Join us for a special event when we welcome chef, author and owner of the Lebnani restaurant, Jad Youssef, for a night of storytelling and tasters from his cookbook.
In his cookbook, Lebnani, celebrated chef Jad Youssef invites readers to experience the warmth, generosity and soul of Lebanese cooking through the recipes passed down through generations of his family. Jad returns to the dishes and memories that shaped his life in Beirut and beyond, reflecting on the meals and moments that shape Lebanese identity. Family stories are woven throughout, tracing how food sustained Lebanese families through conflict, change and celebration and prepared as it is lived and eaten.
From gathering wild za'atar to mornings spent collecting trays of freshly baked mana'eesh, Jad's memories root Lebanese cuisine in gratitude, connection and resilience. With evocative imagery and heartfelt storytelling, Lebnani the cookbook offers a rich portrait of a culture where food, memory and family life are deeply intertwined.
THE AUTHOR AND CHEF
In 2009, Youssef founded Yalla Yalla in Soho, one of London's first Lebanese street food restaurants, expanding to Fitzrovia and Shoreditch in the following years. The restaurant received wide critical attention and achieved a cult following.
After time in Hong Kong, Youssef and his wife Aga returned to the UK to open Lebnani in Reigate, Surrey, in 2020. The restaurant was named Best Restaurant in Surrey by Muddy Stilettos in 2024, an AA Rosette in May 2025 and in October Be Inclusive Hospitality winner of the Middle Eastern Food Award.
Jad has also appeared at Meatopia, Taste of London and Taste of Hong Kong, on BBC's Masterchef and worked with Miele amongst many more.