One of our favourite breakfast spreads is the Lebanese one. It is full of small plates of (mainly) vegetarian dishes using fresh and healthy ingredients and you are able to go with friends or family and enjoy a spread together with something being there that will suit everyone’s taste. As a result, one of our favourite breakfast spots in Dubai is Ful wa Hummus and so we always try to visit when we’re there. And so we’re always on the lookout for such a spot in London. Not a Lebanese restaurant that has some of these dishes on their vast menu, but a small cafe like spot that specialises in these items. They open early for breakfast and close early too. A proper breakfast spot is what we were looking for. And lo and behold, Z & Z bakery came up on our radar.
Z & Z Bakery in Shepherd’s Bush
Z & Z, which stands for Zeit & Zaatar is a small bakery / cafe in the heart of Shepherd’s Bush. A proper Lebanese breakfast spot. They open nice and early at 7 am and they have a small and concise menu. What they do, they do it exceptionally well. They do actually specialise in Manakeesh. Manakeesh are flat breads that are topped with a variety of different toppings. More on these below. Most of the menu is that, but they’ve also got a little corner of some other classic items like hummus and ful.
Manakeesh
Manakeesh are flat breads that are topped with a variety of different toppings. It ranges from spice to vegetables to cheese to meats. Here, you can get a platter which will include a variety of types, but we decided to go for the most popular one as well as the one which is most unique and distinctive to the Lebanese cuisine. It is the Zaatar and Cheese one. Zaatar is a unique herb (or a spice mix) that is exclusive to this part of the world. So, we have to get this. The closest herb to it is probably thyme. Mix that with the creamy and slightly salty akkawi cheese and you got yourself a might Arab pizza! Unfortunately, they got our order wrong and they just gave us the zaatar one, but nonetheless it was still delicious.
Ful and Hummus
These are classic Arab breakfast dishes. Fresh bread dipped into these is a proper dream and a great start to the day. The hummus here was super delicious. It had the creamy soft texture and taste was top tier. The ful was okay, but we’ve had better. It just lacked the wow factor or punch in the flavour. It bordered on being a bit bland. Maybe a little more garlic, lemon or olive flavours were needed. Falafel is another classic breakfast item, but the ones served here are not fresh. So, we didn’t try it. We also had mint tea to finish off this legendary breakfast.
Overall, a great breakfast spot in the area and one I’d definitely return to.
Getting there:
Parking: Bloemfontein Road – free parking evenings and weekends.
Nearest Mosque: Masjid Daar us Sunnah
Nearest station: Shepherd’s Bush
