Hidden from the crowded and trendy main street of Mar Mikhael, you discover SUD Restaurant nestled in La Cour Saint Michel, a picturesque courtyard owned by Chawki Yazbeck (who also owns SUD). The courtyard was inspired by old traditional Lebanese architecture. Even the floor tiles inside SUD Restaurant are identical to the tiles you would normally find in an old Lebanese house.
The location is ideal for a light lunch in the sun, tapas and drinks on the terrace or even a romantic dinner date.
Parking is pretty simple: either give your car to the valet or park it yourself at the nearest parking which happens to be a gas station facing the courtyard entrance.
SUD Restaurant offers Mediterranean cuisine including a variety of dishes inspired by French and Italian culture with a touch of finesse and a unique flavour combination. It’s the perfect spot for a devoted gourmand. Not to mention, it’s currently ranked #1 out of over 600 restaurants in Lebanon on TripAdvisor (June 2016), which is pretty awesome.
A Gastronomic Lunch at SUD Restaurant
For lunch, T (#mybeau) and I were spoiled with a selection of dishes from SUD Restaurant ’s newly launched summer menu.
Before our food arrived, we enjoyed some freshly baked warm bread with local extra virgin olive oil (Adon & Myrrh) and balsamic vinegar. Add a pinch of salt and let your taste buds do the rest.
The music was soft, with a selection of oldies playing in the background – the mood already set the tone for our perfect lunch experience.
Appetizers
Beautifully presented oven-baked aged goat cheese, blackberries, hazelnuts and drizzled honey served with pain croustillant. The blackberries were a bit sour; I would have preferred a sweeter taste to balance the tangy goat cheese. The crunch of the toasted hazelnuts was pleasant paired with the creaminess of the cheese.
The Salmon Tartare had a generous portion of salmon with creamy avocado, cucumbers, radish and capers, topped with finely grated lemon zest. It was fresh, appetizing and I loved it. I would only remove the cucumbers, because I felt they were slightly out of place. I loved the toasted bread served with it so much that I nibbled on it even without the salmon!
Sea bream carpaccio with melon and lime – the balance of flavours was off. It tasted a lot like melon and I could not taste the fish at all. The ratio of sea bream to melon should be higher.
Main Course
T had a roasted chicken and a perfect slice of layered potato and mushroom cake, which was absolutely delicious; the thin slices of potato melt in your mouth like butter. Of course, I stole a bite… or two, or seven.
The Filet de Boeuf Black Angus was succulent and grilled to perfection (medium for me, thank you very much). I ordered it with steamed baby potatoes instead of French fries with some white mushroom sauce on the side which tasted excellent with the juicy meat.
And now for the best part: Dessert
We really enjoyed the exotic fresh fruit salad topped with a scoop of perfectly tangy lemon sorbet. The sorbet actually retained its form and did not melt too quickly so we got to take our time savouring it – along with the other desserts. *wipes drool while reminiscing*
These were the highlight of our lunch. Brace yourselves for the perfect sweet ending.
The Chocolate Peanut Éclair was recommended to us by our waitress, Helene. She informed us that it won an award during the HORECA 2016 competitions. After tasting it, we agreed it deserved the gold. So many flavours packed into one delicate-looking éclair, which is anything but simple! A swipe of peanut crunchy spread on the bottom, dark chocolate éclair with a slight crunch, topped with a milk chocolate sheet, topped with creamy milk chocolate mousse.The textures work exceptionally well together. The taste of the topping resembled the milky taste of Kinder chocolate. Oh, and it’s topped with edible gold. Fancy. I would recommend and order this dessert again!
Are you sure you can handle more?
Perfectly baked Pain Perdu: Caramelized and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, served with a scoop of caramel ice cream. Could you ask for more? I am coming back for this one, SUD. The Pain Perdu at SUD Restaurant has landed on my TOP 3 in Lebanon. Pure. Indulgence.
Final Words
The staff is very friendly and attentive. Helene was our waitress and I think her professionalism deserves a mention because we were treated with such respect, sophistication and a lovely smile throughout the entire afternoon. It is not just the food that builds a restaurant’s reputation and success; the service is just as important. She made our experience even more memorable and enjoyable.
The attention to detail at SUD Restaurant is on-point and it is unquestionably reflected in their unique dishes, impeccable service and selection of music. You can sense that SUD is clearly passionate about what they do and you can taste passion in every bite.
SUD Restaurant
Address: Armenia Street, Facing Manar Gas Station, Mar Mikhael, Beirut
Contact: +961-1-560900 / +961-70-790001
For opening hours, check out their Facebook page or
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