Natalie's

Until the sauces came out, I was feeling a little sad. The decor was nice but rather bland; likewise the food was pretty to look at, but lacked that characteristic depth of flavor. (The hummus and veggies were delicious though.) I asked for some sauces to liven things up and that made a significant difference. One sweet and one spicy, the kitchen did a great job on these sides and the Kafka was rescued. Interesting features included live music and an Art Deco safe that survived from a former bank business that occupied the space generations ago.

We had lunch after church today at Natalie's. We had two appetizers: Phoenician fries and Muhammara Then we had two bowls one shrimp and one chicken. The flavors were amazing. The portions were huge so we took home enough for another meal. We definitely will be visiting again.

Had an excellent experience hosting a recruitment dinner in Natalie's private dining room. The Mediterranean cuisine was outstanding - the hot and cold sampler appetizer plates were particular highlights and enjoyed by everyone in our group. The service was attentive and professional throughout the evening. As physicians who care for pediatric patients, my wife and I were particularly moved to learn about the restaurant's origins - founded by physicians (I was unaware of this when I booked the dinner) with a mission to support members of Richmond's special needs community. The combination of excellent food, warm hospitality, and meaningful community impact makes this restaurant truly special. The private dining space worked perfectly for our group, and I look forward to returning with my family for dinner. Highly recommend Natalie's both for the quality of their Mediterranean dishes and for their admirable mission of 'Employing ALL Abilities.

Ordered from here on UberEats, and I will be ordering again. We got the chicken shawarma plates and mezze sampler. Everything was so fresh and flavorful, and food was packaged very well.

I cannot say enough great things about our experience! From the moment we walked in, the ambiance was warm and inviting, and every detail was thoughtfully executed, especially the live piano player. What truly made the meal unforgettable was Chef Aya. Her talent and passion for cooking shone through in every dish we enjoyed. The flavors were exceptional, and each plate was a masterpiece. Chef Aya even took the time to come out and ensure everything was to our liking, which added such a personal touch to the experience. The service was impeccable, the menu was creative and perfectly curated, and the overall vibe of the restaurant made it the perfect spot for a memorable evening. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or just treating yourself to an amazing meal, Natalie’s is an absolute must-visit.

5/5 Stars!! Extremely wonderful service and food. I ordered the mixed grilled kebab and my girlfriend ordered the watermelon and cucumber salad with the flat bread w/ cheese. Everything that was edible was utterly delicious and fantastic. This is definitely the best Mediterranean restaurant I've eaten at since coming back from the Mediterranean in '92. Highly recommend this place to everyone looking for something out of the ordinary and craving something different, this gives both in abundance. The service is absolutely outstanding. Our waitress was on point!! She was extremely knowledgeable about the dishes and how they were prepared. Very impressive.

I really wanted to like Natalie's because really love what they're doing to employ disabled people; however, I was let down by the experience. I spend a significant amount of time in Lebanon, so my review is constructive and hope that they can improve to make these tastes of Lebanon better. The restaurant was completely empty for the entire one and a half hours I was there on a Thursday peak dinner service. FOOD / PRICES: - Ordered the Mixed Platter for 2 for $65 - included Shish Tawouk (Chicken), Kofta Kebab, Lamb, and Short Rib. It was ultimately a hit or miss with the tastes here - the chicken was juicy but lacked flavor, the kofta was rubbery, but the short rib was flavorful and tender. - Meze was the highlight - the hummus and baba gannoush were flavorful and the highlight of the night. The pita was inconsistent as the first batch was undercooked and didn't puff or brown, but the last batch was exactly what you'd want in pita. - There was no Manakish on the menu, nor Chankleesh PRICES: - $65 for 4 small skewers on the Mixed Platter is extremely pricey even compared to upscale NYC/DC Lebanese restaurants. - Every single item on the Menu is priced for ultra fine-dining. There are no budget options, even the vegetarian options are at least $26 for crispy cauliflower. - This is not a fine dining experience, but priced like one. Other restaurants in RVA that are fine dining have far more competitive prices for food because they make up their margin on drinks. SERVICE: - We didn't feel welcomed by any means - we walked in to a completely empty restaurant and thought it was closed. It felt like there was no hospitality the whole time, and we had to ask the waitress a few times for refills. Overall, their pricing is completely off point and makes the restaurant inaccessible to the people they're trying to serve. The food itself has a good foundation and I'm confident they're capable of doing far better. The service lacked warmth. While the food has potential, it doesn't fully capture the essence of Lebanese cuisine. I hope they improve so we can have a place in Richmond that we can confidently take our friends to.

