Restaurant UMMI Beirut

The decor is lovely! And the staff was very attentive and helpful. We were a big group with babies and they were very accommodating. The food was so good. The portions aren't very big though. We tried different things and they were really all good.

Was literally deceived, after all the reviews i heard and the appealing photos shared over media, i was expecting a unique experience. The location is practical, near the more preferred sisters pizza, deli and brgr co in the souks. The staff is attentive, and available when needed. The decoration lacked of spirit, a bit coldish and somehow cheap items were on display. The open preparation area is not super. As for the food we had: Shamandar with tarator: the best dish we had there, we asked for extra tarator on the side too Ummi moutabal: the moutabal mix is ok however the toppings were not as freshly prepared which was not pleasant Harrak Ousba3ou: same as the moutabal, the onions were fired ahead of time and thus not crunchy Mousakkhan: again I did not enjoy it, overall everything seemes liek prepared ahead of time fattet spinach: i loved the idea and we coupled it with the balila which a good mix to do. The only available sweet was the halwet l jibn: average. I was waiting for an extraordinary experience as the one i had in the other restaurants chain but was deceived.

Ummi is the newest addition to the Chef Hussein Hadid street of restaurants. This time the focus is on Lebanese cuisine. Ummi has a lovely interior with a copper color dominating the ceiling and walls. However, the ambiance is a tad too noisy, and we had the scorching sun rays in our eyes for the duration of the meal where we were seated. The eatery has an open kitchen, which I love. I visited the hard-working chefs for a couple of minutes, and they seemed happy and passionate; this added to my enjoyment of the live cooking experience. What was refreshing at Ummi was that all the staff was friendly and welcoming. We ordered several mezze dishes, the mixed grills platter, and half a roasted chicken. I was disappointed that a couple of items on the menu were unavailable, namely the kibbe neye and the akkawi & kashkaval oven baked toasties. It was a while before our food started arriving to our table, but when it did, it was presented well and tasted good for the most part. Although the fattoush and batenjen salads were fresh and tasty, my personal preference would be to have bigger chunks of the ingredients in both. The hummus with lahmeh was nice and creamy. Two plates that were very flavorful were the arnabeet with tarator and mousakhan oven baked toasties. The mousakhan had that extra tang from the sumac and drizzled syrup on top, which was great. As for the balila, the chickpeas were cooked to perfection. Also, I loved the coriander that was generously mixed with the cubes of potato in the batata bi kizbara. The kafta fatteh was good as well, and the roasted chicken was tender. Then, the mixed grills platter arrived; the kafta, chicken, and meat were all succulent. I really have to mention that the accompanying garlic paste was amazing. When it was time for dessert, I asked the waiter to provide me with the menu because I had my eye on the atayef and umm ali (yes, I check the dessert section at the beginning of my meal). Yet, he told me that the only three currently available desserts were karabij, bohsaliyye, and knefe. No atayef and umm ali for me, and there was a discrepancy between the menu dessert offerings and the ones we were told verbally. Anyway, we had the knefe and bohsaliyye. Honestly, they were mediocre in taste and my sweet tooth had to be satisfied elsewhere.

Ummi is one of my best experiences with Lebanese food in Beirut. It is in the heart of downtown and the service is one of the things that makes me go back. I have been there around 6 times and I surely recommend it. Clean, tasty, and a great repertoire.

My favorite restaurant in Lebanon. All veggie options are great. This place exceeded my expectations! It was the only place I visited twice.