Popular Levantine pop-up Sababa, from the team behind former Mayfair institution Fakhreldine, is launching its first permanent London location, via CDG Leisure.
A bricks and mortar site has been secured at 49 Newman Street, in Fitzrovia, for the concept, which is known for serving authentic eastern Mediterranean cuisine from its Soho premises.
This is the first in a London-wide expansion drive for Sababa, who have also appointed our team to seek further locations in the city.
Classic dishes from countries including Syria, Turkey, Greece, Israel, and Lebanon will be showcased on the menu, focusing on small plates and platters for sharing.
The concept marks a foray into the fast-casual market for restaurateur Mouaiad Raja and his team, who have traditionally stood at the helm of fine dining concepts like Yamal Alsham, with branches in Chelsea and Knightsbridge, 1001 Nights in Mayfair and Fakhreldine.
At Sababa, a variety of mezze, fresh juices and dips, such as avocado hummus, will be made to order for diners all day. While takeaway lunchtime service is expected to take under three minutes per customer.
Mouaiad said: “My family has been successfully operating restaurants in London for 15 years and in Syria and Kuwait, before that. We definitely feel that the street food concept is the way forward for the modern restaurateur. Sharing small plates with friends reflects the way that modern diners now wish to eat.
“The Fitzrovia location is good because it has a high footfall and good passing trade. At our Sababa pop-up, in Soho, we used to serve 3000 customers a week. The close proximity to our old location lets us keep this loyal base but also opens our concept up to a new clientele.”
Our Leisure Consultant Emma Cousins who acted for the landlord, said: “Sababa’s move into a permanent site is a testament to the strength of the brand and its popularity. The restaurant will make a wonderful addition to the rapidly growing dining options in the area, which is already benefiting from significant regeneration, due to Crossrail and a new wave of workers and residents.”