First, I will quickly justify my rating: One star is solely for our AMAZING server, Chloe. If we could rate her service as an individual, she’d receive 10 stars. She was on point every time with her food/drink recommendations and ability to execute requests (like refrigerating our cake and bringing out a coloring sheet for a small child, both of which she suggested). Chloe very much rescued the night. The second star is for the food itself! I enjoyed the cheese rolls and braised short rib. Everyone seemed to enjoy their cocktails as well (once we finally got them). The birthday boy really liked the “Apple of my Pie”. Google has a character limit so I had to cut around some details. Our reservation (which I made 4 weeks in advance) was at 6. My fiancé and I arrived at 5:45. We entered and his mother and father walked in not too long behind us. I was holding a huge Sam’s Club cake. I held it…for quite a while. The family in front of us at the hosting station was seated. I stepped up, and nobody regarded us for at least 5 minutes. Very awkward, making eye contact with staff but never being spoken to. Even the young man who engaged in polite small talk when I was there by myself seemed to shy away every time I smiled at him. It got to the point that the birthday boy had to take the cake from me, for he could see the weight of it was becoming too much for me, and he is a gentleman. I thought he should not hold his own birthday cake… We were eventually seated. Some members of our large party ran late. Chloe was kind enough to let us peruse the menu until everyone got there. The first thing we ordered were beverages. The drinks took forever to come out. Makes sense. They only had one bartender for the evening! Unfortunate considering they knew they had a large party coming, but staffing issues happen. The drinks came out slowly…and in weird intervals. A couple people would get theirs. Then a few more people….with 20-30 minutes in between. I was one of the last of my party to receive a cocktail OVER AN HOUR after we ordered. Chloe took all of our drink orders at one time. I understand the speed, as only one person can be but so fast. But I did not understand why the bartender did not just make all of our beverages at once? The fountain drinks came first, then the neat/on the rocks drinks. Cocktails were last. Here’s the major issue with this: My brother-in-law got up and took a roll call of everyone still waiting for a drink. He walked to the bar and managed to get our drinks, brining them out himself. This was completely unacceptable particularly because patrons in the main dining area who were not even there after we ordered drinks (I can confirm from walking to the bathroom a couple of times) had their beverages and appetizers well before we got ours. There’s really no way around it. This wasn’t just a matter of lack of staff. This was a prioritization issue. The appetizers took quite a while too. But again, I understand there were only “3 cooks” in the kitchen. They were tasty and cheered up my guests! The wings in particular were a big hit. Everyone enjoyed the entrees as well; taking home plenty of to-go boxes. My brother-in-law spoke to the manager, and a fixed discount was agreed upon for our meals. I see this as the restaurant taking SOME accountability. I would give a half star solely for this, BUT the manager never once came to our room to apologize for delays or check on us to see how we were doing or simply to say “hello!” the entire time we were there. Seriously folks, for the amount of dough we were bringing in, we were left feeling a bit cold. It’s such a shame, really. We all came to Natalie’s ready to pay FULL PRICE for everything we ordered. Mind you, there were 17 of us. I hope this review was helpful to potential customers and constructive to the restaurant. Be well. Good luck.

In the search for Mediterranean food and found this place on the Southside. Key ingredients like olive oil, garlic, lemon, and mint stand out. My favorite was the baba ganouj! (Smoky eggplant + tahini) Pillow soft pita go perfectly with this hummus. Great staff. They host monthly events like live music, wine pairings, and more! Family-friendly atmosphere. (Closed Mondays + Tuesdays) P.S. before I left the parking lot, I went back in and asked for another lemonade it was that good. Check em out!

