Edgware Road, London's Arab street: a practical guide

London’s “Arab street” is the southern end of Edgware Road, the stretch between Marble Arch at the corner of Hyde Park and the Marylebone Flyover. That is how Westminster City Council itself defines the area. Along it you will find Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi, Yemeni and Egyptian restaurants, cafés, Middle Eastern food shops, bureaux de change and plenty of signs in Arabic. The north end is served by two separate Tube stations that share the name Edgware Road; the south end by Marble Arch.

A practical guide for a first visit. We do not rank restaurants, and nobody has paid to be mentioned.

Where Edgware Road’s Arab street starts and ends

Edgware Road is long: it runs north-west out of central London all the way to Edgware. But when Londoners say “Edgware Road” they usually mean the short section in Westminster, from Marble Arch up to the Marylebone Flyover. Westminster’s Edgware Road Action Plan, adopted by the council’s Cabinet in February 2006, describes this as a busy commercial and residential area. The council also says it published the full plan in Arabic as well as English.

The road is ancient. The same plan says it began as a forest track used by the Celtic Britons, which the Romans later took over as part of Watling Street.

Getting there: two stations, one name

At the north end there are two different stations called Edgware Road. Transport for London lists them as separate stations, with separate addresses.

Station	Lines	Address (TfL)
Edgware Road (Bakerloo) ↗	Bakerloo	On Edgware Road itself, W2 1DY
Edgware Road (Circle line) ↗	Circle, District, Hammersmith & City	Chapel Street, NW1 5DH
Marble Arch ↗	Central	Oxford Street, W1C 1LX, at the south end

If a friend says “meet me at Edgware Road station”, ask which one. The TfL Journey Planner ↗ will pick the right station for the line you are on.

Why it is called the Arab street

Westminster’s 2006 plan gives a short history. Arab communities began arriving in the late 19th century, as British trade with the Ottoman Empire grew. Egyptians came in the 1950s for work and education. A larger influx started in the 1970s, when money from the Gulf oil boom brought Arabs to the area at the same time as the Lebanese civil war. The overthrow of the Shah in Iran and unrest in Algeria added to it, and Arab families and businesses have kept settling on the road ever since.

An archived BBC London feature on “Arabic London” tells the same story: Gulf Arabs arriving during the oil-boom years of the 1970s to set up businesses, Lebanese arrivals during the civil war, and Westminster as the borough with the highest density of Arabic speakers in the capital. The National, in a 2011 feature on the street, notes that some people call it “Little Beirut” or “Little Cairo”.

What you will find on the street

Restaurants from across the Arab world: Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi, Yemeni, Egyptian and Gulf food, with some places open late into the night.
Cafés, juice bars and sweet shops: on the main road and the side streets.
Middle Eastern food shops: the council’s plan describes a road full of cafés, restaurants and shops specialising in Middle Eastern food and culture.
Bureaux de change: compare the total amount you will receive, not just the rate on the board, and ask for a receipt.
Arabic signage: the council’s own plan mentions shop signs in Arabic script as part of the street’s character.

Shisha and the smoke-free law

Shisha cafés are part of the street’s image, but the rules are strict. GOV.UK says ↗ smoking is not allowed in any enclosed workplace or public building in the UK. The Health Act 2006 ↗ defines smoking as smoking tobacco, anything containing tobacco, or any other substance. So “herbal” or tobacco-free shisha is covered too. Indoors, it is not allowed.

Restaurants on and around Edgware Road

On 7 October 2026 we checked that each of these six places has a Google Maps listing not marked as closed. We give food type and rough location only: no scores, no prices, no ranking.

Place	Food	Rough location
Ranoush Juice	Lebanese (shawarma, juices)	43 Edgware Road, near Marble Arch
Koshary El Tahrir	Egyptian (koshary)	175 Edgware Road, middle of the street
Fatayer Al Tayer	Syrian (fatayer, man’oushe)	198 Edgware Road, middle of the street
Hijazi Corner	Saudi (Hijazi) and Yemeni: mandi, mutabbaq	332 Old Marylebone Road, at the Edgware Road junction
Queen of Sheba	Yemeni	Bouverie Place, a side street west of Edgware Road towards Paddington
Abu Afif	Iraqi	352 Edgware Road, just north of the flyover

A note on Ranoush Juice: the Maroush group lists it on its official website as its Edgware Road venue. In June 2026 Arab News reported that the group had gone into administration, and that the owners said they were still open and trading as normal. Check opening hours before you go.

If you came looking for a Yemeni restaurant on Edgware Road, Queen of Sheba and Hijazi Corner are the two we verified.

Halal: we do not confirm the halal status of any restaurant on this page. Ask each one directly where its meat comes from and whether it holds a certificate. Our London halal restaurants directory is a good starting point, and you can look up any restaurant’s official hygiene rating on the Food Standards Agency website ↗.

London Central Mosque is close by

For prayers, London Central Mosque is at 146 Park Road, on the edge of Regent’s Park, north-east of the street. Use the TfL Journey Planner for the quickest route, and check London prayer times before you set off.

Tips before you go

Summer: The National describes the street bursting into life in summer, when visitors from the Gulf come to escape the heat. Westminster’s plan also talks about the pressures of the summer season. Expect evening crowds.
Ramadan evenings: restaurants can get busy around iftar and afterwards. Ring ahead if you are a large group.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Arab street in London?

It is the southern part of Edgware Road, between Marble Arch and the Marylebone Flyover, in the City of Westminster.

Which Tube station is nearest?

At the north end, Edgware Road (Bakerloo) or Edgware Road (Circle, District, Hammersmith & City). At the south end, Marble Arch on the Central line.

Is there a Yemeni restaurant on Edgware Road?

Yes. We verified Queen of Sheba, in a side street just west of the road, and Hijazi Corner, which serves Saudi and Yemeni dishes at the Old Marylebone Road junction.

Is all the food on Edgware Road halal?

Don’t assume so. Ask each restaurant about its meat and certification.

Can you smoke shisha indoors?

No. The law bans smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces, and that includes tobacco-free shisha.

Sources

Next step

Find a halal place near you in the London halal restaurants directory, and combine your visit with a prayer at London Central Mosque.

We have not been paid by any restaurant, and a listing here is not an endorsement. We checked these details on 7 October 2026. If something has changed, please tell us.

Reviewed 7 October 2026.

Edgware Road, London’s Arab street: a practical guide