As rich as Lebanon’s history and culture is its delightful cuisine. Levantine food is wide and diverse, borrowing flavours from the Middle East and Europe such as Italy, Cyprus, Greece and France.
All these influences make Lebanese cuisine appealing to a broad range of palate.
Abu Dhabi luckily is brimming with restaurants serving authentic Lebanese dishes whether cooked traditionally or combined with modern twist.
So without further ado here are the places to go for mouth-watering Lebanese fare.
Al Khabiya
This modest restaurant with outdoor and indoor seating areas offers tasty Lebanese snacks including labneh, mhamara and zaatar. It’s not unusual to see friends and families gathering and sharing meal with each other on weekends and even during weekdays.
Muroor Street, Al Dhafrah, opposite Emirates Discount Market. Daily 8.30am-11.30pm. Contact: 02 643 3550
Dahab
From baba ghanouj, mixed kebab kofta, chicken and lamb kebab (served on a gold platter!) to halawet el jibneh, sweet cheese, and semolina rolls stuffed with cream – there’s no shortage of options at this lively restaurant.
Hilton Capital Grand Hotel, Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street. Daily noon-3pm. Contact: 02 667 4446, dahababudhabi.com
Barouk
With live oud music in the background, you’ll surely get in the right mood the moment you step inside this Lebanese restaurant.
Pick from the mouth-watering main courses such as grilled beef skewers, kebab halabi (minced lamb meat with parsley, onion and pistachio nuts) and cherry kebab.
Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi, Yas Island. Sat-Wed 6pm-1am, Thu-Fri 6pm-3.30am. Contact: 02 656 3064
Abd El Wahab
This restaurant is named after a real street in Beirut’s Achrafieh district.
Take your pick from the wide variety of food options like tabbouleh salad, makdous, stuffed vine leaves, chicken liver and grilled specialties including lamb cutlets and mixed skewers.
Adventurous eaters can try the raw meat specialties such as tebleh and kebbeh nayyeh.
Souk Qaryat Al Beri, Bain Al Jessrain, Al Maqtaa. Noon-midnight. Contact: 02 558 1616
Maison Beirut
The marriage of Lebanese and French cuisine is highlighted in this cosy restaurant.
Try the moutabal (smoked eggplant with tahini sesame paste), warak enab (vine leaves stuffed with rice and tomato), mixed grill of shish taouk, kofta, lamb kebab and lamb chops.
Cap off the meal with sweet treats such as gatayef bil jebin or fried Arabic dumplings filled with akkawi cheese and dipped in sugar syrup.
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, between the bridges. Fri-Wed noon-1am, Thu noon-3.30am. Contact: 02 654 3238
Villa Beirut
This restaurant started as a small eatery in 1940 in Beirut.
Check out the fattet hummus, a variety of manakeesh, cold mezzah includes tajen and lentil kebbeh while the main course includes chicken kebab, lamb chops and kafta khashkhash, among many others.
Marina Mall, Ras Al Akhdar. Daily noon-midnight. Contact: 02 583 1638, villabeirut.com
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