It was a busy night, plenty of music and conversation. Our server was still very quick to help us and take care of our large party, which was very impressive. The food was excellent and we really enjoyed having the option of Mediterranean food so close by in Richmond and as authentic as Natalie's.

We've been going to Natalie's on and off since they opened their new location. It used to be a great place to get authentic Lebanese food. The only complaint at the time was the bright white hospital lights they had that ruined the ambiance. After a few years, they finally changed that and it's decent. Unfortunately, that's not the only thing that changed. Their food is mediocre at best now. One day it's decent, the next it tastes like chemicals. They used to have such a wonderful array of foods. Now, you get cold peas, odd whole tomatoes and chemical tasting tzatziki sauce. The wait staff changes every few weeks, nobody is ever the same. Our most recent visit, we never received water refills. Previously, they left you a water bottle for the table. No more. The music playing was country music. The wait staff were wearing dirty aprons and you couldn't tell if they were employees of someone off the street. For $65 bucks, it was the worst meal to date. Every time we say we're not going again, we give it another try to see if things have improved. Nope, it's only getting worse. It's sad to see such a staple slowly wither away. Unless you like wasting money, stay away. There are better establishments that have a better atmosphere and quality food for the same price.

This place is really cute and the customer service is amazing. When went on a Thursday around 3ish and no one was there! I like those type of vibes. We ordered two tequila sunrises, the cheese rolls, a chicken shawarma wrap, crispy shrimp wrap and the baklava! Everything was 10/10.

Generous portions and fabulous flavors!!!great variety from wraps, kebabs and braised short ribs. Great food and friendly staff. What an amazing selection of cocktails and liquors!

Great food and restaurant. Lots of fun atmosphere and saw a highly entertaining and talented band, Antique Melody Show. I hope anyone reading this gets a chance to go.

My kefta looked like a lump of poop and They gave me SINK water . They made me wait 2 hours for my food .

Despite the fact I had a complete nervous breakdown from existential dread here, the food was really fantastic.

Ordered from here on UberEats, and I will be ordering again. We got the chicken shawarma plates and mezze sampler. Everything was so fresh and flavorful, and food was packaged very well.

I came back!! Did not disappoint! Food was delicious, service was exceptional, and a live band added to a very nice atmosphere. I will be coming back!!

Service is great and the food is excellent. I would highly recommend it for lunch. I hope to get back to the region so I can try their dinner menu. I hope they introduce ful, (foul mehames) a fava bean medley with fresh pits bread.

What a disappointment! We were a group of 7 with a reservation and were seated promptly. Our server greeted us and offered beverages. He also asked if anyone wanted apps, so I ordered falafel for two so my husband and I could split it. We also ordered our meals...kebabs for some, falafel for the vegetarian and I ordered the half chicken. Appetizer took 45 minutes and when it finally came, it was cold. The taste was good but it was clear they pulled an older order to fulfill my appetizer order. Another 20-30 minutes and finally entrees start showing up. My chicken was so over cooked and dry...it was terrible. And the spicy potatoes were just fried potatoes. There wasn't a lemon to squeeze over the meat. This just wasn't good and I definitely won't be back.

Brilliant small restaurant with attentive staff and a beautiful interior. The food is superb.

Great food, great atmosphere, great service! We will be returning! Just a heads up, this is an experience so expect it to take longer than a standard restaurant! We happened to go on a Friday when they had a band! It was so much fun!

My first visit to Natalie's was GREAT! I got a bunch of food for my family, but the very best was the Tabbouleh, some of the best I've had. So glad the stuffed grape leafs were done in lemon - again, classic Lebanese. Everything was good, and appreciate the good service as well.

If you're like me and love a good shawarma sandwich, this is the place to be. I've tried shawarma from literally everywhere that serves it in Richmond and this is the best, by far. The garlic sauce is ahhhmazing. They also have incredible brussel sprouts with a maple, pomegranate glaze that will change your perception of this vegetable for life. The lamb chops are tasty and they have a house-made lime soda that's oh so good. They get it right every time.

