced sauce, potatoes, and roast chicken, accompanied by a vinegary salad I was more than a bit pleased. It was delicious. When my buddies arrived we ordered a pot of cardamom tea - ask for cardamom pods in the pot. At first it wasn't strong enough so we left the teabags in - I wouldn't recommend leaving them in for too long, which we did in an attempt to enhance the cardamom flavor, but in reality made the tea bitter bc it was a green/black tea (which I believe is supposed to brew for ~3 min) maybe ask your server how long to leave the teabags in :) The vibes of this place where such that we didn't want to leave, so we ordered an Arabic coffee. This was a transportive experience; the coffee was ridiculously good. I've had Arabic coffee before, but these guys do it damn well - came with cardamom pods too. I could try to describe it, but it won't do it justice, you've got to try it. It was so good that we had another. Definitely check this place out if you're in the area. Or make the trip, you'll be glad you did.

The only thing worse than waking up on a Sunday morning not really sure where you are or how you got there, is waking up covered in chili sauce with an empty kebab wrapper stuck somewhere on your person. Or both would be pretty bad actually, anyway I digress, the point is late night kebabs are evil unless they come from Damascu Bite. Every ones mother warned them about going swimming on a full stomach, where was the more practical, actually useful advice about stumbling out of a club on a Saturday night and avoiding at all costs, the brightly lit shop window, framing what could only be described as looking like a huge, greasy, spinning turd on a stick? Well, she probably thought you could judge for yourself that eating something with such an ungainly appearance was not the best idea. Clearly she was wrong. So next time you find yourself craving the dirty dog meat wrongness, head to Damascu bite instead where, for the same price as your average kebab house, you can eat to your hearts content, still obtain the admiring stares bestowed upon those persons with the balls to sit smugly on the night bus, stinking it out, munching away and not giving a damn, and wake up with your insides relatively unscathed by the whole experience. My favourite is the chicken shwarma, with garlic and chili sauce (I know) and all the salads. Its about £4 and served up by friendly staff who are happy to advise people on anything from their kebab to their rubbish relationships, free of charge.

Damascu is not only a great alternative to your dirty late night kebab but it's great when you're sober too! The authentic Syrian food is tasty and fresh and the decor adds another angle to Brick lane's eclectic mix of cultures. Kebabs are not my bag no matter how drunk i get i know that they are to be avoided at all costs! But my friends assure me that their kebabs are better than most. I like to stick to the falafel toasted wraps which are gorgeous and i love their Patataharah, which is deep fried potatoes with coriander, garlic & chillies-yum! And this is a mere £3.00-great value! Their Humous Awarma is another recommendation of mine. They do actually have a better selection than most of vegetarian dishes as well. So if you're in the area day or night you should give this place a try.

After one bite of the mixed kebab I was surprised. After two bites I heard a chorus of angels. After three bites I wanted to sandblast the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and replace Adam's hand with an image of this tasty goodness. (As depicted here http://twitpic.com/epdro) After four bites I was ready to create my own religion complete with hymns, a prayer book and the requisite oppression of people who don't look like me. But then something strange happened. The flavour dropped out. It's not that it wasn't good, it's just that the second half of the kebab wasn't anywhere near as tasty as the first half. Perhaps the magic fairy dust they sprinkled didn't make its way down through the lamb and chicken, but it left me with a sad face similar to this one: =(. In all seriousness though I haven't found a better late night kebab option in the East. The spot has a unique menu, a vibrant clientele and the required rundown feel to make me happy. I'll be back.

I don't consider myself a copycat, but in this case I must refer to my flatmate's review because she perfectly captures the excellence of this late-night food joint. Thanks Halle! See below: "THE place to see and be seen for the late night snack. Okay, I'm exaggerating just a bit. This place is a complete dump. But a dump that's packed between the hours of 1-4 AM. And rightfully so: the kebabs are phenomenal. If you find yourself hungry in Shoreditch sometime after the carriage turns into a pumpkin, check it out."

It's a kebab shop, perhaps not as dodgy as most, but at the end of the day (or rather night) it's a kebab shop and that is exactly what you are looking for. Damascu Bite is a place of fond memories for me, of housemate bonding as we shared two kebabs and a bowl of chips on the bench convienetly placed right outside. It's also right on Shoreditch High Street so perfectly placed as you wander to find your bus after a night out in Hoxton/Spitalfields. As to the food, well portions are large, the meat is tenderish without being overly greasy, and the service is fast. It fills you up, sobers you enough to get home, and doesn't make you feel like your very bowels are trying to murder you the next morning. What more do you want?

