You can expect Zahrat Lebnan (which translates to ‘Lebanese Flower’) to be utterly packed if you arrive for a late evening meal. Booking isn’t a thing here, so try and find a spare seat and think yourselves lucky, as you’ll be in for a real treat.
We grab a table outside, as the indoor dining rooms, which seem to go on forever, are all full.
It’s a bustling operation here, with takeaways being dished out and the huge team of servers bringing out large trays laiden with mezze and mixed grills.
The menu is vast, with Middle Eastern breakfast staples, grilled seafood, manakish with numerous different toppings, fresh juices and much more.
Unprompted, a bowl of hummus and a basket of warm bread appears infront of us. We’re delighted, and our server explains that it comes free with every meal, along with a plate of salad. Now, if there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to make us love a place, it’s free hummus.
We’re already totally charmed by this no-frills, authentic Lebanese restaurant before we’ve even touched the fattoush.
The mix of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, crispy bread and pomegranate molasses is totally dreamy, and we love mopping it up with warm bread.
Meanwhile, the halloumi and tomato arayes and shish taouk both come in huge portions with fries, plus grilled tomatoes and onions on the side.
The latter features loads of succulent spicy pieces of chicken, beautifully grilled and just waiting to be sandwiched between more hot pieces of bread. Meanwhile, the crispy pieces of arayes are extremely tasty, and the salty cheese goes brilliantly with the sharp tastes of the fattoush.
There’s a lively vibe to the spot, with everyone around us on the terrace chatting and in high spirits. It’s a fun and casual place, and undeniably good value. The most expensive dish on the menu is the mighty mixed grill (around Dhs60), and we’re delighted to see that our total bill comes to just over Dhs100 for two people.
We leave thoroughly full and satisfied. Plus, as nothing is greasy or dripping with oil, we feel like we’ve had a wholesome and meal rather than a week’s worth of calories.
We really can’t wait for our next visit to this very popular spot.