We enjoyed an evening trying old favorites and new dishes in a friendly jolly atmosphere. The server warmed up to us & was helpful. Everything was tasty. My lamb chops were excellent & all the trimmings were full to try. The only dish not up to par was the rice (of all things!). I put the juice from the meat to help it moisten up & give it flavor. But it was a great evening for foodies.

Beautiful dinning area, lovely live music by talented musicians, food delicious. I loved the kibi, nicely shaped and seasoned, a real treat. The knafa dessert was a good balance of not too sweet with a hint of rose, but no pistachios on top. However, the service was awful. I ordered coffee - never came. I ordered kibi (since they were out of sambousek) which came so late, that most people in my group had already almost finished their full entree. I ordered knafa to go and when asked about my order, they promptly came back with more kibi?? I said it's fine I'll pay for it and take it home. I did finally get the knafa order but had to wait quite a while again. It was a very small square for the price charged. Now in this time my group was waiting for checks. We're asked what we're waiting for and we say checks and please just put it all on one bill (we'd just split it evenly afterward, we were getting tired of waiting). One waitress seemed angry, and the original waitress for our table finally appeared with a handful of receipts but it was too late. They may or may not have charged for my wrong orders but to be honest, we just wanted to get out. Restaurants and waite staff can have bad days, sure, but given my experience, I don't want to come back to this restaurant.

Service was the worst during our experience. We had a big table, so with that in mind: Half our table did not get food for 30 min - 1 hour. One person did not get food even after several inquiries. She did not get the coffee or dessert she ordered to go. Our checks took 30 minutes or more and ultimately we decided to divide it between the table . We should've known because it took a long time to get drink orders despite the restaurant not being especially busy when we arrived. We were sitting there well past closing and still no one brought us our checks (which is what we were waiting on to leave!) We spent 2.5 hours at this restaurant, the last 1.5 hours of which was due to slow service. Very expensive for the quality of service. Food was mediocre.

We went to Natalie's and it's new location and it got quite crowded. We had the mezza for four and we really enjoyed it the babghaosh was very smoky and had a yummy taste and the cheese pies were quite delightful. I stole french fries from my friend that were very tasty and she enjoyed her lamb beef burger. Several of us had the balls they had a little bit of everything if you can't make a decision. My boyfriend had the beef bowl and he loved the tomatoes that were marinated. We unfortunately did not have room for dessert but will be back.

Natalie's has a new menu. We sat outside on a very pleasant evening. The new menu has awesome Mezzo appetizers. Our waitress Julie, let us split 2 tuna skewers (my wife and I) and we shared the Mezzo. Food came hot and quickly. I consider myself a foodie and have been on a reality show. Also, Artspace has a beautiful gallery inside.

This is the cutest little place and it's local and hometown a friend and I popped in on a rainy Friday night our waiter was so nice, the hostess who seated us us was great Especially when I asked to not be seated under an air vent. We got the beef/lamb kebabs and the Mediterranean grill platter with which had (beef/lamb kebabs chicken kebabs) with rice and vegetables it was delicious

Excellent appetizers, good ambience. Good service. Good place to bring your friends, colleagues and loved. Never order any chicken dishes. They are rocks.

just got the beef and chicken wrap and they are absolutely amazing. I would highly recommend Natalie's restaurant to everyone.

I've had plenty of Lebanese food, and I am never coming back to this place. I'm not one to post reviews often, but this is unacceptable. If I could give this place zero stars, I would. I had just finished bathing my dog Olie at Critter House and was extremely hungry. I found this local Lebanese restaurant next door and thought I should give it a try. The photos shown in Yelp were very tempting and I was very excited. I went in and ordered for pick up an order of Pheonician fries (french fries with Zatar seasoning) and a Shish tawook (chicken kabob with rice). The total came up to $33 NOT including tips that I tacked. The restaurant wasn't busy and there was only one table of 3 seated. I waited for about 15 mins for the order and I finally received it. At this point I was starving. I got in my car and quickly opened up the box of fries and my chicken kabob order and was shocked and disappointed at the small amount of food given! The rice was soggy, there was not even half a chicken breast in order, the $10 fries were soggy and it came in this deceivingly big box. The food looked nothing like the photos posted on here. This is unacceptable and appalling. This isn't even a fine dining restaurant and nor was the food of quality. Never again.

