If you are in the mood for some addictive Lebanese cuisine and only have a pocket full of change look no further than Barakat.

Located just down Richmond Row from London's most popular bars, on the corner of Albert and Richmond streets, Barakat is a crowd favourite when the watering holes let out after 2 a.m.

Their specialty, and from my understanding what most customers order, is the chicken shawarma. I have to admit that despite eating the shawarma many times, I still had no idea what ingredients went into making the delicious pita-stuffed dish, although I suspected it was heavy on the garlic. After some investigation I learned that this Middle- Eastern Big Mac equivalent is shaved chicken, pickled turnip, red cabbage, tomatoes and a garlic-infused secret sauce. I know those ingredients don't sound too appetizing, especially to those who refused to eat cabbage or turnips as a child, but the end result is well worth the $4 admission fee.

Originally the restaurant was a mere hole in the wall along a busy street, but constant line-ups and a dedicated late night crowd moved Barakat to its current location at 551 Richmond Street.

Although the shawarmas are the most popular dish, Barakat offers many great options for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Traditional appetizers like hummus (ground chickpeas and tahini), or hommos, and the baba gannouge (ground eggplant and tahini) are popular and adhere to traditional standards.

Barakat also has a variety of meals, like the vegetarian plate ($7.99), three combo meals that include shish tawook and shish kabob with hommos, baba gannouge, among many other meat and veggie options.

This restaurant is so dedicated to its customers it not only has a fairly impressive website with prices, pictures and tones of detail, it also has a massive area dedicated to pictures of their regular customers standing at the cash register, eating their favourite dish and even posed with the workers. (www.barakatrestaurant.com)

The service is set up like any normal fast food joint, so don't expect Jeeves to be serving you Perrier on the terrace, but the Middle Eastern flair makes anyone appreciate this family-run establishment.

The best thing about Barakat is the availability. Open everyday of the week at 11am and open Friday and Saturday until 3:30 am there is no reason to turn to nasty street meat when you need after-the-bar grub.