If you told me that the best restaurant I had been to in absolutely ages – better, indeed, than some of the Michelin-starred spots I’ve frequented so far in 2026 – was an unprepossessing former nail bar on Shoreditch High Street, in that dead zone between the City and Shoreditch itself, I would have been incredulous. However, now that I have had the unparalleled pleasure of lunch at the Lebanese spot Sohaila, which more or less single-handedly redefines what one can expect from this kind of restaurant, I come, fellow Arbuturian readers, to recommend this splendid spot without reservation. Head there immediately, and you won’t be disappointed.
Run by Natalie Moukarzel – who named the restaurant after her grandmother – this is an unapologetic exercise in stretching beyond the usual Middle Eastern cliches of hummus and falafel. Which is not to say that there isn’t very good hummus on the menu – there is, and it’s as good as I’ve had in this country – but the whole point of the experience here is to try a smorgasbord of flavours, served with charm and flair. You will have a truly marvellous time here, especially if you put yourself in the hands of the impeccable sommelier Alex, an ex-Moro veteran who proudly tells us that his list is half-Lebanese and half-Greek; you will try some of the most delicious and unusual wine available anywhere in the capital here.
You begin with a finely crafted cocktail – the ras el hanout and orange negroni, for instance – and a selection of dips, which might include labneh and chilli butter that’s so thick and unctuous that it tastes almost like the kind of clotted cream that might accompany a sticky toffee pudding, to say nothing of a gently spiced hummus. 
Then it’s time to enjoy a tour of the menu that can broadly be divided into vegetables, fish and meat. In the first category is an impeccable beetroot, blood orange and pistachio salad, or a grilled halloumi with black Iberiko tomatoes.
If you’re after the pescetarian options, it’s hard to imagine eating anything better than the Cornish mussels with za’atar or the trout kibbeh nayeh, which needs to be spooned onto crackers and devoured greedily. And, finally, the lamb heart skewers are not just offally good (sorry for the dire pun) but the ox cheek fatteh is the stuff of legend. If your inclinations are closer to the more conventional, then the shish touk is a chicken kebab of your dreams. All of this, incidentally, is priced both kindly and keenly. The halloumi, for instance, is £11, the mussels £16. You could come here, eat like a king, and leave having spent £50 a head. This is astonishingly good value for central London.
This, however, assumes that you’ll be eschewing the wine. And in truth, rather than go in mob-handed for bottles, your best bet is to try a selection by the glass. These could include everything from the Greek Stalisma, a very fine, quaffable table wine, to the sublime Lebanese Elevate, which has the minerally complexity of a very fine Sancerre.
But then there’s also the Kidonitsa from the Peloponnese – £15 a glass and worth every penny – or the quite wonderful Sophia from Crete, from the Efrosini winery. And if you’re after a red, then there’s either the Hochar from the legendary Chateau Musar vineyard, or the Aggelis from Crete. This is a place to sip, not slurp, and you will be grateful that you did.
Puddings are wonderful, especially the chocolate ganache which comes paired with a very fine Amontillado sherry, but before we leave, Alex has a final suggestion. “Try the Arak”, he says with a twinkle in his eye. And thus this triple-distilled Lebanese spirit – 53% proof – is sampled over ice, turning appropriately milky, before we stagger out into a rainy afternoon. This is the stuff of legend, on all counts. You are guaranteed a simply wonderful time at Sohaila, whatever you order.
Sohaila, 232 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6PJ. For more information, including details of their shop and suppliers, and for bookings, please visit www.sohailarestaurant.com.