We were excited for a date night here, but I'm sad to say that the wait time was absurdly long. It took over two hours from the time we were seated (in a nearly empty restaurant at that point) to the time we were able to pay our check and leave. Over the course of that time, we watched as the restaurant became very full with each table waiting a long time to be serviced, and a long line formed of people waiting for takeout orders. We witnessed several orders refunded due to being cold or seemingly forgotten after the customers stood at the door for over an hour waiting for their takeout to be ready. We ordered an appetizer that we never received and I had to ask for it to be removed from our check. The food that we did receive was just average - certainly not worth an incredibly long wait. Sorry to say I would recommend trying a different restaraunt.

Pretty big place. The host was really nice.. We reached there around 3:00 and they were ready to accommodate us for lunch. Loved the lamb shanks

Was really looking forward to trying this. Since moving to RVA from NOVA we have yet to find great middle eastern eats. Unfortunately we were highly disappointed. The atmosphere, the service and the food all very disappointing. Loud opera music playing not Lebanese music. The waitress barely waited on us. We had to ask repeatedly for refills and anything else we needed. The tabbouleh was dry, the za'atr had no sumac. The chicken dishes were no flavor. My husbands dish was brought out 10 minutes after ours. Just so disappointing.

I had been wanting to try Natalie's for a while -- really since I moved down here and was staying with a friend down the street in Innsbrook. I'm annoyed with myself for taking so long to visit, because the food here was really quite delightful and unique. If you want a break from burgers and pasta, check this place out. We started with the pita bread - the dipping oil was tasty. Also ordered the cheese pies, because how could I not? They were a mixture of feta and mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, onions, and garlic I believe. It came with five pies and I ate most of them singlehandedly. So good. For my meal, I had the beef shawarma with fries. I could only eat about half (blame the cheese pies) but it was sooo good! Coupled with Lebanese beers and I was a happy camper. Leftovers warmed up on the stove really well too. Natalie's has a stunning patio as well, and they somehow weren't busy at all during the gorgeous late summer weekend night when we visited. They're an underrated gem in the West End. Definitely go check them out. I had started this review as a 4, but after re-reading it, I think it's obvious it's a 5, so up the meter goes now. As good as it gets for Lebanese food in Richmond!

To be fair, this restaurant has a wonderful mission (to employ folks with disabilities). One of the co-owners checked in with us, due to the noise of a benefit that was underway in the restaurant, and was very pleasant. However, as a Lebanese-American, I have to say that the food was terrible. The falafel in the fattoush was bland and dry, the khubz was burnt. The shawarma was too greasy. On top of that, it was ridiculously expensive for what you get. Unfortunately, we can't recommend it.

We always enjoy this restaurant's cuisine when we're in Richmond. Highly recommend the Tuna entree

The new menu is so good. I love that you get to try so many things. Come with a large group so you can sample more!

Loved this place. We stopped by for lunch. Service was wonderful. It was late afternoon and they weren't very busy. I had the falafel wrap which was delicious, with nice crisp veggies and tahini sauce. Both of us got that and loved it, and my friend took one home for her husband and he loved it too. The salad that came with it looked good, but I opted for fries which were tasty. I will definitely be back!

Excellent food, excellent service, excellent ambience. Really enjoyed the mezze platter with all the sides. I could eat just that alone and be happy. The small plates have the thoum sauce which is very good. Highly recommend the chicken shawarma small plate it was great and a lot of food

We had a wonderful meal. Food was delicious. The hummus and baba ghannouj were authentic and tasty. The food came put at different times

Love love Lebanese food wonderful choices, glad VA is getting foodie diversity like NYC ....

