Raemona Reviews // Low Key Lovely Dining With Friends At Al Hallab

On a pleasantly cool afternoon in Dubai, we had the pleasure of being invited to Al Hallab, in the bustling Mall of Emirates for an early dinner. It was a lovely excuse to visit the mall during the bustling holiday season and stroll through the familiar halls and meet up with old friends over a delicious meal.

Al Hallab’s story began in 1881 in Tripoli, Lebanon, as a family-run bakeshop known for its artisanal sweets and warm hospitality. From the historic alleys of Lebanon to the heart of Dubai, Al Hallab carries the soul of Lebanese heritage. Bringing this legacy to Dubai, Ghassan Al Hallab has expanded the brand into a full-service Lebanese restaurant.

Arriving at Al Hallab, next to the cinema on the top floor of Mall of Emirates, we were warmly greeted by the team and led to our seats.  The manager on duty swiftly popped by to introduce himself & welcome us to Al Hallab. We were so impressed by the hospitality and gracious welcome that we decided to leave ordering in his capable hands, after briefing him about our preference for vegetarian starters. Right off the bat, it was apparent that there was a sense of pride in the team, as chefs we understand that this is a very good sign of things to come.

Our drinks arrived quickly, and my mint lemonade was refreshing, bright, and not too sweet. Just the way I prefer. Soon after, the Mezze spread arrived. Dish after dish, left us impressed. Perfectly smooth avocado hummus, exceptional falafels that were somehow perfectly crunchy yet simultaneously vibrantly green, light and airy. A bright & crisp fattoush I could not stop eating, cheese sambusek that tasted homemade. And the hindbeh bil zeit, a new dish for us, consisting of sauteed dandelion greens, sumac and crispy caramelized onion, a wonderful & cozy dish. 

Before we move onto the main course, I have to take a moment to appreciate the service style of the team. We were dining with good friends we had not seen in a while and were excited to be catching up. Needless to say, the conversation was flowing and we were having a great time. What impressed me was that the team were incredibly attentive without interrupting our conversation once. We barely noticed as they expertly placed dishes on our table, removed dirty plates, replaced our bread basket or refilled water glasses.

Next arrived the large mixed grill platter. The lamb tikka, kofta and chicken shish tawouk were all exceptional. It had been a while since I had such tender, juicy and well marinated kebabs.  Served with delicious roasted onions and charred, grilled tomatoes.

As we were chatting they cleared our table and replaced our plates with fresh, clean ones. We assumed they were getting ready to serve us dessert, perhaps a tea with a little baklava. But they had a different plan altogether! We were once again greeted by the smiling face of the manager and his team, who were carrying 4 GIANT glass mugs and a literal tray of sweet treats! The chewy baklava cookies with pistachios & baklava pieces stole the show and we were pleasantly surprised they were served warm! Lovely attention to detail.  As did the unique avocado smoothie topped with crumbled baklava, a meal on its own! The baklava was exceptional, but the smoothie was a fun dessert we hadn’t ever seen before. The smoothie itself was smooth and not too sweet which proved a great counterpoint to the crunchy, crumbled baklava topping. Extremely craveable and an easy treat to grab in between meals while you shop!

All in all it was a lovely catch up and an excellent meal. Well done to the team at Al Hallab, we will definitely be back.