“Go to” the restaurant on the famous street, which is the busiest ever

A Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant has established itself as a place to dine in the city. Hafla Hafla is set to celebrate six years on Lark Lane this summer, with the restaurant now so busy it’s urging people to book tables in advance.

Hafla Hafla, which means “party” in Arabic, started in 2015 as a street food vendor traveling to food festivals around the country. Two years later, the business expanded its operations by opening a stand at the Baltic Market, where the halloumi fries became so popular that it once used up to half a ton of halloumi in a week. Fast forward to 2018 and Hafla Hafla has opened the doors to his Lark Lane restaurant.

Tim Haggis, owner and founder of Hafla Hafla, told the ECHO: “I pinch myself sometimes. We have now established ourselves as one of those who go to restaurants. I’m super proud of how it’s going. We do book a few tables for walk-ins, but no matter what day you come, you really need to book.

“Four years ago we were busy on Fridays and Saturdays, whereas now it feels like regulars with good prices.” Tim grew up two minutes away from Lark Lane and worked from the age of 14 for his uncle Keith at Keith’s Wine Bar, which was established by his uncle and father in 1976.

Tim said: “I washed dishes at 14 and then worked in the bar and fell in love with The Lane and wanted to be a part of it. I just loved the community. It’s a completely different place now. It is booming. After almost 20 years working here, I’ve seen how far Lark Lane has come.

“It feels like it’s getting that breath of fresh air with these new restaurants and cafes. It feels like a place you would see when you go to Europe.”

Hafla Hafla recently launched a new menu at its Lark Lane restaurant, serving a selection of small plates, sides and open kebabs. The menu includes best sellers like corned beef ribs topped with sriracha and garlic harissa sauce and broccoli with baba ghanoush and hot honey.

Hafla Hafla can still be found at Baltic Market, but today it’s come a long way from the halloumi fries that helped put the vendor on the map. Tim said: “At Baltic it’s more of a street food menu, so it’s our best kebabs and quick sides like fries, and then they come to our restaurant and they’re blown away by what we have.”

Tim admits there have been tough times over the years, but they’ve come through and are now in a bright place. He added: “I set up the business on my own at a young age. I went through Covid, then I came out of Covid.

“It’s been non-stop and it’s only been in the last 18 months that I’ve been able to pinch myself because I could have really thrown in the towel a few times.”

In a recent Instagram post, the restaurant said: “As it gets busier and busier at our Lark Lane restaurant, we strongly recommend that you make a reservation. If it is a last minute plan, we will always do our best to accommodate. So don’t worry. !”

The ECHO recently reviewed the changes on Lark Lane, which one business owner described as “the best ever”. You can read more about the new locations that have opened in the area here.

Don’t miss the biggest and breaking stories by subscribing to the Echo Daily newsletter here