4/5 Karl A. 1 year ago on Google
Of
all
the
things
I
was
excited
to
eat
in
Lebanon,
fresh
seafood
was
high
on
my
list.
Following
a
visit
to
Jbeil,
my
family
and
I
decided
to
try
out
Babel
Bahr,
excited
both
by
its
excellent
reputation
and
setting
right
by
the
water.
When
we
arrived
at
Babel,
the
restaurant
was
relatively
empty,
although
I
chalk
this
down
mostly
to
our
time
of
arrival,
as
6pm
is
not
quite
lunch
or
dinner.
The
space
itself
is
impressive,
with
the
entrance
in
one
building
and
connected
to
the
dining
room
by
an
underground,
stone
covered
tunnel.
Despite
the
slight
breeze
and
winter
weather
we
opted
to
sit
outside,
tempted
by
the
sound
of
waves
and
the
glimmer
of
lights
across
the
bay
(although
it
wasn’t
too
lit
up
given
Lebanon’s
current
situation).
For
the
mezze
portion
of
the
meal
we
opted
for
the
classics,
and
were
then
brought
to
a
tantalizing
selection
of
fresh
seafood.
We
selected
only
Lebanese
fish,
a
larger
one
for
grilling
purposes
and
a
variety
of
smaller
fish
to
be
fried.
The
mezze
arrived
promptly
and
we
dug
into
an
excellent
spread
of
salads
and
dips.
Both
the
fattoush
and
taboule
were
excellent,
with
fresh
tasty
vegetables
and
a
generous
addition
of
herbs.
I
was
particularly
a
fan
of
the
fattoush,
with
its
hint
of
pomegranate
molasses
throughout.
The
only
letdown
was
a
platter
of
calamari
-
good
enough
but
not
particularly
great,
especially
for
a
seafood
restaurant
of
Babel’s
reputation.
Unfortunately,
the
letdown
we
experienced
with
the
calamari
continued
with
the
subsequent
fish
dishes.
Neither
the
fried
nor
grilled
fish
were
bad
by
any
means,
but
they
were
equally
unexceptional.
A
grilled
seabream
may
have
been
overcooked,
less
flaky
than
expected,
and
on
the
drier
side.
The
fried
fish
was
better,
but
the
oil
had
an
aftertaste
that
may
be
reflective
of
overuse.
Perhaps
it
was
accentuated
following
the
mezze,
but
my
expectations
for
the
fish
were
considerably
higher.
At
this
point
in
the
meal,
it
felt
like
the
breeze
had
gotten
stronger,
so
we
decided
to
shift
inside
for
dessert.
The
restaurant
really
is
impressive,
and
I
imagine
visiting
in
the
day,
with
a
view
of
the
sea
would
add
to
the
experience.
We
were
brought
a
tray
of
fruits
and
two
different
kinds
of
Lebanese
desserts.
I
would
say
the
dessert
was
the
most
disappointing
part
of
the
meal,
and
considerably
less
impressive
than
the
mezze
we
started
with.
Overall,
Babel’s
setting
and
mezze
were
fantastic
but
we
were
let
down
by
the
fish
and
the
desserts
course.
Whilst
I
wouldn’t
rule
out
a
subsequent
visit,
my
expectations
given
the
restaurant’s
reputation
were
undoubtedly
higher.
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