Continentals restaurant review: A taste of Egypt in this hidden gem of a restaurant in Burnley

Continentals opened in Burnley 23 years ago and must rank as one of the longest established restaurants in the town.

Situated on the edge of Burnley town centre we booked a table at the Keirby Walk venue last Friday evening and the warm and cosy venue was so welcoming as we stepped in from the bitter cold. Illuminated with candles and fairylights the restaurant is the perfect setting for a relaxed evening.

Serving Egyptian/ Greek food Continentals was set up by husband and wife Ben and Pam Ibrahim and is a real family affair with both their son and daughter, Lee and Sonia, working there. And it was Sonia and her team who greeted us with a very warm welcome for our visit.

The mouth watering menu includes a wide selection of dishes and also a set three course meal at £18 a head. We decided to choose from the main menu and I opted for the soup to start and my partner Ian chose the mezza which was a platter of Greek salad, falafel, hummus, couscous, pasta salad, salami and garlic bread which he said was very tasty.

I don’t usually go for soup as it is often a meal in itself, but as it was one of my favourites, leek and potato, I took a chance and it was delicious, warming and also just the right amount to not be too filling.

As a meat fan Ian headed straight to the ‘from the BBQ’ section of the menu which includes a range of meats all cooked in different methods. These include kofta, which is a home-made Egyptian recipe of minced meat, choosing chicken, lamb, mixed or spicy, marinated with fresh herbs and Mashwe which is thinly sliced meat marinated in onions with fresh herbs.

Ian plumped for the mixed bbq of chicken, beef and lamb and he commented on how tender and tasty the dish was. And the portion size was also very generous.

I choose the Egyptian platter from the vegetarian and vegan selection. What an absolute feast for the tastebuds this was consisting of Greek salad, falafel, couscous, mozzarella and pasta served with hummus and pitta bread.

The eyes of the lady on the next table lit up when she saw my food arrive and she commented how delicious it looked. And for me it was the ideal choice as I loved the combination of flavours and textures. And also the fact the meal wasn’t too heavy which meant I still had an appetite for a dessert.

Ian chose Bebusa which is a traditional Egptian dessert made with semolina, yoghurt and syrup served with vanilla ice cream, cream and fresh fruit. You can banish any ideas of the semolina you may have been served at school as this semolina was in cake form and quite delicious according to Ian.

I opted for Affogato which was vanilla ice cream served with a shot of Espresso and a shot of Amaretto topped with a crushed Amaretto biscuit.

It was delicious and the kind of dessert you don’t want to end.

The menu also has a pasta and salad section and Continental Meats selection including the house special which includes chicken, liver, lamb prawns cooked in a tomato sauce with with chilli and garlic served on a bed of mild tomato spicy rice or white garlic and herb rice.

Shawerma style you can choose either chicken or liver strips of meat cooked with fried peppers and onions, served with mild tomato spicy rice white garlic and herb rice.