Baydar – Deliciously & Authentically Lebanese
Baydar : A Review
On one of our evening drives past Al Barsha at rush hour, we decide to get a respite from the traffic and popped in to Al Barsha mall. The time was barely 8 p.m. but our stomachs were already growling with hunger.
In the mood for some authentic Arabic food, particularly Lebanese, we hit straight to the food court. We sauntered around for some time looking some good options for Lebanese restaurants within the mall. That’s when Baydar caught our attention.
A very well-lit shop right next to Starbucks café, Baydar seemed to look like a perfect choice. The board read “Authentic Lebanese Food”. Guess we found exactly what we needed that night, so without much ado, we hopped right in.
Luckily for us, we met Mr. Suren Rajamohan – the Marketing in-charge of the Abela group in Dubai. Abela & Co operates several popular restaurants in the region including Baydar, Sandella’s, Zaatar W’ Aktar, Bean There Bistro and Red Apron express. We felt reassured as we had indeed landed in the right place. The Abela group is quite a well-known and old hospitality operator in the region.
Situated on the 2nd level of Al Barsha Mall, Baydar restaurant serves a wide array of Lebanese food, hot and cold Mezze, Kebab sandwiches, fresh fruit juices, and a great selection of Manakish and Zaatar (it is difficult to think of a Lebanese restaurant that does not serve these 2 items). Some of the main dishes they offer are Meat Arayes, Shish Kebabs, Shish Tawouk, Mix Grills, Lamb Chops, Grill Chicken, etc.
We struck a conversation with Suren and listened with much interest about the brand, its vision, growth plans and style of operations in the UAE. After a short but engaging conversation, we decided to let him have the honor of suggesting what we must order. A gem of a guy, he was kind enough to oblige and took us through the menu and recommended a few dishes.
What we ordered
In cold Mezze we ordered Tabouleh and Hummus – both our ever-favourite dishes. For hot Mezze we took Suren’s suggestion and ordered Meat Shawarma Samosa and Spinach Fatayer.
For starters we went for Batata Hara and Felafil. Finally for main course, I chose a mixed grill.
Cold Mezze :
Hummus : I think by far it is one of the best home-style Hummus I’ve tasted in this part of the world. It was very thick, fresh and delicious.
Tabouleh : Again, very fresh. The olive oil and lemon juice seasoning was so perfect that it gave just the right amount of tanginess and made it taste so good.
Hot Mezze
Meat Shawarma Samosa : Being from India, I’ve eaten a zillion varieties of samosas in my life including the south Indian crispy onion samosa to the more meatier Punjabi Samosa. But this was like none other. As a Shawarma-lover, I enjoyed every bite of this unique dish.
Spinach Fatayer My significant other seemed to have totally enjoyed this veggie delight. I too tried one and didn’t find a reason not to like it.
The Starters
Batata Hara: Delish Lebanese potato dish. The name Batata Hara literally translates to Spicy Potato. The dish certainly did not seem in any way spicy to our Indian taste buds. Left with not very many vegetarian options, this soon became my partners favourite item on the menu.
Falafel: Who doesn’t like Falafel?! And Baydar makes it really well!
Mix Grill. The perfect meat – grilled to perfection
This was the highlight of my dining experience at Baydar. The mix grill comprised of - Shish Kebab, Kofta, Lamb Arayes and Shish Tawouk. The tenderness of the meat and the taste testified for its quality and the care that has gone into making this dish. Suren assured me that their meat and fish are sourced fresh from the markets or brought in from their main facility in Al Quoz, based on the orders. They never stock meat in store.
While we enjoyed every single dish we ordered that night, one thing we just couldn’t resist eating non-stop was the bread! It was simply the best homemade bread we tasted in Dubai. Soft, fresh went so well with the fresh hummus and the grills. We could like sit and keep eating it all day!!
Dessert
Finally, it was time for some dessert. A cheese laden Kunafa may not have been the best option after an over indulgent meal, but I went for it, nevertheless! I always believed Qwaidar al Nabulsi made the best Kunafa in town, but after trying out Baydar’s I’ll have to think again! It was really very delicious.
We washed it all down with a fruit cocktail and avocado fresh juice.
The Service
The waiters were quick and attentive and served with a smile.
The Ambience
Very well-lit, super neat, tidy and chic interiors.
Furniture well-arranged and the space has been managed well enough to not make it looked cramped even on full-house. There are sofas and then there are wooden chairs. There is a seating area outside the restaurant if you want to sit and enjoy the buzz happening in the play area. With Sandella’s within the same store, you don’t have to worry if your little ones insist on having pizzas, instead of a traditional meal.
Value for Money
Baydar has kept quality, taste, authenticity, and good customer service as the top priority not their prices. Their menu items are very reasonably priced and gives you complete value for your money.
Bottomline : If you want to taste authentic home style food then this is the place to go. If you live around Barsha, it’s a blessing. Wish we were!
When another craving for authentic Lebanese fare hits, we know where to go.
This place is highly recommended.
Food: *****
Décor: ****
Service: ****
Ambiance: ****
Value: ****
Contact
04 3850144
Address
Food Court, Level 1, Al Barsha Mall, Barsha 2, Dubai
Average Cost
AED 70 for two people (approx.)
Opening hours
Today 8 AM to 10:30 PM
On one of our evening drives past Al Barsha at rush hour, we decide to get a respite from the traffic and popped in to Al Barsha mall. The time was barely 8 p.m. but our stomachs were already growling with hunger.
