A London-based restaurant group specializing in Eastern Mediterranean fusion cuisine with a focus on small, shareable plates.
Insights
MediterraneanLevantineMiddle EasternSeafoodVegan-friendlyUpscaleLunchDinnerCasualCocktail Bar
Last updated: 5/20/2026, 4:21:48 PM
Key Information
CERU is a London-based restaurant group offering Eastern Mediterranean fusion cuisine, characterized by bold flavors and vibrant small, shareable plates. Established in 2016 with its first location in South Kensington, it has since expanded to include branches in Farringdon and Hyde Park. The restaurant is known for its inviting ambiance, making it suitable for dates and group gatherings.
Customer Perception
Customers generally praise CERU for its fresh ingredients, creative small plates, and Mediterranean-inspired interior design. The signature lamb dish, octopus, zucchini fritters, and fennel salad are frequently highlighted as delicious. Many appreciate the excellent service and interesting cocktail and wine lists, which feature options from Lebanon, Armenia, and Georgia. However, some reviews mention inconsistencies in food quality, with dishes occasionally being too salty or meats dry. Portions are noted as small, and some customers feel the pricing is high. There are also instances of feeling rushed during meals, particularly at the Farringdon branch, where specific negative feedback regarding service and the quality of certain dishes (e.g., frozen calamari) has been reported.
Additional Details
CERU's concept is born from a passion for travel and new flavors, aiming to bring the Eastern Mediterranean experience to London. The restaurant offers a diverse menu that caters to various dietary needs, including a generous selection of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free dishes.
Had a good time at Ceru. It’s a light and airy modern restaurant.
Really nice restaurant and great decor. Its chic meets ancient Mediterranean vibe. We had a gorgeous booth to sit in, which made our experience even better. Because there were just two of us, we had a lot of room.
The sharing plates aren’t absolutely necessary, you could just order for yourself as the portions are huge, however sharing means naturally you’ll get more variety of dishes to taste.
Really impressed with the food, I don’t think there was anything I didn’t not like, food was well seasoned and made to perfection.
The zuchinni fritters were one of my stand outs as well as the cod loins.
The service was great. Very attentive and looked like they enjoyed what they were doing.
Had a lovely Saturday lunch. The service was brilliant from the get go. The waiters were attentive and were very helpful suggesting certain dishes. The cocktails were absolutely delicious, beautifully presented and unique. The food was delicious and also very unique. Even the bathrooms were gorgeous! Nothing at all to complain about. Would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting the Farringdon area.
5
This place is incredible! My husband discovered it when he was looking for a place to have lunch that offered gluten free because he has celiac. And we are so glad he did!!! They serve tapas style dishes that are ALL gluten free! Including fresh-made GF pita that was delicious! We ordered several dishes…both times we ate lunch here. My absolute favorite was the Baby Aubergine, and the Shaved Fennel & Pear Salad, and we both really liked the Hamara (one of the best we have ever had), Orez CERU (rice dish that was fantastic), Halloumi, GF Pita, and the Lamb. On our 1st visit, we decided to have dessert. We got the Dark Chocolate Tahini Mousse (which was not only rich and delicious, but was served in the most beautiful way) and the Baclava Inspired Ice Cream (which ended up being our favorite). Not only was the food fantastic, but so was the service (the host/hostess always greeted warmly & the wait staff was always helpful & friendly—they all made us feel like we were welcomed in like family), the decor (which was modern with touches of old-world, especially the old hand-carved wood doors), the ambience (even though it was packed each day with workers on their lunch break, it was never noisy and we could always have a conversation without having to raise our voices), and the beverages (loved the Turkish Apple Tea and the CERU Cleanse Tea (green tea, mint & honey). This place would get more stars if they were offered.
5
Two for lunch, without a booking. The menu is eastern Mediterranean sharing plates with plenty to tempt. Attentive service, and our dishes arrived fairly quick from the kitchen. I tried the homemade lemonade, basil & pomegranate, vaguely aromatic and chilled. We started with hummus and crudités, a crisp apple and pomegranate salad, and king prawns in a spiced tomato sauce. Then beautifully marinated chicken shish taouk with herbed yoghurt, polenta fries alongside. Blackberry mess and the flavours of baklava ice cream to finish: cardamom ice cream, nut brittle and burnt honey caramel. Those flavours a great combination. Smart and comfortable room. A note: the upsells came early and too often. Easy, but a bore, to navigate. Worth knowing but didn't matter, it's all too good. Will return.
3
Having heard so many good things, I was really excited for my visit. We went as a large group and ordered a wide variety of dishes. The restaurant itself is beautiful and well furnished, great for a date, not too loud, and able to cater to different group sizes comfortably.
Unfortunately, the food was underwhelming on this visit. It wasn’t so much an issue of quality, but rather balance. Many dishes leaned on the saltier side, and the meats in particular were quite dry and tough. The rabbit and the shish taouk were both disappointing.
The wine list, however, was interesting, with some less commonly seen options from Lebanon, Armenia, and Georgia, which was a nice touch. The drinks overall especially the cocktails were probably the most redeeming part of the evening.
That said, the service really stood out. We were very well looked after, and the team made sure everything came out at a good pace right through to the end.
