Regrettably, my first impression was with what could best be described as the bouncers of the establishment. A group of four men dressed in snazzy black and grey suits, carrying clipboards, and clearly acting as a human wall to decide who was worthy of entrance and who would be denied. After repeating the name of my reservation several times, the gentleman I was speaking with finally proved that he could read and found the name on the list. Without so much as hearing a “thank you” or “welcome”, I pushed through the barrier of empty suits and made my way up the stairs.
Unfortunately, when dealing with such pretension, being nice and cordial does you no great service except to further feed into their mightier-than-thou-attitude.
As I walked up the stairs I could not help but notice the dramatic dichotomy between the two establishments on either side. To the left was Byblos, and to the right Bubbles. Although I haven’t yet had the chance to visit Bubbles, just by looking at the décor I could tell that it is going for a very cool, hip, contemporary, and colorful style, and I would not be surprised if it served a modern fusion set of menu items. With Byblos to the left, however, the ambience is quite a contrast with that of Bubbles. Subtle in coloring and elegant in style with a clear Lebanese character that avoids being over the top. Byblos goes for a look that is both modern and classical, and although this may sound like a contradiction, it actually pulls it off quite well.
Upon taking my seat, I was greeted by dates, Arabic coffee, and offered some soup to whet my appetite before the real meal arrived. The lentil soup was delicious and ignited my appetite for the food to come. Rather than your more typical iftar buffet, Byblos brings the buffet to you. The mezza was plentiful and offered a vast selection: Sumbosas (spinach, meat, and cheese), stuffed grape leaves, fresh vegetable salad, kibah, ful, yogurt feta, olives, hummus, babaganoush, tahina (tahini), and some whose names I cannot recall. For our entrée we were served with the more typical Lebanese style grilled chicken and kofta. In all honesty, everything I tried was either very good or delicious, and I cannot speak ill of any of it.
I could not help but compare my experience at Byblos with that of Yildizlar, one of my first reviews for Arab News. It’s honestly hard to say which offers a better dining experience. Both serve food that is filling and delicious, neither of which would serve a diet but certainly warm the soul. If choosing between the two, it would have to depend on what sort of décor you were looking for. Yildizlar is more casual, classical, and quirky while Byblos is modern, elegant, and fancy. If all you’re looking for is good food, I think you will find yourself pleased by either choice.
Despite the initial unpleasant interaction, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Byblos. The service itself did not maintain the same pretension. Add to all that, the Ramadan spirit permeated the air around and everyone was relieved, grateful, and happy to be eating again. The final ingredient, good friends with pleasant conversation, and it’s difficult to imagine not having a memorable dining experience.
