li beirut - conrad abu dhabi etihad towers

it was my first time trying lebanese food and i can say theexperiencewas quiet unique..everything right from the host was exceptional..some of food we ordered was quiet new to me but i loved everything.rita our waiter was soo sweet and amazing ..additionally we got a complimentary cake for my god mother’s birthday which was the sweetest…will definitely visit again..good job guy ..keep it up 👌👌

i stumbled across this fine place while doing some shopping at etihad towers and decided to walk in (luckily with no reservations) and have dinner with a friend. this restaurant offers spacious, luxurious interior seating areas and outdoor seating areas that offers beautiful views of the capital.

when it came to staff attendance, advice, attitude, i have no complains. they were professionals. as for as the food is concerned, the quality, the taste and the portions, again, flawless.

this is a luxury fine dining venue suitable (after being there for a private dining experience) for a corporate function, or simply, for you to enjoy with a loved one, an intimate/ romantic diningexperiencethat will be memorable. i would strongly advice reservations to be made, especially for a large group or for some specific arrangements to be made if you're having a special occasion with a special someone.

*ladies: do take your men to this place $$$.

on two occasions, li beirut impressed me to the highest extents. the luxury, the atmosphere and the food offered will transform any night of the week from ordinary, to magical.

with a spread of almost 12 different dishes, we enjoyed a sumptuous spread of iftar delivered to our doorstep.

the quantity was great enough and each dish was authentically prepared.

we loved ourexperienceand the box of fresh kanafeh took our hearts away!

overall we would like to rate 5/5
- for food delivered on time
- taste, quality and quantity of the food
- packaging used for delivery

i visited li beruit one day on ramadan for their iftar.
i was greeted with smiles and a very hospitable staff. the table was already set with the cold mezze starters. hummus, tabouleh, fattoush to name a few of my favorites. next round was the lentil soup which was refreshing with a hint of lime. quickly so, the hot mezze was placed on the table, i enjoyed the meat kibbeh's.

service was quiet fast and very efficient throughout my time at li beruit. the iftar was a set menu, we had to choose three main courses out of an option of a few classic middle eastern dishes.

main course was the lamb hares, mixed grill platter and chicken served with potatoes in a sauce. the meat in all dishes were tender, however it lacked the essence of arabic flavoring. i found my overall main courseexperiencerather bland. i wanted the cold and hot mezze options back on the table at that point.

desserts were also middle eastern favorites, umm ali and kunafa. the kunafa was a little dry and the cheese was too tough.

to be very honest, i expected much more for the price of the iftar. there were iftars priced the same or less that would have delivered tastier food. not very impressed!
however, kudos to the staff.

update: maybe it was just an off day, but my favorite lebanese restaurant was sub par. the meat was ok and the service was ok. not the wowexperiencei had on my previous 3 visits. hope it was just a one off bad day.
why this place isn't rated higher is a real surprise to me. the service was very attentive, polite, helpful and welcoming.
the food was off the charts. all our starters were good and they were a real treat for our friends from out of town as they really got to sample a few arabic dishes.
the traditional arabic main courses were like i have never had before. the most succulent kebabs and another dish of thinly sliced grilled beef. my favorite was the grilled lamb cubes.
we also had the grilled sea bass from the chef's special selection. this was lovely as well but had a very european flare to it and was not very arabic.
the ambience was lovely with a nice view over the pool and beach.
lovely evening will be back soon.

i visited this place twice and had very differentexperienceevery time. in the first visit the food was really great. we ordered a 3 course meal (pan seared scallop, dolma, honey fudge) all were really good. the waiter serving us made a really stupid personal comment. but other than him, the food and outdoor seating was good. after few days i invited another friend and we ordered the same exact dishes. all of the dishes including the dessert arrived at the same time, which we didn't ask for. it was shocking. moreover, the food this time was cold and not even cooked nicely. the scallop was cold, overcooked, and oily. for the price you are paying and what are you expecting, sure it is very disappointing. i didn't go again of course because it is all about your luck! another thing, the place is quite decent but can be decorated much better for a fine dining place. 

في لبيروت، مره تصيب ومره تخيب. لا يوجد إستمرارية بجودة الأكل. جربنا الاسكالوب، الدولما، وحلوى العسل. كانت ممتازة في المره الأولى وسيئه جدا في المره الثانيه. عدى ذلك تم تقديم الأكل كله مع السويت مره واحده بدون مراعاة لاتيكيت التقديم. أيضا الموظف اللي . خدمنا في المرتين كان غير مهذب أو لطيف. لا يستحق الزياره خصوصا أن السعر غير متوافق. أيضا الديكور كان ممكن يكون أرقى، المفارش البيضا ليست للفاين دايننج

the mezzeh were probably the best part of the meal. the mains were bland and left us disappointed. i think the best thing about ourexperiencewere the staff, as they tried their best to be as attentive as possible.

having heard so many good things about li beirut, my better half and i proceeded to drive all the way to neighbouring abu dhabi and spent the better half of the evening at this amazing restaurant located at the jumeirah etihad towers (yes, the very same building that featured the jaw dropping stunt from the latest fast and furious movie) - and i am glad that the food and setting lived up to my expectations.

the restaurant is tastefully decorated with dim lights, with a posh-feel, lending a cosy vibe. we were seated outside, the weather was surprisingly cool and the view was simply breath taking - the abu dhabi skyline providing a beautiful and romantic backdrop. the service staff that tended to us was really attentive, professional and knowledgeable about the food - and had such a beautiful smile. it's one of the small gestures that turn a goodexperienceinto one worth cherishing.

for starters, i ordered from the hot mezzeh and opted for the chicken liver - it was divine to say the least. my partner selected from the cold mezzeh, and he was a happy camper digging into the moutabel and hummus - the smile on his face was a vindication that it was the right decision to leave the comforts of dubai and drive up north. 

we were craving seafood, so for main course i feasted on char-grilled tiger prawns - they were cooked to perfection, with the succulent meat melting in my mouth. my better half settled for pan-seared seabass fillet accompanied by mussel ratatouille and saffron foam - and once again, he couldn't stop gushing about how fresh and exquisite the fish tasted, evoking memories of many a fishing trip. i reckon a fishing trip is long due. hehe.

to round of the perfect dinner experience, for desserts i had the chocolate globe, deliciously infused with berries and tropical flavours - a decadent dessert to say the least. shout-out to the manager on duty rawad, who dropped by to check up on us and exchanged friendly banter - you along with your staff deserve a big pat on the back for a job well done.

all in all, when the food, the wine, the service and the overall ambience come together in perfect harmony, it just elevates the entire diningexperienceto a whole new level. we will definitely return, for i may have left my heart in abu dhabi...and also to try their signature zaatar crusted lamb.

excellent lebanese cuisine, we enjoyed the overallexperienceof ambience, service and food quality. i liked the way food was being served, the neatness and layout of food on plate, such attention to details adds further dimension to the taste experience, it fills your eyes before your tummy. of course such outstanding package will come with it's price, however, we were not disappointed at all, and we would love to visit again.