My husband made reservations for Mother's Day. We had been to the previous Glen Allen location years ago so I was looking forward to our visit. We were greeted by a kind hostess who let us know the menu options were extremely limited for Mothers Day. Ok, no big deal. Mezze platter (the only appetizer) was measly and so so dry. 1 grape leaf, 1 Sambusek, 1 cheese pie and the tiniest bit of hummus and tabbouli. The grape leaf was dry and stiff, the cheese pie was the size of my thumb and not tasteful at all. My daughter ordered the Mac and Cheese (Kraft) and it was gross and clumpy. How do you mess up generic boxed Mac and Cheese? Now onto the worst part, THE SERVICE. We had two female servers who visited our table ONCE during the meal. Two tables in the whole restaurant and servers going MIA for over 10 minutes at a time. Both stunk like a marijuana factory. I mean they must have smoked outside and ran back in because our eyes were watering at our table. I don't care what you do on your own time but seriously, weed smoke breaks between tables? It was a lot. The customers were all pretty annoyed by it. They were both high as kites and didn't refill our drinks or ask us how the food was ONCE. As a Lebanese woman, I was truly disappointed in Natalie's. We are known for our hospitality and fresh, delicious food and this was NOT IT. My Teta would have walked right out. It has gone downhill. Do better. This is not Lebanese cuisine!!

Richmond has several incredible Mediterranean restaurants. This is not one of them. We ordered the Mixed grill. Beef was raw and smelled fishy. The Lamb was filled with white uncooked fat. The chicken was unseasoned. Not only was the food quality extremely low, but it was also in a very small quantity. The worst part? This one, low quality fish was priced at $68. We took one look at the food and decided it wasn't safe to eat. I highly recommend going to other restaurants, as this one serves low quality, old meat, that is barely edible.

We decided to go for lunch, and the food is so good! Wasn't very busy (probably because it's a weekday), and the service was wonderful as well. The interior is very chic and modern with comfortable seating and tables. We had the rice bowl, hummus, and lentil soup.

The food was good, but not great & the prices were ridiculously high. The menu was very limited & the servings quite small. The service was slow & mediocre. Our server did not know the items on the menu well & we had to ask for plates. We had been to the Short Pump location several times, but the current location lacks the beauty & ambiance of that. I don't think we will be back.

Most excellent! I'd not been to the new location, so our visit two weekends ago was a test. Imagine our delightful surprise to find that the excellent, authentic approach to eastern Mediterranean food continues to please. Great hummus, excellent pita, wonderful shawarma, and great atmosphere. Also, we lucked out that Friday we visitited to hear Papa Chubby and Sugarfoot playing great jazz.

Since they moved to the new location. The quality of their food, and service for dine in and 'to go' food has just taken a big dive. We drive 90 minutes to come eat at Natalie's, and would try to do so every 3-4 months. We would make a day in Richmond centered around visiting their restaurant because the food was amazing. It was flavorful and authentic, we loved the story of the restaurant, and supporting a local business. The smells would remind me of being in the region walking around local markets. It was that real of a deal. Since the move to the new location though, the quality of the food has gone down noticeable. It feels like the dishes are trying to be trendier, and less authentic to the region, thus the flavor is more bland. When I placed a recent order to go, the food order was not complete. It was missing sauces, items which are a part of the meal per their menu were missing, the portions of meat was greatly reduced. Example, the kids meal use to have 5-6 sizable pieces of chicken. Our most recent order only had 3, my kebab order had one small piece of beef kabab and a normal size piece of lamb. I don't know if they are under new management, or if they have changed chefs, but the change is noticeable and not in the right direction in my opinion as a customer. Our next visit will determine if we remain customers or not.

Very good service Very good food Very good appetizer Clean, neat and perfect. I recommend this place to everyone

This is an update to my earlier review from March. Natalie's has just had a "soft re-opening" a few days ago on June 22, 2023. They changed their menu to family style and they hired a new chef (Alex Vazquez). As you will recall from my previous visit/review, I was very disappointed in the quality of the food. I am writing to say that they have turned things around! Everything about my meal last night was better... my chicken kebobs were seasoned and cooked perfectly, I loved the fresh dill on top. The hummus was very delicious, and the toum was perfect this time. Friends had the short rib kebobs and couldn't stop talking about how delicious and tender they were. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised at how well Alex has turned things around. Given this new experience, I'd say their "re-opening" was a success and I'll be back for sure.

