Nothing is more relaxing than the pleasure of sipping Arak, beer or wine while savouring little assortments of mezza dishes and conversing with family and friends. The Lebanese mezza is usually preceded by a pre-mezza which is basically a dish of raw vegetables. Here in London, Lebanese restaurants put a large bowl in the middle of the table which contains the heart of a Romano lettuce, 2 or 3 small cucumbers, 2 large Mediterranean tomatoes, one pepper and strips of carrots. This is usually accompanied by a small dish of black and green olives, and sometimes a small assortment of pickles.

The mezza itself consists of hors-d’oeuvres starting with the cold dishes then progressing to the hot ones. The number of dishes varies according to the occasion and wealth of the host/ess, in the past, it could extend to 40 or 50 dishes. This explains the variety of dishes including dips, salads, cheeses, fish, meat and assortments of savoury pastries. Nowadays, given the new wave of health issues and the dilemma of obesity, the amount of dishes has shrunk, for example a set menu for 4 people at a Lebanese restaurant usually limits its starters to 8, 4 cold and 4 hot which sounds reasonable in relation to the rest of the menu: main course and dessert.