What a shame! One of our favourite local restaurants (and there aren't many great ones), Salinas is not the same. Not sure what happened, but the menu has changed for sure. We tried ordering several items from their take away menu - and the response was "we don't have that anymore" to at least 3/4. I called 3 times after 6pm to place the order before anyone bothered to answer. When we went to collect the food, they were 10 minutes late, and the food could not feed all of us - the portions have shrunk dramatically, but the prices have risen! We were so surprised when we opened the boxes that we called thinking something was missing. Nothing was! The chicken was tender and okra tasty, but the rest was poor quality and didn't feed half of us. That was a very disappointing and expensive take away. In future, we sadly go elsewhere.
Having frequented the Didcot Salina's coffee shop, we last week held a work meeting in Abingdon Salinas, and were again very impressed.
We each paid £5 for the light-lunch mezza which included 5 dishes. (Vegetarians and 'no dairy' were accommodated without hesitation.)
Children's options were noted on the menu, and a small child on a nearby table, proudly announced 'yummy, I finished it all!' to our table upon leaving. Recommendation enough I'd say.
This is also one of the few places where you can get a decent coffee in Abingdon (and Didcot) without crossing the corporate threshold. If you're an Expresso lover, try the Lebanese Coffee for a shot of earthy heaven.
The service was unobtrusive, and friendly, with an intimate and authentic atmosphere, Lebanese music playing in the background.
The Abingdon restaurant is more formal than Didcot which has more of a 'coffee shop' feel, and offers a variety of cakes (including Baklava) baked potato, baguettes / paninis, alongside Chef's special soups and mezzeh lunches. Both venues are licensed offering Lebanese wine and beer, and both also share in friendly accommodating service, and authentic atmosphere. Children are always made especially welcome (something when experienced, serves to highlight how unaccommodating cafes/restaurants can be to little ones) and having attended with people with disability, I can vouch for staff assisting with accessibility where necessary.
Having eaten at the Didcot Salinas in a large evening party, booked by friends back briefly into the county who 'just had to go to Salinas, I can verify the quality of the ingredients at both locations.
Salinas is a rare find, a family run restaurant that serves good quality, fresh food at affordable prices, without compensating amiable service.