L’Orient

This is next level falafel. Booking ahead is a must at L’Orient, an excellent Lebanese restaurant on Hamburg’s northern Osterstraße thoroughfare. It’s an ordinary street largely made up of banks, hairdressers, tanning salons and copy shops, but the food inside is quite something. Things kick off with the spectacular Mazza, delivering phenomenal flavors in individually-dished delights; for many, a bountiful meal in itself. Mains include meat, fish and vegetarian options, each beautifully aromatic, from duck breast on fig carpaccio with walnut-anise sauce to the spicy eggplant casserole with dates, almonds, raisins and pomegranate. Even when super busy, service is warm, gracious and very accommodating of any dietary needs.