Habiba's Smokehouse

Kosher Dining Experience Par Excellence!

Wading through the smog and sizzle of London's bustling restaurant scene, one might stumble upon Habiba's Smokehouse, a restaurant loved enough to inspire zealous loyalty, yet scorned enough to leave culinary disaster in its wake. My recent dinner visit was akin to hopping on a gastronomic roller-coaster: thrilling highs characterized by melt-in-the-mouth ribs and colossal burger patties, juxtaposed with hair-raising lows courtesy of inordinate wait periods and the mystery of missing appetizers vanishing like socks in a dryer. You’d feel triumphant sinking your teeth into their glorious smoked chicken, perfectly straddling that razor-thin line between smoky intensity and juiciness—yet could equally find yourself bewildered by a server whose intimate knowledge of the menu rivals my relationship with fifth-grade calculus.

Still, amidst the occasional chaos akin to an underrehearsed play, there lay moments of sheer delight that make elusive discoveries worth searching for. Missed meals aside, Habiba's kitchen brings a level of decadence to kosher dining that London has not yet realized it was yearning for till now—rich, carnivorous indulgences, albeit at prices that may have you contemplating selling a kidney. Service may sometimes startle with its efficiency or audacity to halt present moments with laissez-faire charm, but then, so does London itself. Either laugh off the vice-grip handshake of salty steaks or marvel as the chef fearlessly dishes out victories from a grill-side theatre for all to witness. Returning might rest perilously close to Stockholm Syndrome, but find those golden times, and you won't need convincing. — Penelope Savory