Impala London

A new London opening, Impala by chef Meedu Saad is the type of restaurant that Dubai both lacks and needs. By type, I mean a homegrown licensed establishment serving a modern interpretation of cuisine from the wide Arab world. Something I have preached for a while, ever since Q’bara sadly shut shop a decade ago. A game-changing restaurant that was ahead of its time and hindered by an inconvenient location.

Why?

Let’s take an example. When travelling to Japan, for instance, we prioritise Japanese fare at casual izakayas and ramen bars right through to upscale sushi omakase restaurants, like residents do. To ensure that both Dubai visitors and us dwellers seek out culinary traditions and innovations from the UAE* and wider Middle East, we need a diverse collection of restaurants championing regional cuisine at all levels, in particular licensed - the gap in the market. Shawarma joints, as good as these may be, will not suffice alone.

To clarify, I certainly don’t want Impala imported to Dubai, however budding restaurateurs here would do well to take inspiration from the overall concept and its immediate success.

Whilst researching restaurants for my recent London trip, Impala topped my list, and when reservations went live four weeks in advance, I managed to secure a table for two at this busy, hyped Soho establishment.

All explained in my longform review. Plus several more recommendations from a summer visit to the capital, along with my personal Google maps link of 80+ restaurants. Link in bio. Or comment and I will DM you the link.

* Note: this post addresses broader Middle Eastern cuisine which includes Emirati fare, but for my musings specifically on the latter, I have linked into another review.

So do you think Dubai’s restaurant scene would benefit from this kind of novel concept? Or are we missing something else? Pray tell 🙏🏼

#UAERestaurantsUnite #foodiva London Restaurants Dubai Restaurants @impala.soho @meedu_saad @super8restaurants Less

No restaurant could live up to the crazy level of hype that @impala.soho has received but the food was very good and would definitely return. The menu is quite big and would be interesting to see if they could reach greater heights if it was stripped down with more focus on fewer dishes. Roast duck with fig sauce / ftira - must order delicious fried bread with a hen’s egg / sheftalia - pork wrapped in caul fat / beef tartare / white crab wrapped in a Shiso leaf / orzo with spiced oxtail / beef with molokhia / aish baladi (whole grain and bran) / honey and olive oil bread (a bit like a sweet challah) / sweetbreads / hot squid salad / pilaf with herbs and barberries / date and pistachio tart #foodinlondon #impala #impalalondon #impalasoho #sheftalia Less