The story
Akub is a Middle Eastern restaurant at 27 Uxbridge Street in Notting Hill, London, where chef Fadi Kattan cooks contemporary Palestinian food for sharing. The Good Food Guide lists it as Good for 2026, and the tables fill fast, so expect to book weeks ahead for dinner.
Fadi Kattan was born in Bethlehem and cooks Palestinian dishes with a modern approach. The menu is split into ard (land, vegetarian), bahar (sea) and lameh (meat), and draws on the Galilee, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. His grandmother Emilie's recipes and spice notes encouraged him to pair flavours boldly.
Reviewers advise coming in a group to order as many sharing plates as possible. A freekeh risotto arrives with charred green wheat, saffron, dried laban jameed and pine nuts. Rye Bay skate kofta comes with loumi, grape leaves, coriander and tahini. Mansaf is served as three fried filo parcels filled with pulled lamb shoulder, rice and garlic, set on a yellow laban jameed sauce. Dessert is a dark Dead Sea chocolate cake with caramel and tahini ice cream.
The restaurant spreads across four floors, with white brick walls, ash-wood tables, beams and an olive tree. Michelin lists it as Recommended for 2026. The drinks list includes Taybeh beer, Arak and natural wines from Palestine and Jordan. Signature cocktails use Palestinian ingredients such as apricot leather and pomegranate molasses, and the Dalia's Delight shakes Arak with mint, lime and gin.
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‘Best to come in a group and order as many of the sharing dishes as possible,' is sound advice for those planning to eat at this hugely popular Palestinian restaurant which opened in 2022 after a crowdfunding campaign; bagging a reservation for dinner can take weeks. Akub (meaning cardoon or edible thistle) spreads over four floors, with white-painted brick walls, foliage dangling from metal keys, tiled flooring, ash-wood tables, beams, bowls piled with fresh lemons and an olive tree creating a relaxed and convivial vibe. Fadi Kattan hails from Bethlehem and offers his own take on contemporary Palestinian cuisine via a menu that is divided into ‘ard’ (land, as in vegetarian), ‘bahar’ (sea) and ‘lameh’ (meat), while showcasing the flavours of Galilee, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Start, perhaps, with a creamy risotto made with freekeh grains, its nutty flavour combined with charred green wheat infused with saffron, and topped off with dried laban jameed (goat's milk yoghurt) and pine nuts. A kofta made with a fleshy Rye Bay skate could follow, teamed with loumi (black lemon), grape leaves, coriander and tahini, while mansaf (a classic Bedouin lamb dish) is served in a trio of deep-fried filo parcels stuffed with succulent pulled shoulder, rice and garlic set atop a bright yellow laban jameed sauce. Other good calls range from the warm, soft zaatar bread topped with sumac, thyme and toasted sesame seeds (plus a drizzle of olive oil) to a rich, dark Dead Sea chocolate cake (its sweetness cleverly offset with sea salt) served with caramel and tahini ice cream. A handy drinks list features cocktails influenced by Levantine ingredients (dates, arak and apricots), beers from the region, and 25 wines (from £28) including a couple from the Taybeh Winery in Palestine.
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