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It all starts the minute you step foot at the door step... An enjoyable experience that would make you cheer up. Leila, located on the Main Street of Verdun is a two levels restaurant with high ceiling decorated with huge chandelier. The walls around the space are decorated with hundreds of patterns and paintings. A mix of different colors starting with green, purple, red and pink - all blending together in a cozy authentic Lebanese ambiance. Your eyes will never be bored. Anywhere you turn you see something new. Surprises are everywhere from the tiles to the open kitchen, the glass vitrines the colorful sofas and nice rounded tables.
Leila is a place full of beautiful details including things like the signed fabric place-mats made the Frette way, decorated Leila plates, salt and pepper shakers especially made with Leila logos and so much more.
The decoration of the place is a piece of art: Books, apples, jars are a few of the items displayed making the walls look like a giant painting that you will enjoy while listening to old Lebanese tunes we really miss hearing. Do not forget to look up as soon as you enter and enjoy the fine details of the gigantic chandelier made of upside down white wine bottles. Very original and interesting...
The menu sections: Cold mezze, salads, hot mezze, grill and platters, from the oven, beverages. Some notes on the menu: light items are prepared by diet delights, ask for the special of the day from Leila, ask for our Leila seasonal specialities...
We ordered for their interesting menu: - Tabbouleh (the traditional famous levmbanese salad with parsley, tomatoes, onions and lemon dressing) - Warak Enab (vine leaves stuffed with rice) - Jebneh baladieh bel talmeh (Lebanese homemade cheese served with a mix o chopped tomatoes, olive oil and peppermint on traditional lebanese bread) - Loubieh bil Zeit (Poached green beans with olive oil and lemon juice) - Grilled cheese rolls (grilled crusty dough stuffed with cheese) - Lahmeh rad Asfour - Jebneh mtabbaleh from the oven (white cheese with olive oil, tomato and oregano)
So yummy... - The grilled cheese rolls are out of this world indeed, generous and full of taste making them the best I've tasted in Lebanon. - Tabbouleh is a very good. Freshly prepared with the right mix of dressing - The cheese mix casserole is a unique invention. Bravo! Soft white cheese melting over your mouth, releasing all the flavors - The kebbe sajieh is yummy. High-end quality. - Stuffed vine leaves is really delicious as well
In brief: I loved it!
Choose from a wide choice of fine desserts with a twist: Ghazal Beirut (Musk ice cream surrounded by two layers of toasted sweet flower tipped with pistachio sprinkles and sugar syrup): Uffff. An indescribable road to heaven: It is more than delicious.
More awesome details: You should see the presentation and the professionalism of the display. The casseroles and mixes with their colors. It was really enchanting. I ordered ice cubes that was offered in a glass ice bucket with the work ICE written on it in Arabic. The bread presented in a basket has a choice of toasted, normal Lebanese dough and two buns. They are wrapped in nylon auto closeable bags keeping them fresh at all time.
A plate I loved: the simplest maybe, is one of the nicest to see. The traditional white cheese served like an accordion of colors where the cheese is interlaced with thin slices of tomatoes and a thick Lebanese bread all forming a tower embraced by olive oil and peppermint dust. A simple artistic creation.
My disappointment: Preparation seem to be all prepared prior to order and was unable to change some ingredients. I wanted a plate of hummus prepared without garlic and Loubieh Bi Zeit without onions and I couldn't... Since I am allergic to both of these ingredients I would have appreciated being able to change the orders around according to clients requests.
I have been to Leila ABC Achrafieh many times before deciding to write my opinion about this beautiful concept. Some say its expensive... Maybe, but worth every penny.
Leila is an enjoyable Lebanese food experience in a professional ambiance.