In the mood for some authentic Arabic food, particularly Lebanese, we hit straight to the food court. We sauntered around for some time looking some good options for Lebanese restaurants within the mall. That’s when Baydar caught our attention.
A very well-lit shop right next to Starbucks café, Baydar seemed to look like a perfect choice. The board read “Authentic Lebanese Food”. Guess we found exactly what we needed that night, so without much ado, we hopped right in.
Luckily for us, we met Mr. Suren Rajamohan – the Marketing in-charge of the Abela group in Dubai. Abela & Co operates several popular restaurants in the region including Baydar, Sandella’s, Zaatar W’ Aktar, Bean There Bistro and Red Apron express. We felt reassured as we had indeed landed in the right place. The Abela group is quite a well-known and old hospitality operator in the region.
Situated on the 2nd level of Al Barsha Mall, Baydar restaurant serves a wide array of Lebanese food, hot and cold Mezze, Kebab sandwiches, fresh fruit juices, and a great selection of Manakish and Zaatar (it is difficult to think of a Lebanese restaurant that does not serve these 2 items). Some of the main dishes they offer are Meat Arayes, Shish Kebabs, Shish Tawouk, Mix Grills, Lamb Chops, Grill Chicken, etc.
We struck a conversation with Suren and listened with much interest about the brand, its vision, growth plans and style of operations in the UAE. After a short but engaging conversation, we decided to let him have the honor of suggesting what we must order. A gem of a guy, he was kind enough to oblige and took us through the menu and recommended a few dishes.
What we ordered
In cold Mezze we ordered Tabouleh and Hummus – both our ever-favourite dishes. For hot Mezze we took Suren’s suggestion and ordered Meat Shawarma Samosa and Spinach Fatayer.
For starters we went for Batata Hara and Felafil. Finally for main course, I chose a mixed grill.
The Food :
Hummus : I think by far it is one of the best home-style Hummus I’ve tasted in this part of the world. It was very thick, fresh and delicious.
Tabouleh : Again, very fresh. The olive oil and lemon juice seasoning was so perfect that it gave just the right amount of tanginess and made it taste so good.
Hot Mezze
Meat Shawarma Samosa : Being from India, I’ve eaten a zillion varieties of samosas in my life including the south Indian crispy onion samosa to the more meatier Punjabi Samosa. But this was like none other. As a Shawarma-lover, I enjoyed every bite of this unique dish.
Spinach Fatayer My significant other seemed to have totally enjoyed this veggie delight. I too tried one and didn’t find a reason not to like it.
The Starters
Batata Hara: Delish Lebanese potato dish. The name Batata Hara literally translates to Spicy Potato. The dish certainly did not seem in any way spicy to our Indian taste buds. Left with not very many vegetarian options, this soon became my partners favourite item on the menu.
Falafel: Who doesn’t like Falafel?! And Baydar makes it really well!
Mix Grill. The perfect meat – grilled to perfection
This was the highlight of my dining experience at Baydar. The mix grill comprised of - Shish Kebab, Kofta, Lamb Arayes and Shish Tawouk. The tenderness of the meat and the taste testified for its quality and the care that has gone into making this dish. Suren assured me that their meat and fish are sourced fresh from the markets or brought in from their main facility in Al Quoz, based on the orders. They never stock meat in store.
While we enjoyed every single dish we ordered that night, one thing we just couldn’t resist eating non-stop was the bread! It was simply the best homemade bread we tasted in Dubai. Soft, fresh went so well with the fresh hummus and the grills. We could like sit and keep eating it all day!!
Dessert
Finally, it was time for some dessert. A cheese laden Kunafa may not have been the best option after an over indulgent meal, but I went for it, nevertheless! I always believed Qwaidar al Nabulsi made the best Kunafa in town, but after trying out Baydar’s I’ll have to think again! It was really very delicious.
We washed it all down with a fruit cocktail and avocado fresh juice.
The Service
The waiters were quick and attentive and served with a smile.
The Ambience
Very well-lit, super neat, tidy and chic interiors.
Furniture well-arranged and the space has been managed well enough to not make it looked cramped even on full-house. There are sofas and then there are wooden chairs. There is a seating area outside the restaurant if you want to sit and enjoy the buzz happening in the play area. With Sandella’s within the same store, you don’t have to worry if your little ones insist on having pizzas, instead of a traditional meal.
Value for Money
Baydar has kept quality, taste, authenticity, and good customer service as the top priority not their prices. Their menu items are very reasonably priced and gives you complete value for your money.
Bottomline : If you want to taste authentic home style food then this is the place to go. If you live around Barsha, it’s a blessing. Wish we were!
When another craving for authentic Lebanese fare hits, we know where to go.
This place is highly recommended.
Food: *****
Décor: ****
Service: ****
Ambiance: ****
Value: ****
_______________
Contact
04 3850144
Address
Food Court, Level 1, Al Barsha Mall, Barsha 2, Dubai
Average Cost
AED 70 for two people (approx.)
Opening hours
Today 8 AM to 10:30 PM
- Breakfast
- Home Delivery
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Kid Friendly
- Wifi
- Desserts and Bakes
Really awesome blog. The best Lebanese restaurant in Abu Dhabi offers good as well as tasty Lebanese cuisine, so Sajway is the best choice in Abu Dhabi.
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