I LOVE this place. Gruff service from a man of few words, who has occasionally been known to smile, in a small hole in the wall take-away, on the corner of a busy street.
He has been making me shwarma and felafel since I was a teenager after school (I am in my 50's). Nothing has changed - even the decor. Thank god, because I wouldn't want anything to change about my shwarma.It may look shabby but it is a clean kitchen and the food has always tasted fresh. The meat isn't fatty, the felafel are crisp but soft and moist on the inside, and the tabouli is lemony. The portions are plentiful.Take home some punnets of the cauliflower or beans, and a bag of fresh bread too for dinner - they are ALL delicious.
The women on the register are always lovely too.
The Vegetarian Plate (4/5): This plate had a generous serving of creamy hummus and baba ganoush that balanced out the saltiness of the pickled radish and tabbouleh. The potato and green beans were the mixed veggies on the side which I could give or take...it wasn't the memorable part of the dish but all the other elements made it forgiving. The falafel was nice and crispy just the way it should be! At first I wished there was more but I was struggling to finish my plate towards the end of it.
We ordered the hot chips as our side dish and it wasn't great. Chips were kind of soggy and wasn't really seasoned.
The Baklava (4/5): The Baklava here is soooo good. Enough said.
I didn't go to the proper restaurant (although I'm sure I've been there in years past as it's been a longstanding part of Sydney's Lebanese restaurant zone, inheriting the old "Beirut by Night" building that I always loved the sound of) but I just got a kebab that was huge and only $9.50. Decent ingredients including many sauces, tabouleh, pickles and so on. Gruff but efficient service. After paying $14 for a much smaller kebab in Melbourne the other day, I would definitely have to recommend Abdul for a big feed, plus there were many other vege and pastry things in the window for takeaway.
Heard about this place through my parents whom use to eat here 30 years ago so decided to see what it was like for myself. Food was very nice, had the mixed mazza banquet as pictured. Decor is relatively outdated and place can get very noisy at times. Not an ideal place for a first date but good for groups.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
I have said this before and I will reiterate it : If you are a foodie, eat in big groups. You get to eat more. While there was no change in philosophy this time , there was an additional value add. We were able to enjoy our meal in a 'Diwan' - a moderately sized room with Lebanese decor that gives you the right kind of feel way before you eat the food. It just enhances your experience further.
Alright, enough with the ambience. Let's get to the food. Being a big group, we ordered a lot. With the menu being limited, the dishes that we ordered included the Garlic Chicken Skewers, Kafta Skewers, Mixed Plate (every single kebab on the menu), Falafel plate and Homous (restaurant spelling) dips.
The Garlic Chicken Skewers were lightly spiced, and while the meat was well cooked, there could have been more flavour. The Kafta Skewers, made of minced meat, were quite succulent and would be recommended along with the garlic dip. The standout performer among all the kebabs was the Shish Kebab, without a doubt. Tender, juicy lamb cooked to perfection with the right combination of spices made the meal fulfilling. The Falafel plate was your standard falafel plate which you get in every other Lebanese restaurant these days - not brilliant, but not too bad either. The potato curry, however, was quite flavorful. When the kebabs are up to the mark, the Homous usually is too, and it was here as well.
While the service was courteous, the Diwan's ill thought of location meant that I had to make a phone call every time I had to place an order. However, the place is worthy of a visit, and kebab lovers should definitely give it a try,
Overall, the ratings would be -
Food - 7/10
Ambience - 8/10
Service - 6/10
Value for money - 8/10
P.S. DO NOT FORGET TO ORDER THE LIME JUICE. EXTREMELY REFRESHING!
First time having Lebanese mixed plate. I shared with a friend and we couldn't finish the whole plate. Portion was generous. Their lemon juice is so nice and fresh.
Abdul’s is a family-run, no-nonsense takeaway joint/Lebanese Restaurant that sells authentic Lebanese dishes like mixed plates, fingerfoods and shawarma. I decided to stop by while searching for something new to eat in Surry Hills. I didn’t expect much from the somewhat aged interior but boy, was I surprised.
Jahan 'Aladdin' Kalantar
+4
This place has been a local favourite and my Lebanese of choice for the past few years. Despite its horribly dated decor and the indifference of one of the staff members (we all know who I'm talking about), Abdul's continues to be a reliable favourite with beautiful Lebanese food which excited the palate and satisfies the cravings. The Large Mixed Grill can comfortably feed two people and the homemade hommus and tomm sauce are exactly what the doctor ordered on a cold winters night.
It's worth a try if your craving a Lebanese fix in Sydneys inner West
We had trouble deciding what Middle Eastern restaurant to visit when we were around the neighbourhood as there were at least 7 near each other! Based on reviews, we decided to choose Abdul's Lebanese and it certainly did not disappoint! We ordered the mixed BBQ shish kebab combo and the extra chicken combo. From memory, I think each dish was around $20? Totally inexpensive, especially for the food portion you receive!
My dish was amazing, we had falafel, dolma, lamb and chicken kebab, generous amounts of hummus and tabouleh- lots of it lol. Every aspect tasted very delicious and super authentic! Definitely try it out if you're in the area :)
Amys_food_adventures
+3.5
Great quick dinner if you are in the area. As we arrived we could hear belly dancing in their functions room.
Love the lemon drink they make goes well with the food and to help cool you down in humid weather.
Got the banquet with dessert which comes to $30 per person. You get flat bread with 2 dips, bowl of beans, tabuleh, falafel and a plate of bbq meats. Food was tasty and came out quick.
Overall, i thought it was an ok first visit. Because we didnt get to sit and eat the sweets we got a mixed pack container to take awa
The best Lebanese place we have been👍
Totally loved it nothing could be better❤️
Fresh yummy foods,big portions with reasonable prices,nice & clean sittings~
Nothing fancy just pure food with lots of family love 💕 feeling like home here!
Thanks for all and sure we will come back again soon😇
All the BYO vibes. And they don’t charge corkage!!
Don’t go expecting a nice setting, in fact, the fact that it feels outdated as hell is part of the charm. The waitresses were lovely and attentive. The food was very tasty and cheap. Lots of veggie options. The fried eggplant was the highlight for me. Would def return!
The service was great. I went there to break my fast and they were helpful. They offered us soup asap. It went down good.
The mixed lamb grill was not as expected but I did not mind the vegetables at all. I needed some as I had too much of meat lately.
The shish kebabs needed less grilling. It was bit over cooked. Their bean rice was unusual as well.
It was a journey to Middle East. Thank you for your hospitality.
Named after his eldest son Abdul by Dib Ghazal in 1968, this famous establishment is located on the corner of Cleveland and Elizabeth Street
It is a no-frills landmark Lebanese restaurant in the heart of Surry Hills.
I may be able to load a video of the happy grandson still serving it up after 40 years with a huge smile and a love of preparing genuine delicious Lebanese cuisine for hundreds of thousands of hungry Sydneysiders.
totally yumm. Reasonably priced as well.
The peak of Lebanese food is at this place and reaches its top place at Abdul’s restaurant! The best in Sydney and it can’t get better than this. This 64 years old place is still serving the best Lebanese food. The amazing falafels, hummus, tahini etc can’t get better than this. I’ve been here dozens of times. This place will always be beyond words when it comes to praising the quality and authenticity of their food.
Been coming here for years, never disappointed. Jimmy is a legend and makes the best rolls in the area. Everything is always consistent and very reasonably priced. The bbq mix plate is my take away go to with an extra packet of bread. The mince meat lady fingers and the baklava is always good.
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