Lulu
Middle Eastern restaurant · Albany
1106 Solano Ave, Albany, CA 94706
Highlights
Mezze brunch, knafeh pancakes, and cardamom mochas.
Mezze brunch, knafeh pancakes, and cardamom mochas.
"This excellent Palestinian brunch and lunch spot just moved to a bigger, brighter space in Albany—and at the festival, you can swing by for loaded toum garlic fries and falafel rice bowls. They're also serving chicken kebabs, which are a great handheld snack as you speed walk to your next set." - julia chen 1
"Chef Mona Leena moved her crowd-favorite daytime restaurant to a bigger Albany space over a year ago, she instantly created a beautiful neighborhood classic. The new Lulu is bright and colorful with floral wallpaper, fig murals, and a very photogenic lounge area where hungry guests wait for their table to open up. The menu is invigorating and full of joy, Leena’s famous mezze sampler, salads, and heartier mains all starring. Since relocating, the restaurant is also open for dinner." - Flora Tsapovsky
"Lulu has found a new, bigger home on Albany’s Solano Avenue in a space that looks like a cute tea lounge with poppy and fig wallpapers and calming green tones. The Cal-Palestinian brunch spot’s signature feast ($35 per person) is a cure-all for morning meal decision fatigue: an assortment of hummus, muhammara, and labneh are piled next to roasted halloumi and crudité on a small turntable. The dish is so good, and a step above your standard eggs benedict and avocado toast brunch. Adding to this no-brainer meal are impressive, sweet-centric coffee drinks made with things like pistachio cold foam, and colorful plates like the rich knafeh pancake and baklava french toast topped with honey and cream. They’re all conversation starters, and why we’re excited to return for dinner. " - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez
"Chef Mona Leena Michael’s Albany jewel Lulu serves a thoughtful grown-up menu of toum Caesar salad, hearty mansaf pot pies, and knafeh pancakes, balancing both classic Californian and Palestinian culinary influences. Honestly, little ones might be drawn more to the baklava French toast or chicken kebab than the kid’s menu to begin with — otherwise, there are both crispy tenders and a petite mezze of scrambled eggs, pancakes, crudité, and pita to keep them fed. A plan to have a children’s area with a babysitter on staff is in the works — so busy parents can eat — so stay tuned." - Justine Jones
"Lulu fans may have gone into knafeh pancake withdrawal when chef Mona Leena Michael temporarily closed her restaurant to move into this new space in late 2023. But the restaurant is back as of May 4 — and it’s bigger and better than ever. The staples are all there, including the showstopper mezze platter, and now diners can get a taste of Michael’s wider repertoire with the addition of larger entree items like the Mansaf Pot Pie, a braised lamb dish topped with roti dough, or the Shishbarak Soup Dumplings." - Dianne de Guzman
