Lebanese Emperor: A taste of the Middle East but room for improvement

The emergence last year of the excellent Efes and Turkish Kitchen restaurants, showed the appetite for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired food in the city.
Brad Barnes has lunch at The Lebanese Emperor in Peterborough.Brad Barnes has lunch at The Lebanese Emperor in Peterborough.
Brad Barnes has lunch at The Lebanese Emperor in Peterborough.

Also joining the fray last summer was the Lebanese Emperor, with its take on fresh grilled meats and salads to the fore.

You will find it on Lincoln Road in Millfield - a busy spot close to the Dogsthorpe Road and Taverners Road junctions - so parking is at a premium...if you can find anywhere at all that is.

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It is neat, tidy and functional inside, plain rather than anything fancy, and the open kitchen, is a nice touch.

Lebanese Emperor at Lincoln Road -  exterior EMN-160517-141045009Lebanese Emperor at Lincoln Road -  exterior EMN-160517-141045009
Lebanese Emperor at Lincoln Road - exterior EMN-160517-141045009

There is plenty to choose from on the starters with hummus, falafel, cheese or lamb sambusek, and even moussaka.

I had the batata harra - deep fried diced potatoes “with fresh coriander, peppers and garlic”.

They were nice and soft chunks with a terrific seasoning, although coriander was conspicuous by its absence - tastewise anyway.

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It came with a little side serving of pickled beetroot, gherkins and chillis with a couple of olives for good measure, which was well worth a nibble.

Brad Barnes has lunch at The Lebanese Emperor in Peterborough.Brad Barnes has lunch at The Lebanese Emperor in Peterborough.
Brad Barnes has lunch at The Lebanese Emperor in Peterborough.

The main grill menu is made up of chicken and lamb alongside spiced sausages -sojouk and makanek .

I had the lahem meshwi - marinated lamb cubes off the skewer. A lovely taste but only just the right side of being tough and overdone.

It came with an enjoyable, fresh salad - lettuce, tomatoes, onion, peppers and a dressing with a hint of mint - and a basket of disappointing bread which was cold, paper thin and dry.

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I didn’t indulge but there did look to be a decent offering in the way of desserts on show.

Brad Barnes has lunch at The Lebanese Emperor in Peterborough.Brad Barnes has lunch at The Lebanese Emperor in Peterborough.
Brad Barnes has lunch at The Lebanese Emperor in Peterborough.

The bill came to £12, including a soft drink - there is no alcohol licence - making for a lunch that was reasonably priced if not exactly memorable.

Venue: Lebanese Emperor, 195-197 Lincoln Road, Peterborough PE1 2PL 01733 313747 www.lebaneseemperor.co.uk

Brad’s rating: 7

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Brad Barnes has lunch at The Lebanese Emperor in Peterborough.Brad Barnes has lunch at The Lebanese Emperor in Peterborough.
Brad Barnes has lunch at The Lebanese Emperor in Peterborough.

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Lebanese Emperor at Lincoln Road -  exterior EMN-160517-141045009Lebanese Emperor at Lincoln Road -  exterior EMN-160517-141045009
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