Queen of Sheba Paddington

Queen of Sheba, on a quiet street near Paddington Station, is a 17-year-old Yemeni restaurant with an intriguing atmosphere, hookah pipes outside by the coffee tables, and charming booths inside. As a side note I'm happy to support an institution that might give back to a country suffering a difficult time. To start with, the people and service were low key and very nice, and likely from the region. I ordered the lamb stew and a mango juice - alcohol is not served. The stew came with a massive freshly-baked bread. There was also some spicy homemade salsa on the side. The stew was clearly the real deal, if you closed your eyes you'd never think you were in London. That said, it was not entirely my style. There was too much meat and not enough broth and herbs for me. I prefer Eastern European soups and maybe Turkish as well. But credit is due for being true to what it is. I almost ordered the lamb soup starter (without meat) for £3 and the 4 vegetable appetizer (served with mentioned bread) for £12. Chicken dishes may also have been more my style. That said I had a very nice time, spent £17 including the mango shake, and would happily come back to explore the menu further or just sit out front and have a tea or coffee with a friend.