Jon H.
Yelp
My girlfriend and I were trying to find someplace we haven't been yet to go for dinner for New Year's Eve. After searching highly rated restaurants on Yelp and looking through pictures we landed on Li Beirut. The food looked delicious and the reviews were all very positive. Li Beirut was only offering their tasting menu on New Year's Eve called A Taste Of Lebanon for $55 / person (perfectly fine with us because we would've went with that option regardless).
Our reservations were at 5:30 for 2 people. We arrived a few minutes early, decided to park down a side street and had a short walk to the restaurant. It looked like they had parking behind the building but I wasn't totally sure. The restaurant was very easy to get to and is byob which is always a plus! Once we walked in we were greeted and asked where we wanted to be seated. The main part of the restaurant was a little brighter and had more tables/people so we elected to be seated in the back section of the restaurant. There were no doors or barriers separating the two but there were a few steps leading up to the back and it definitely seemed more secluded and romantic.
As part of the tasting menu the table received 7 different starters known as Mezza (Hummus, Baba Ghannouj, Labne, Mouhamara, Warri Enab, Soujouk, and Batata Harra), a salad to split, 1 entree per guest, and one dessert per guest. Reviews we read specifically mentioned the large portion sizes and the amount of food you receive and they were spot on.
The first 5 items I mentioned above fall under the Cold Mezza and were served with fresh pita bread (and as much as you wanted so be careful not to get too full like we did lol). I love stuffed grape leaves and was the most excited about these out of all the Mezza. My girlfriend on the other hand loves Baba Ghanouj. Each of the spreads had such unique texture and flavor. Some were light, airy, and refreshing. Others were smooth and creamy. They were all so good I honestly couldn't pick my favorite. The 2 hot Mezza we were served came out after the cold Mezza and before the main courses. The sauce the sausage was cooked in and served in was delicious while the potatoes were crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside.
We were really hoping to order the Tabbouleh salad as this is one of our favorite dishes, but we were served the Fattoush salad instead. It's okay though because it was also great. I loved the vinaigrette, radishes, and noticeable mint leaves in the salad. The kicker was the fried pita sprinkled on top!
By the time we got to our main courses arrived we were stuffed! She ordered baked cod served in tahini sauce with rice. I ordered the mixed grill for one which came with a ground beef kebab, marinated chicken, filet mignon, and a lamb chop. We both love tahini so we loved the sauce the fish was served in and the cod tasted fresh. The assortment of meats I was served were all tender and seasoned so well. Again, I couldn't decide which I liked best. We ordered our dessert to go and had to take portions of our entrees home!
Our first experience at Li Beirut was as good as one could hope. The food was exceptional, the service was great, the restaurant was cute inside. All of the employees were professional, respectful, and accommodating. The value for what we received was incredible. Next time we're back we agreed we'd order food off of the menu instead of doing the tasting menu just because it was so much to eat. I 100% recommend the tasting menu if you're new to Lebanese food or have not been to Li Beirut yet.