Bab Tooma Oakwood review: I tried the Middle Eastern restaurant in one of Leeds’ most vibrant suburbs

And one of the most prominent restaurants in the buzzing Leeds suburb is Bab Tooma. Founded in Bradford by two friends in 2016, the Roundhay Road branch of the small Syrian chain opened in the midst of the pandemic.

The restaurant was pleasantly busy when I visited with a friend. And it’s stunning - from the grapevine decorations hanging from the ceiling to the mosaic artwork and red tapestry adorning the chairs. The founders say they want diners to feel like they’ve been transported to Damascus, and we certainly did.

The menu is split into salads, cold and hot mezze, chef's specials and a page full of grills. There’s not a whole lot of choice for vegetarians, but enough to get by.

You can bring your own booze or choose from a selection of non-alcoholic ‘specials’ such as a strawberry mojito, but at £6.50 per glass they aren’t cheap.

We ordered the halloumi from the hot mezze menu to start. Before it arrived, we were treated to a complimentary lentil soup which was rich in flavour and full of warming spices.

Our halloumi, served with cabbage and black olives, was perfectly crispy and slightly charred on the outside, seasoned to perfection with thyme and sesame seeds. A great start.

I ordered the Sujuk Shawarma for my main dish - Arabic-spiced minced lamb wrapped in tortilla bread and served with chips and salad. I was expecting more flavour from the lamb and the meat was dry and had caught in places. Then I crunched down on an unwelcome chunk of bone in the mince. Then another. Then a third chunk. I couldn’t finish it.

The chips were nicely cooked but it was the three accompanying dips that saved the day - smooth hummus, tangy shawarma white sauce and a fiery tomato and chilli chutney that was the highlight on my plate. It’s a shame the centrepiece of the dish let it down.

My friend enjoyed her dish - the chicken fillet skewer served with rice. Her grilled chicken was tender, well-cooked and delicately seasoned.

The service was friendly enough but felt a little scattered - we had a couple of mix-ups with our order and there were crossed wires between staff, as there didn’t seem to be one server taking responsibility for our table.

After requesting the cardamom and mint tea-for-two, we were told we’d get the pot free if we left the restaurant a review, and a member of staff would peer over our phones to verify this.

We declined the offer. While I understand the pressures that restaurants are faced with right now, I question whether stifling honest feedback and constructive criticism from customers, rather than learning from it, is the best approach to take.

That aside, our tea was the perfect end to the meal, served in a beautiful metal teapot and brewed with fresh mint leaves. Our bill - which arrived with a 10% service charge automatically added - came to just under £50, reasonable for a lot of food.

Bab Tooma has the potential to be an outstanding restaurant - with a little more care on both sides of the kitchen doors.

Factfile

Address: 496 Roundhay Road, Oakwood, LS8 2HU

Telephone: 0113 322 4260

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs, 4pm-10pm; Fri, 2pm-10.30pm; Sat, noon-10.30pm; Sun, noon-10pm

Website: www.babtooma.co.uk

Scores

Service: 6/10

Food: 6/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Value: 7/10