Maison du Mezze to open second central London site

The deal follows the £49m sale of the six-storey property from Thor Equities Europe to Hong Kong investor and self-proclaimed “King of Retail” Lai Wing-to.

At present, the first to fifth floors of the property are being let to The Office Group (TOG), and the ground floor houses Hummingbird Bakery and L’ETO Café.

Maison du Mezze will take a 4,800 sq ft site on the ground level of the block, alongside the other retail offerings.

The restaurant, which is owned by AMA Hospitality, opened its first central London site in 2017, in the site formerly occupied by the Haagen Dazs café.

It followed the launch with the opening of a second site in the Bentall Centre in Kingston in January, where it sits alongside the likes of Yo!Sushi and Tortilla.

The restaurant serves classic Middle Eastern mezze, including dishes such as hummus; moutabal; shawarma; slow-cooked beans with tomato and garlic; chili prawns; kibbeh; mixed grills; steak; and a variety of curries.

Maison du Mezze's décor is inspired by traditional Middle Eastern design, featuring wall paintings; mosaic tiles; stone walls; low-level lighting; and decorative plants.

The group's expansion follows a spate of Middle Eastern launches in London, including Middle Eastern based restaurant group Caramel; Paramount Lebanese Kitchen, which made its UK debut with three simultaneous openings; The Lebanese Bakery; and Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant Sarona; and Maison Bab.