Lebanese Excellent traditional dishes more than make up for inauspicious beginning

THIS is the first time I’ve ever had to move seats in a restaurant because of the icy blast of cold air coming through a cracked plate glass window.

Not the first time, though, by far I’ve ever had to get up and down to find someone to serve me. But probably once again the first time I’ve had to ask if what look like staff bags and coats can be moved – so I can use the table they’re piled on. And this in a restaurant where every other table bar one seems to be occupied by people involved with the place.

Hmmm, not the most auspicious of starts, then, and I don’t think the Lotus here is likely to win any awards either for its interesting decor. But, having been brought up pretty much in a back shop myself, I don’t have any problem with the lived-in family feel. I’m looking through the menu – shiny foldable printed takeaway style – when a woman sitting by the door responds to the question about whether she enjoyed her food by virtually shouting: “I love the food in here”.

Awkward moment aside, that’s not the reason I order in the time-honoured tradition of saying: “I’ll have one of whatever she is having”. I do it simply because the tiny Lebanese and clearly handmade pastries on her plate look interesting. They turn out to be – I think – sambousek b’sabanekh. Or maybe fatayer b’sabanekh. Either way they are super-fresh, perfectly light and crack open to reveal a steaming and tangy filling of spinach, onion, pomegranate and pine nut.

Think pizza shape now for the manakeish lamb, though the dough is light and very fine and the sprinkled minced meat on top is surely dressed with Lebanese seven spice, adding delicious tones of cinnamon and nutmeg. And think puffball for the just-out-the-oven naan breads in the basket beside me, and very good dolmades for the powerfully flavoured warak inab. I’m planning to try just one but end up eating all of them. Oops.

There are more handmade-freshly sambousek, little twirls of folded pastry at their edges, this time with halloumi and parsley and, of course, in one of those eyebrow-raising moments for the waiter

I ordered a mixed grill. Well, I wasn’t expecting six warak inab for £3.50, four fatayer for each £3.50 portion or that the £3.50 manakeish to be so large. And I missed out on whole sections of the menu too when I ordered.

The hot mezze, for example, with batata harra, falafel and kibbeh. The shawarmas; the salads which included – though I didn’t spot it until too late – fattoush. One of my favourites. That mixed grill, anyway, comes with some of those salty, sweet Lebanese pickles, olives and salad. Chips, too, though I don’t touch these. Got to watch that figure. I just pick my way comprehensively through chunks of marinated spice-encrusted chicken, crispy spiced lamb and pick away at a powerfully lamby shish kebab. I’m only on a level one mixed grill, too, at £9.50. Above that are the Lotus mixed grill with shawarmas and skewered tomatoes and then the Lotus special mixed grill with even more spectacular additions.

Now, I’m eating alone tonight and wearing a suit and tie, too, on a grim, dark October night at a far-flung end of Dumbarton Road. I’ve positioned myself by the counter simply to be as close to the heat of the charcoal grill. On reflection

PHOTO BY JAMIE SIMPSON Lotus Lebanese Restaurant on Dumbarton Road serves excellent traditional dishes at a low price