MODERN MIDDLE EASTERN FARE AT ARABICA KX

15 APRIL 2023
To our delight, if London is not short of something, it probably would be great Middle Eastern restaurants. Levantine cuisine is very well represented in the capital, with a plethora of options, from falafel and kebab stalls to smart Turkish, Lebanese, or even Syrian restaurants.

Nonetheless, when we stumbled on the Arabica restaurant in Kings Cross for a spontaneous dinner we were delighted with our new find! As it turns out though, it has been a part of London for quite some time now…  

Arabica, started its life as a Borough Market food and spice stall some 18 years ago by James Walters who developed a love and fascination for Levantine cuisine. He grew the business with spice and spreads offerings and launched the first Arabica restaurant 9 years ago, in Borough Market, where he was head chef. The Arabica KX restaurant is the second restaurant, which opened 4 years ago as part of the revamped Coal Drops Yard. The offering is a more upmarket and grown-up offering from the first one and a delightful one at that.

Arabica Restaurant in Kings Cross.
The interior is refined and moody, with low wooden banquettes and rich green upholstery complete with an open-plan kitchen and bar with counter seating. The menu is restrained, with dishes all meant to be shared and enjoyed together. We tried a number of the mezes, followed by the shish kebab cooked on the grill, and even found a little space for dessert too. The mezzes arrived in restrained portions but offering plenty of punch in the flavour department. The chicken shish arrived chargrilled and inviting blanketed in a thin layer of gloriously green pistachio butter. It both looked and tasted fabulous. Frankly we wanted to try more of them! To top it off, the service was friendly and efficient - what more would you want?

A delightful addition is that you can drag out the experience by bagging their Middle Eastern cooking ingredients and spices for your kitchen. We personally tried and loved their tahini for its quality and taste. From dukkah and za’atar to preserved lemons, tahini or pomegranate molasses you can certainly impart the flavours of Arabica into your everyday cooking.  
Arabica sharing plates in Kings Cross.
A delightful addition is that you can drag out the experience by bagging their Middle Eastern cooking ingredients and spices for your kitchen. We personally tried and loved their tahini for its quality and taste. From dukkah and za’atar to preserved lemons, tahini or pomegranate molasses you can certainly impart the flavours of Arabica into your everyday cooking.  

How About You?

What have been your discoveries and these last few weeks? Let us know as we always enjoy hearing what you stumbled upon as we get to discover lots of new things!

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