I would like to give a good review, because I support what this type of restaurant does for the community. At the end of the day, the food needs to be better. I've been here 5+ times and only once was I satisfied. Components of meals are missing, ingredients are improperly integrated. We ordered lamb burger and moussaka recently, and what we received was closer to a plain quarter pounder from Wendy's and cubed eggplant in tomato sauce, garnished with an uncooked garlic clove. Please fix the food! Also the ambiance (lighting, background music) needs to be considered. This location will work, and the community will rally around the cause, but the food needs to be better.

Horrible place! No service like I'm not joking there's nobody there to take your order or anything just think of when you order off DoorDash , and it took us 15 min to find someone and she came in laughing like it was funny. The restaurant was empty. We just got up and left. Do not come here . Horrible service and your reply is even worse for Customer service. And this is a middle Eastern restaurant with no hospitality. The fact that we had to get up from our seats to find someone is embarrassing for you as an owner. And your employee was on her phone that's why she was distracted in the back. Shows how you are as an owner. And no service and not one person to take our order or to ask questions. There's a reason there was no one in your restaurant, if anyone is looking for great service and delicious service shawarma bistro was wayyyyy better.

Big Disappointment!! If you are looking for authentic Lebanese food, don't go there! If you expect great service, don't go there. If you expect management to care if you are happy with your meal, don't go there. If you expect an attentive wait staff, do not go there. If you are satisfied with only pleasant ambience and modern decor, okay, go there. The best part of the experience was the jazz quartet (keyboard, saxophone, bass, vocalist), which was good. The meal: Beverage...Beer and a Paloma cocktail. Beer on tap, fine. The cocktail...not even a hint of grapefruit or spritz. It had the color of a very dirty martini and was beyond cloyingly sweet. Yuck! Appetizers...baba ghanouj for the man, falafel for me. The baba gahanouj was very creamy and smooth...a good thing. However, there was no smokiness that would have come from roasted eggplant. There was no hint of tehini, garlic, or lemon. Basically, there was no flavor in this dish. The pita bread was good. The falafel must have been out of a package, not housemade. They were symmetrical in shape, pretty. They were over fried or baked...dry. There was little flavor. The sauce that was served with them was, like the baba ghanouj very bland, not even a hint of garlic, cumin, or sesame. I requested a bit of harissa, to add a bit of flavor to the sauce. A very small ramekin with a pinkish orange sauce was brought to me. NOT HARISSA!! Not even harissa mayo. The taste? Meh! Any Middle Eastern restaurant worth anything has harissa! For the next course husband ordered the grilled kafta burger and fries. It was dry, overdone (not juicy as promised), cheese okay...fries okay, average. I had the chicken shawarma (chopped grilled chicken with sauce in a wrap). Bland sauce and chicken, a few chewy pieces. There was a lovely green salad that accompanied the shawarma. Dessert was good ordinary, but good. Husband had the flourless chocolate torte, a smallish portion, but tasty. I had the pistachio creme brûlée. If one has texture issues, this dish should be avoided, since eating the topping of sizable coarse sugar granules is akin to crunching glass. The cream portion of this dish is delicious. The meal tonight reminded me of an experience in the Middle East: We once attended what was billed as a presentation of authentic Spanish tapas. We pointed out to one of the servers (one we knew very well) that indeed there was very little that was authentic. He replied, with a smile, that given our travels and love of food, we knew, but they (he waved his hand to point out the crowd) know only what we tell them, that they did not know. If you are not concerned about the authenticity of the dishes served, go there.

We were told this place was good, and it didn't disappoint. Everything was good, the place was clean, the service was prompt and friendly. The Brussel sprouts & crème brulée were particularly excellent. The price was reasonable; two people with drinks, appetizer, and dessert for ~$35/each

Total ripoff! $355 including 20% tip added on, and an illegal service fee for a little bit mediocre food compliments of the chef from Bell Greek. Never ever going back! Everything is different from the original restaurant in Innsbrook.