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Way before becoming a trend around the country, Casablanca was known for its brunch every Sunday. Opening at 11am you are welcomed to savor Casablanca's fine organic preparations in the iconic setup located on the top floor of a traditional villa, right on the Corniche. Casablanca is known for using all organic products – eggs, vegetables, jams and cheese as well as many creations, all produced in-house.
We arrived at 11am into this old house which looks so different lit by the fresh sunny light of a beautiful spring morning. A mix of colors, a blend of design items and a staff that's ready to serve you with a hefty breakfast, a filtered coffee or a double espresso, it’s perfect. The most popular items are the Eggs Benedict and omelets as well as bagels, pastries, pancakes and a yogurt bowl mixed with fresh fruits.
Sit back, relax and take a moment to enjoy the details of Casablanca:
- The high ceiling eliminates the chance of any possible claustrophobic feeling
- To the right, next to the stairs, is a long bar filled with bottles
- The white arched walls remind you that you are in an old Lebanese house
- The red light, blinking on the street, projects its shadow on the internal walls of the restaurant
- Two walls are painted in red while the two others are covered in blue. Yellow takes over the inner space
- The floor is still kept in it’s naturally rustic marble style
- Facing the bar, on the blue side, a large painting decorates the main restaurant wall
- All the tables are square and made of wood, while the chairs and benches are heavy metallic structures
- Different designs, different ideas and many colors, the chairs are many
- At the back, on the left side of the stairs is the kitchen door, cut in half in a funky way
- Casablanca is on a plane of its own
Casablanca is run by Beirut's legendary Johnny Farah and his wife, who concentrate on the style and quality of East-meets-West fusion food. Mrs. Farah was here today, sitting calmly at the bar and making sure everything is taken care of as it should be.
Open the orange pages and check the menu. Casablanca's breakfast proposes a large choice of items and I wished I could order them all.
The wide choice of items:
- Free-range Eggs
- Omelets
- Free-range Yogurt
- Fresh Juice
- Bagels, Toasts and Pancakes
- Cocktails
- Coffee and Tea
Let's enjoy breakfast at Casablanca:
- Eggs Benedict: On a thick English muffin comes a large piece of thick grilled Canadian ham topped with a poached egg and covered with hollandaise sauce. The bun is excellent, pleasantly chewy, the Canadian ham thick grilled and full of taste with an interesting texture, the eggs perfectly cooked but the sauce... It was a disappointment; Too watery and lacking in flavor. The hollandaise should have had a more prominent flavor, more lemon, more pepper more consistency and surely more body. The sauce spoiled the dish!
- Scrambled or Sunny Side Up: The scrambled eggs were served with a toasted muffin on the side while the sunny side up was served with toasted bread. The simplicity of those dishes made them unique for their kind. A nice color, a juicy texture and some fresh vegetables to accompany them. I enjoyed them and so did the kid.
- In the middle, we were served a bagel filled with cream cheese with fig jam on the side. The bagels are provided by Bread Republic, fresh, but a bit chewy as for the fig jam, this is something worth talking about. A rich and natural homemade fig jam mix where the purity of the fruit is felt in every bite. A beautiful texture, the seeds, the envelop, the sweetness... Bravo.
- Salmon Bagel: One of the best salmon cuts out there is served in a bagel delivered the same day -at least that's what I believe. Cream cheese and salmon in a fresh bun is an interesting breakfast and one of the lightest proposed that day.
- Pancakes: I might have expected a tower of pancakes with different layers but what I received was beautiful enough to activate all my senses. A stunning, large pancake covered with a mix of fruits. One single thick pancake soaked in maple syrup and covered with cut fruits. It reminded me of my last trip to London. A mouthwatering and tasty pancake I can recommend. Just look at the colours, they speak for themselves.
- Yogurt: I'd already eaten a lot but something inside made me want to order the yogurt. Strawberry, raisin, mandarin, apple, banana and mango. I am not a fan of yogurt and rarely feel like ordering it, but Casablanca's are different. This is not the acidic European version of yogurt but our local Laban served next to some honey and fruits. Wow! I never thought Laban tasted so good with fruits. Honestly: It put a smile on my face. An addictive combination I had to finish entirely.
- French Toast: When the plate landed in front of me, I was in awe. A round plate filled with a rectangular piece of thick bread and meticulously decorated with a mix of bananas, apples and strawberries. Around it and covering it, maple syrup gave it the flavor it needed. That's a dessert I loved, I say a dessert cause naming it a French toast makes it loose its sumptuousness. A thick premium bread topped and stacked with maple syrup, slightly crunchy on the borders and chewy inside, married with the fruits made of it an unforgettable experience. A moist bun that's so enjoyable, sweet and lovely... Really breathtaking. I still remember the taste to date... Exquisite!
Casablanca, its ambiance, its menu and waiters guaranteed to put a smile on your face on a Sunday. Facing the Mediterranean Sea, this old house and its beautiful colors will transport you into a land of magical wonders. I enjoyed the food despite the tiny imperfections as well as the place's general feel... I would love to hear your opinion about it.
