Babel: Where Every Detail is Mastered to Perfection

Babel, located on the Dbayeh highway, is a restaurant you won’t be able to miss while driving along the road. A huge yellow stone temple with its big facade and high rotating sign prepare you for a unique experience. I’ve been to Babel more then six times already and every time I enjoy it as if it was the first.

The experience starts the minute you walk into the grandiose Babelish castle, composed of three different levels. The whole ambiance revolves around a tall olive tree in the middle, planted under a glass opening above. The high ceiling is breathtaking while you stand in awe, wondering if the building was build thousands of years ago. To add more of the outdoor feel, street-style black lamps decorate the space. Three huge walls made of giant blocks of stone form the triangular boundaries of the restaurant, creating a strong impact. I am always amazed by the professionalism at Babel. Imagine waiters working like a army of bees, all serving guests at the exact same time with the same quality and temperature of food served on wooden plates, metallic serving plates and ceramic individual plates.

Every detail is taken care-of perfectly: Two smiling hostesses warmly welcome you as they take you to meet the waiter who will be in charge of your table for the night. As soon as you take a seat on their large, relaxing chairs, water and refreshments are served while you browse the menu of twisty propositions.

Written on the menu: "The Babel journey is defined by culinary momenta that originates from exploring the richness of traditional Levantine cuisine. The re-imagined combinations of inherited ingredients allow us to offer a progressive and cultural cuisine."

The menu:

• Mezza babel
• Salads
• Cold Mezza
• Hot Mezza
• Raw Meat
• Barbecue
• Fruits
• Dessert
• Narguileh

Lunch was amazing, like always: Babel’s food is one of a kind. Lebanese dishes with a twist – every dish introduced is an innovative approach towards Mediterranean cuisine.

• Mwarrade: Two pieces of finely shaped kebbeh stuffed with cherries and beef, while two are stuffed with colored sweet peppers. Four cups of thin kebbe filled with juicy and aromatic ingredients served on a rectangular plate decorated with sesame seeds

• Maajoua: Grilled kebab stuffed with cheese, sweet bell peppers, pistachios and mushrooms. Served in a metallic casserole, a round piece of extremely moist kebab is filled with light, melting, white cheese and a mix of grilled mushrooms while the pistachios on top add a decorative finesse and an enjoyable crunch. The most important thing is that the creation doesn't have an unpleasant, strong taste of meat. All is perfectly equilibrated

• Enabieh: Grapevine leaves stuffed with rice, sweet pepper and mixed nuts. Delicious

• Frakeh: Kafta with sesame seeds, Kebbe with peanuts and pesto, Habra with cashew nuts and pine nuts, and raw meat with poppy seeds. A rectangular wooden board offers eight individual pieces of raw meat that are served with a selection of spices

• Cheese rolls: Super juicy with their crunchy borders. Generously stuffed rolls fried to perfection and not oily

• Chicken liver: Excellent chicken liver served in a metallic casserole. Soft on the inside, perfectly cooked and bathing in a pomegranate sauce that's lightly caramelized on the borders. Every bite is unique and lacks dry effect on the palate chicken liver tends to have

• Even the fries are special, homemade and hand cut with their skin
• Moutabal Ajami: Traditional eggplant moutabal garnished with tomato, basil sauce, sesame seeds and walnuts. I loved its watery texture and beautiful presentation before you taste a bite of eggplant puree mixed with a sour tomato.

• Mixed grill: Good quality chicken and meat, tender and perfectly marinated

• Ashta bel ashta: Ashta ice cream with fresh ashta on top and flower jam in the middle, all topped with sugar syrup and crushed pistachio nuts

• Mouashaha Vanilla ice cream topped with crunchy fresh Esmalliyeh dough, baked apples and fresh ashta cream. Accompanying the dish are dried raisins and a rich cinnamon aroma. Just imagine the cold ice cream and the crunchiness of the esmalliyeh all prepared minutes before serving. Baked apples marinated in cinnamon and the fresh ashta on top add a superb taste to the mix. I simply love it...