Old Beirut comes to life at Al Falamanki

Treat yourself to a piece of Beirut, right in the heart of Dubai. Al Falamanki, which can very rightly be termed as a hidden gem is located in a fancy blink-and-you-miss-it villa on Jumeirah beach road.

Just be sure to keep an eye out for it, for the name is written only in Arabic.

Offering an authentic Beiruty experience, Al Falamanki takes you on a nostalgic journey through the streets of Lebanon in the 70’s. Exuding a rustic appeal, it transports you to the olden days with its homey ambience, traditional furniture, floral and checkered couches and traditional hip hop Arabic music from those good old retro times.

You can almost picture a group of Beiruti men dressed in grey suits, smoking a cigar around a table over a cup of Arabic coffee.

The restaurant reflects a collection of Khalil Al Falamanki’s adventures and travels. It’s like all the beautiful pieces of his life and memories carefully preserved under one roof by his son Anis.

The food, without a doubt, stays true to the classic Beiruti taste with Falamanki’s home made recipes that combine fresh ingredients and fragrant herbs on a delicious plate.

We started off with Falamanki’s homemade recipe of the classic Fattouch. Aptly named My Mother Souad’s Fattouch, this signature dish comes with all the Fattouch basics, grilled bread and pomegranate molasses bathed in a fresh and fragrant sumac olive oil and lemon dressing.

It’s crunchiness is what makes this Fattouch so tempting. The portion is good for two to three people.

Cold Mezze couldn’t have gotten any prettier than this. Featuring sweet beetroot tahini, dense carrot tahini, textured eggplant with pomegranate molasses and lemony classic hummus, this creamy platter impresses in terms of both, taste and presentation.

It is served with Arabic bread and a bunch of mint leaves on the side. This cold Mezze is a great way to sample the classic Lebanese dips.

Another homemade recipe from Al Falamanki’s kitchen, Khalil’s Saj features a thin and crispy freshly baked saj bread topped with aromatic thyme (better known as zaatar) along with feta cheese, onions, tomatoes and mint leaves.

This saj would make the perfect choice for breakfast along with a cup of tea or orange juice. The interesting thing about this wholesome, at the same time so light saj, is that it’s made from two-thirds whole grain and doesn’t contain any sugar, oil or milk.

Undoubtedly, this is one of their best creations.

You can also try out the salty saj variety with Zaatar, Labneh, or Kashkaval cheese; or go for the sweet ones with Nutella and more!

Now here’s a star dish that’s sure to get you thinking – sweet or savory, creamy or meaty. Well to be honest, it’s all of that and more.

At first you wonder is it cherry flavored yogurt that’s stacked on to the kafta, but as you savour the first piece, you realise that the sweet and sour yogurt balances so well with the meatiness in the kafta, it’s a delight in every bite. The luscious cherry pieces offer a tangy touch to the grilled meat.

I would have personally liked the kafta a little warm and more tender, but the addition of yogurt means it is best served cold.

Have it as is or with some warm Arabic bread. Either way it is worth a try.

You have to try this. You really do. And this comes from a person who avoids pistachios as much as she can.

Of late my food adventures have got me into sampling food that I would never ever think of trying out before and Fostokji is one of them.

This creamy blend of pistachios, milk and vanilla ice cream offers a cold and refreshing taste while being authentic to its Lebanese roots. An excellent choice for summer evenings, you definitely need to order this on your visit to Al Falamanki.

Apart from traditional Lebanese food and coolers, they also serve some of the best Shisha flavors, all alongside hip hop beats from the 70’s Beiruti scene, making it a perfect place to hang out with a bunch of buddies.

P.S. There’s a lot of seating space!