When you want to feel reassured, there’s no place like home…Picture if you will, a home away from home where soothing melodies of Fairouz songs play in the background, transporting you back to Beirut where the heady aroma of food takes you back to your childhood.

If you have dreamed of the soothing comfort of Lebanese cuisine, you need to look no further. The pleasures of Lebanese food can be sampled, right here in the UAE, only at Villa Beirut.
With the opening of its latest branch in Jumeirah, Dubai, diners have the opportunity to sample authentic dishes from Villa Beirut in the vicinity of their own city.

Lebanese food is a rare kind of cuisine that is both delicious and healthy across the board and it inspires pride across the entire country. Traditional Lebanese traditions have found their way into modern food culture across the entire world too, birthing some delicious multicultural cross overs dishes. However the traditional dishes still warm the hearts of people from across the world.   From succulent kebabs to juicy shish tawook, Villa Beirut will transform your experience of dining. The idea of Villa Beirut began with a hope and vision of a Lebanese girl named Dalia who grew up watching her mother prepare traditional Lebanese delicacies in the suburbs of Beirut. Dalia was always fascinated by her mother’s cooking and simply adored authentic Lebanese cuisine.

Fuelled by a desire to produce only the best product, she worked relentlessly to learn every aspect of bringing authentic food to life. Having mastered the skills of preparing authentic Lebanese food, Dalia knew that having her own restaurant was the only way she could fulfill her dream of creating a truly memorable dining experience. She envisioned a vibrant and happy place where families gather to enjoy good food and traditional music.

In 1940, Dalia, along with her husband, opened a small unassuming restaurant in an old Lebanese house in the outskirts of the capital.  It was called Villa Beirut. It was a family run business with only 4 staff (Dalia, her husband and her two daughters). The initial year was very tough but Dalia persevered and Villa Beirut soon became frequented by numerous high profile customers.  By the second year of operation, Villa Beirut was a resounding success with patrons willing to wait in huge queues just to sample Dalia’s delicious cooking.

Today Villa Beirut is one of the finest places in the UAE for traditional Lebanese food since 1942. From Man’oushet Zaatar to renowned Mezzah dishes like Al Raheb and the Villa’s signature dish, Moutabal Dalia, there is a wealth of choices. The latter is a carefully curated mix of cauliflower and grilled eggplant mixed with tahina sauce. Each dish has inherited the secret quality passed down by Dalia. Many of the dishes are a tribute to her memory.

Their timelessness is a testimony to the legacy of Villa Beirut.

Hadi Al Hakim is the managing partner of International Trading Franchises (ITF), a premier retailer in the UAE with franchise rights to Villa Beirut, Tony Roma’s, Jamaica Blue, and Beavertails. With close to two decades of European and regional experience in Food and Beverages, among other strategic expertise, he brings to Villa Beirut a wealth of experience. He says, “We only serve the freshest ingredients in Villa Beirut.”