It’s been a while since I last ventured to Bath. It’s a trip the four-year-old’s wanted to do for a while, though: a train journey from Temple Meads (he’s not spent much time on trains, either) and a wander round to see the sights.
This weekend we finally managed it. He’s too young to need a train ticket but the kind lady at Temple Meads stamped a blank one just for him, and we set off, arriving just in time for lunch.
It meant we needed to find somewhere fairly near to Bath Spa station to eat, and I knew he’d love both the choice of food and the decor at Comptoir Libanais in SouthGate. As we were pretty early (well, around 12pm), there were plenty of tables available so it seemed like a sensible choice.
It’s fair to say that he was pretty wowed by the decor, with plenty to look at whichever way he turned. Walls adorned with bowls made with all different materials, displays of flowers and lemons hanging from the ceiling, various ornate lampshades, stained glass windows…if you had any doubt that Comptoir Libanais was a Lebanese restaurant when you walked in, it wouldn’t take you long to figure it out once inside.
Founder Tony Kitous’ aim is to ensure that his guests “fall in love with the Middle East and its bold flavours and generous hospitality”. The Bath restaurant is one of 19 in the UK – and there are also Comptoir Libanais restaurants in Dubai and Utrecht. Pretty impressive stuff…but how was the food?
Those who follow Bristol Bites will know that I love a venue with kids’ meals that are more exciting than a choice of chicken nuggets, a burger or fish fingers – and the four-year-old was impressed with his options at Comptoir Libanais. For £6.50, children up to 12 years old can choose from a chicken taouk, lamb kofta or falafel dish, served as a wrap or a plate, with fries and hommos on the side. They also get to choose a drink (mineral water or one of four different varieties of homemade lemonade), plus a choice of vanilla or dairy-free vanilla ice cream with sprinkles.
His “Toufaha” lemonade – apple, mint and ginger – was a hit, with him describing it as “zingy”!
For his main he chose the falafel plate: four crispy kid-sized falafels with chips (not too salty, which makes a change for a kids’ menu), and the smoothest, silkiest, tahini-laden hommos we’ve had in a while. The only thing he wasn’t a fan of was the brightly coloured beetroot-pickled turnip slices – with such a strong and distinctive flavour I’ll let him off 😉
Across the table, the lamb kofta tagine (£14.50) came with a choice of couscous, vermicelli rice or quinoa. Served in two separate bowls, it was beautifully presented: the tender minced lamb meatballs served in a flavour-packed, rich and hearty spiced tomato sauce with chickpeas and sliced courgette. The mound of couscous in the other bowl was certainly generous: light and fluffy and easy to separate, and the creamy mint yoghurt sauce cut through the richness of the tagine nicely.
Me? I’m a sucker for mezze (something to do with my part-Turkish cypriot heritage, perhaps…? I don’t know!). At £11.50, the mezze platter for one was an absolute bargain. The warm, pillowy flatbread was sizeable, and it needed to be – just look at how generous Comptoir Libanais are with their dips! I couldn’t choose a favourite of the three. I loved how rich, smooth and tahini-spiked the hommos was. The labne was thick, creamy and topped with slivers of salty olive. The baba ghanuj? Incredible: seriously smokey and with an appealing texture.
But that wasn’t all. In a contrast to the creamy dips, I loved the vinegariness of the pickled turnip, gherkin and green chillies. The fresh and vibrant flavours of the tabbouleh, courtesy of its parsley and mint, were delicious. The cheese and mint filling of the samboussek pastry was tasty enough, but the pastry was more claggy than crispy, which wasn’t expected. I could see why the child enjoyed the falafel, though: its crispy golden exterior opening to reveal a soft, herby middle.
If you’ve got a small child with you who loves a bit of theatre, then order the baklawa and mint tea (£4.75) to end your Comptoir Libanais meal. In various Arabic countries tea is poured from a significant height – both to aerate the tea and to show respect to your guests – and it happens here at Comptoir Libanais too.
The tea itself was presented in an ornate silver teapot, the combination of fresh mint leaves and sweet honey a moreish one. The baklawa, selected from domed dishes on a table near the counter, tasted perfectly fresh and was just as it should be: sticky and syrupy with a good crisp pastry.
It’s fair to say we were pretty impressed with our meal at Comptoir Libanais in Bath. I’m just annoyed that it’s taken us so long to visit…
[…] – and the pickled turnip slices, which I’d only recently tried for the first time at Comptoir Libanais in Bath, were deliciously […]