Good food. Weird service attitude. My boyfriend and I walked in and were a bit confused about whether we had to order at the counter or have a seat. I picked up a menu to have a quick look, while my boyfriend asked for a table for two. Surprisingly our waiter replied in the most annoyed manner as if he had already asked us 1000 times whether we wanted to eat in or out. "That's what I'm asking you. You want to sit heeeeere or take out?" Baffled, I apologised and said I didn't hear him mumbling behind the counter. As we had a seat, my boyfriend asked for recommendations and all we get is "nothing really. Nothing.".... uhm....ok? That's helpful. After my lebanese mousakka arrives I ask whether it contains any meat. He tells me what it consists of (which was fine), but continues to tell me how good my meal is patronisingly. "Moussakka is very good. It's very tasty you know." Like he's trying to defend the course (I wasn't even complaining). Nevertheless, the food was good, but the service was really a downer.

A hungry walk down brick lane and this place looks more than accommodating. We went in and were greeted politely by the staff and chefs in the back, a real family vibe. It was awesome for 10pm on a Monday night! We sat down at the front window and were given the menu to review. What a menu, endless choices and certainly something to satisfy anyone in your party. We couldn't go wrong with some falafel and humous followed by a chicken platter for two. The food is traditional and certainly homemade. The dips were smothered in a beautiful olive oil and accompanied with a sweet and crispy side bread. Amazing. The platter was huge and a struggle for two people. A side salad, cous cous, pickles and bread also came with the chicken, which were cut into huge bites, each one as tender and succulent as the last. Very decent. We were too stuffed to even think about a sweet or desert but they had a good selection of traditional sweets like baklava and fig pudding. As a side note; there's no drinking in the restaurant as the owners are Muslim. A lot of other places allow you to bring your own cans in, but seriously with food this good you won't need a brew. Very solid meal and perfect for a cheap night in the east end!!

THE place to see and be seen for the late night snack. Okay, I'm exaggerating just a bit. This place is a complete dump. But a dump that's packed between the hours of 1-4 AM. And rightfully so: the kebabs are phenomenal. If you find yourself hungry in Shoreditch sometime after the carriage turns into a pumpkin, check it out.

Fantastic food and a friendly atmosphere. My brother and SiL tool is here and everything was delicious. The owner is a gem!

It took more than a year in London before I succumbed to the inevitable: the 3 a.m. kebab. I know, right? How does one register so many late nights in the city proper without ever - not once! - stuffing one's face with questionable meat of vague Middle Eastern origins wrapped in flat bread? The answer, simply, is that I have no idea. Perhaps it's because, as another yelper so eloquently stated, the best these shops have to offer by way of a siren song is a "shiny, spinning turd in the window." Thankfully my introduction to the infamous post-pub kebab happened while standing on the sidewalk outside Damascu Bite. I wasn't even hungry but managed to eat the whole thing. Well, not the whole thing - the cab driver we were lucky enough to snag forced me to toss the last two bites before getting in his chariot. For that I will never forgive him - or myself for actually doing it. I was fully prepared to politely agree with my friend who guided me here after a night at George and Dragon that it was indeed a tasty night cap. Agreeing while secretly wishing I could get my hands on a burrito or some deep fried taquitos. But here's the twist ending: it was a damn fine kebab. Damn fine.

While the decor is charming and nice enough, the food just doesn't cut it. It's average at best and much of it seems to have been sitting on the counter too long. I've definitely had better than this.

London isn't really a city where you will get many things to eat late at night. So if you are having a really late night at office or if you are hungry after drinking all night, then you usually don't have many places to go ... unless you are near Shoreditch/Spitalfields when there is Damascu Bite for you. Located close to the intersection of Shoreditch High street and Great Eastern street, its a small but very populat kebab shop. It serves the usual fare of doner, sheesh kebabs and the like ... and they make them very well. In my experience the meat has always been of good quality, the chips were never dry ... so all in all a decent place to eat, especially when you are sloshed and don't really care much about what you are eating :) Since i work close to Damascu bite, i have gone there for lunch on a couple of occasions. The shop is really cramped ... can probably seat only 2 persons at a time. This may not be much of an issue at 4 AM, but it matters a bit at lunchtime, especially during this long winter. I also get a feeling that they are severely understaffed. Even during its peak business time, it has only 2 people. They messed up my doner once and filled it with beetroot salad that somebody else asked for. I will never forgive them for that. But its a very useful place to have around when you are hungry.

