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| - I usually keep an eye on any new restaurant openings in the city and this one definitely caught my attention.
It pays tribute to the flavors of Eastern Mediterranean encompassing Turkey, Israel, Greece. It is located in the basement of the iconic STORYS building. The decor exudes Middle Eastern vibe with authentic vases on the shelves.
The cocktail craft is taken very seriously here. We had a couple of cocktails and were very impressed with the unique flavors they infused into the drinks.
Across the Sea Moroccan Mint Tea-Infused Captain Morgan Light Rum, Fresh Lemon, Sugar, House Middle East Bitters, Ginger Beer - seriously? Mint-tea infused rum, bring it on!!
Gulab Rose Infused Vodka, House Pomegranate Reduction, Lemon, Tincture of Cardamom - You can definitely get the distinct cardamom tincture in this aromatic drink.
The menu is meant to be shared although the portions are not huge.
We tried a few dishes from the small plates (tapas) section of the menu. The roasted beets with lebneh was melt in your mouth delicious. They serve it with fresh wood fired oven baked barbari bread which was worthy standout on its own. We also had the duck kibbeh which was moist from the inside but after a few bites I wished there was more sauce to dip into. Another irresistible dish we tried was the Cheese Acharuli with Quail Egg, Brioche, Za'atar spice - Absolutely delectable!!!
The seared cauliflower with sesame was probably the least favorite side dish of the night. It wasn't bad just that my palate prefers the charred cauliflower flavor than the lightly seared cauliflower that was served with a creamy sauce. The main course we had was the arctic char with a spicy sauce.
They say save the best for the last and Byblos hit a home run on this. We had the yogurt mousse with pistachio cake - so unique in taste and very light and airy in texture.
The service was very polite and friendly. They pretty much checked on every dish and ensured that it appealed to our taste buds. The manager was kind enough to offer us a complimentary dessert of salted caramel like chocolate mousse.
What a great addition to the downtown core !! This is totally my kind of place with the ambience and creative food and I will definitely go back to try out the rest of the menu.
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