Maroush Bakehouse

One of the weaker links in the Maroush Lebanese food empire.
This is their dessert and snack house. There are enough solid foods and savory snacks so you could have lunch or even a working dinner here.
But mostly it is a dessert café — with hookah smokers outside and coffee and pastry throughout.
The pastries are fine. The hot drinks are lovely.
What’s the downside?
Ambience.
Dessert cafes are supposed to be long term hangouts where you get your beverage, your hookah, your snack or your dessert and you linger talking to friends, and enjoying your drink and the room.
The décor here is western/​middle east fusion of a modern nature.
The coffee board is pure starbucks with the offerings written in chalk on a blackboard of the standard espresso/​machiatto/​latte drill. There are bottles of French wine all over the wall.
And the general décor is basically 1960s/​1970s Godard movie French modern.
And the look just doesn’t work. Plastic modern lights. in bright colors. Glass cabinets don’t do an attractive job of showing off the food options — where everything is just dumped. The lights are drug store bright.
It is not a nice place to linger.
And the desserts are ok — but not that different from what is available elsewhere on Edgware Road — and a lot of the places are prettier.
The only plus graphically is that if you don’t want to watch a big screen TV — they dont have one — and avoiding the TV is sometimes nice.
With all the wonderful choices on Edgware Road there are better dessert options.
Note that other Maroush restaurants are better.
Their Beirut Express a block or two away is absolutely outstanding — and gets my total highest endorsement.