Grillroom Sphinx (Leiden, Netherlands)

Steenstraat 10a, 2312 BW, Leiden, Netherlands, T: +31-71-512-33-02
 

 

Sphinx is one of the oldest surviving shawarma places in the Steenstraat, close to the Central Station of Leiden. It hasn't updated since it opened a couple of decades ago, but it seems to survive mainly as a delivery restaurant. It has the selection of meals you can expect in an Egyptian shawarma place: shawarma, shashlik, kebab, chicken, etc.

I get a Shawarma (Shoarma) sandwich ($5). The skewer isn't up yet, so they heat up previously carved spiced meat and pile it on a small toasted pita and some lettuce, tomato and onion. You get two sauces on the side: a liquidy garlic white sauce and a sweet red sauce. All is very mediocre.

 

VERDICT: 64/100

Although Döner Kebab restaurants are slowly but steadily pushing the shawarma restaurants out of the center of Leiden, you can do much better than Sphinx, which is near the bottom of what's acceptable.