The popular restaurant on the famous street is busier than ever

A Middle Eastern inspired restaurant has established itself as a popular restaurant in the city. Hafla Hafla is celebrating its sixth anniversary this summer on Lark Lane. The restaurant has become so busy that diners are encouraged to book a table in advance.

Hafla Hafla, which means “party, party” in Arabic, started out in 2015 as a street food stall that travelled to food festivals around the country. Two years later, the business expanded its operation by opening a stall at the Baltic Market, where its halloumi fries became so popular that at one point they were going through up to half a tonne of halloumi a week. Fast forward to 2018, and Hafla Hafla opened the doors of its restaurant on Lark Lane.

Tim Haggis, owner and founder of Hafla Hafla, told the ECHO: “Sometimes I have to pinch myself. We’ve really established ourselves as one of the most popular restaurants now. I’m super proud of how it’s going. We do reserve some tables for spontaneous guests, but no matter what day you come, you really do need to reserve.”

“Four years ago we were busy on Fridays and Saturdays, but today we’ve established ourselves as a casual place with good prices.” Tim grew up two minutes from Lark Lane and from the age of 14 worked for his uncle Keith at Keith’s Wine Bar, which his uncle and father opened in 1976.

Tim said: “I was washing dishes when I was 14, 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 totally different place now. It’s booming. Having worked here for nearly 20 years, I’ve seen how much Lark Lane has evolved.

“With these new restaurants and cafes, it feels like a breath of fresh air. It feels like a place you 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-faced kebabs. The menu includes bestsellers such as corn ribs with sriracha and harissa garlic sauce and broccoli with baba ghanoush and spicy honey.

Hafla Hafla is still available at Baltic Market, but it has come a long way since the halloumi fries that once made the retailer famous. Tim said: “At Baltic we have more of a street food menu, so our best kebabs and quick sides like chips. Then people come to our restaurant and are blown away by our dishes.”

Tim admits there have been difficult times over the years but they have come through them and are now in a brilliant position. He added: “I opened the business on my own at a young age. I went through Covid and then came out of Covid.

“It went on non-stop and it was only in the last 18 months that I could pinch myself because there were a few times when I really could have thrown in the towel.”

A recent post on Instagram said: “As our restaurant on Lark Lane is getting busier, we really recommend making a reservation. If it’s a last minute plan, we will always do our best to accommodate you, so don’t worry!”

The ECHO recently took a look at the changes taking place in Lark Lane, which one business owner described as “the best ever”. Find out more about the new eateries opening in the area here.

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