I was in London visiting friends this weekend, we were shopping around Brick Lane and were extremely hungry so decided to get a Shawarma wrap from Damascu Bite. I am a huge fan if Turkish and Mediterranian food and was really looking forward to my Lamb Shawarma (I was starving too). The place looked good from outside which is why we decided to give it a try and to be honest we were impressed by the decor inside as well. A girl comes and takes our order which was fairly simple, one mint tea, a Lamb Shawarma and a bottle of coke (My friend did not eat). After 15 minutes she comes back and asks what my drinks order was (seriously??) even though there were only 2 tables which were occupied, surely not the busiest time at the restaurant. The Shawarma which is extremely simple to make appears after 25 minutes (can not take more than 5 minutes). I had ordered for lamb and she gave me a chicken wrap, I addressed the issue, she apologized in a very stoned fashion (she definitely seemed like she was definitely in some other world) and took my plate away to change it. The replaced Shawarma appeared after 10 more minutes (by that time I almost lost my hunger). The food did not taste good and the lamb was smelly so I struggled to have even one bite and had to leave the rest! I was so annoyed by the whole experience that I did not even have the energy or inclination to make yet another complain! Verdict: Terrible Service and Bad Food with a good decor. Never going back again!

In search of shisha we came upon this place with its doors wide open as you can't smoke shisha inside understandably. We ordered the spread mezze, halloumi, and fatoush between 3 of us and were thoroughly satisfied. We ordered fresh juices because they were out of the lemon mint juice and they were really good. They do not serve alcohol here which was a nice change. I would totally go back here in a pinch.

Disappointing. Not sure where all the love for this place is coming from. I have walked past here on a number of occasions and have been wanting to try out the food for a while. The interior has the classic doner counter one side, with tables and benches for sitting around the facing wall. The walls are lined with tiles and while it's a bit run down the style is charming enough. This certainly would be a good place to sit and people watch the passers by on Brick Lane. The staff are friendly and helpful. However, disappointingly, the vegetarian/vegan food we ordered was not good. The dish with potatoes (something I have not had before - and can't remember the name) was too greasy and tasted like it had been sitting too long. In fact all four dishes we had tasted a bit old - hummus, babaganoush, falafel and that greasy potato dish - which is odd given how busy this place is apparently. These four dishes, plus two mint teas, came to £18: too much given the overall quality. If the price had been somewhat lower I might have given this three stars, but given the cost, I can only give this two. Perhaps this place would rate higher if it's early morning, you are drunk, and you need a fast food fix, otherwise I would avoid.

The food was enjoyable and the location and ambiance is a total hit. I had a mezze platter that was massive better for sharing. My friend had a sausage dish which looked and tasted delicious. The woman forgot my side order of lamb shawarma but they were busy and she brought it by shortly after. It was freshly made and steaming hot. Best lamb shawarma I've ever eaten..well first lamb shawarma I've ever eaten. Enjoyable meal all around and nice employees.

Damascu Bite won the battle of the lamb shawarma. My temporary flatmates have an ongoing battle of which is the best. Damascu namely won on their lamb's flavor and the sauce. Try this late night snack, open until 2am. Now, the question is, how do their other options stack up? Haloumi challenge, anyone?

Incredible food, stayed open late just for us. Very nice and attentive service in a beautiful setting. Highly recommend!

Although the place doesn't look like anything exciting from the outside and is tucked away among all the hipster shops and cafe's on Brick Lane, it is the closest I have found to a proper traditional sharwarma wrap in London. The late night opening and takeaway option means that this is likely to become a regular stopping point for me!

Relatively cheap Syrian food (me and my girlfriend spent £15 between us for three or four dishes) that is especially tasty. The hospitable Cockney-Syrian host was helpful and polite. We had two really good chicken shwarmas, the fried potatoes in coriander and garlic, and humous and pitta bread. A nice, clean place, warm service and even our fellow diners were being friendly - though maybe because it was a sunny day: it's amazing what a bit of light and warmth will do to the disposition of the average Brit. I'm definitely coming back here when I'm peckish around Brick Lane and don't feel like getting hounded by the restaurant vultures. In contrast, Damascubite appeared like an oasis (sorry) of calm and relaxation.

The yummiest shawama in the area! The wraps are massive and great value. The atmosphere can be a little oppressive though...but they do takeaway!

Unprepossessing-looking from the outside, Damascu Bite near the top of Brick Lane is a fine place to get your Syria on, should you feel the need. The grilled Haloumi is a favourite, as well as the lentil soup, and I just love the Cardamom tea.

Great little spot for Middle Eastern snackfare. Not a place I'd want to go have a meal, but for some kebabs or hummus and tea, it's not bad.

Fantastic .always I went there and I found fresh food ,hospitality,amazing place .ihope every body to visit and enjoy there like me

A favourite pre-shuffle snack joint for my sister and I before heading to The Big Chill on a Sunday evening; warm pitta bread with red cabbage and tomato salad, pitted black olives, grilled halloumi cheese and a side of tzadziki goes down a treat with some lemon tea. Comfortable padded benches to sit on, Morroccan wall hangings and speedy service override the impact of any strangness taking place in the vicinity (because there's usually SOMEthing odd going down...)

was the best place in london where you can eat and very good price also, after new management I eat just once and I change place where eat