We were skeptical at first – from Verdun main street, you can mistake Bent El Sultan Restaurant for a typical shisha lounge.

However, once we entered, we were met with a chic outdoor terrace, a cozy interior, contemporary décor with classic pieces, traditional uniforms and positive vibes. We were about to experience a delightful fusion of Lebanese and Levantine flavours that aren’t so prominent in your standard shisha joint.

Dinner at bent el sultan restaurant

We started with a delectable pumpkin soup which tasted just as though Teta (grandmother) made it at home! The only difference is that it was served in a fancy big-ass pumpkin! The soup was rather light and creamy without the excessive use of fresh cream. A definite repeat!

Another original dish presentation of Hummus (chickpea puree) and “Mama” Ghanouj (eggplant puree) arrived with freshly-baked fluffy pita pockets and warm brown pita bread for the more health conscious. I went for the fluffy white clouds last night, #sorrynotsorry abs.

The Hummus had the perfect consistency and was decorated with whole chickpeas which were pleasant once paired with the smooth puree.

Levantine cuisine is famous for its Baba Ghanouj, which I am not a fan of because of the strong tahini flavour. The Mama Ghanouj at Bent El Sultan Restaurant was absolutely delicious.

Picture this: A large grilled eggplant-half filled with a colourful mix of eggplant puree, tomato, mint leaves, parsley, green onions and cucumbers, topped with walnuts and pomegranate seeds. Okay, no need to use your imagination, here’s a picture:

Fried halloumi cheese with cherry tomatoes and thyme, swimming in debs el remmen (pomegranate molasses). The cheese was very tender and tasty, especially when paired with the fluffy clouds.

We then tried three specialty salads

The Red Quinoa Salad. Pomegranate seeds, rocket leaves, watercress, parsley, Bulghari cheese and cornichons. It was light and tasty. I love the tangy Bulghari cheese paired with the mild sweetness of the pomegranate (it’s similar, but bolder in taste to Feta cheese).

The Sultan Salad. A fancy, contemporary tabbouleh.

The Kale and Pomegranate Salad. Kale, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, parsley and rocket leaves. This was my favourite salad; it was light, the ingredients were fresh and I love the crunch of walnuts in my salads.

All three salads would be great to have on your own or share between 2-3 people depending on how hungry you are. I personally wouldn’t share the kale salad and have it all to myself, but it was a civilized, sophisticated social event and I unfortunately had to restrain myself.

Hot Appetizers…. You didn’t think I was finished, did you? 😉

El Sultan Pie – a thin, fluffy baked boat stuffed with spinach and mozzarella cheese. Our table really enjoyed this one. The dough was so lovely and soft.

Caesar Pie – another fluffy boat stuffed with minced meat and pine nuts. I found the meat mixture too sweet.

Ali Nazek – a very tasty appetizer composed of grilled chunks of eggplant , minced meat, pine nuts and coriander swimming in a pool of Greek yogurt.

We also enjoyed Pomegranate Fatayel Slices – a succulent meat filet with spices, lime, debs el remmen and olive oil. It was grilled to perfection with a faint pink center.

My absolute favourite was the Iskandar Filet (I love lamb meat) – slices of cooked tender lamb meat dipped in Greek yogurt on top of a thin-crusted bread and tomato sauce. It looked like a pizza with yogurt instead of cheese! A must try!

The Mains

The Shish Fish served with its special dressing was my least favourite dish. The fish was overcooked and well over seasoned.

The Shish Taouk at Bent El Sultan Restaurant is not your typical one; instead of the usual chicken breast, they use chicken thighs, which are far more tender. The perfectly seasoned chicken kebab is served with rice, char-grilled tomato, toum (garlic spread) and thyme leaves, topped with fluffy pita bread to keep them nice and warm.

Now for dessert

Aysh El Saraya (عيش السرايا) – a classic dessert made with toast bread and cream layers, topped with pistachios, almonds and cashews. It was light in flavour and not too sweet. I would have liked it with Ashta ice cream served on the side ;).

Baklava (بقلاوة) stuffed with Ashta ice cream and pistachio. It was gone in minutes!

Nabulsi Kunafa (كنافة نابلسية) is made in the oven with sweetened cheese and osmaliyeh (thin vermicelli noodles). It’s perfect as is. If you find it needs more sweetness, you can ask for extra “atter”, an absolutely essential Arabic dessert syrup made of sugar, rose water and orange blossom water.

I fell in love with the fluffy Pineapple juice; I was informed by the waiter that it was 100% pineapple with no additives. Still skeptical, but I recommend anyone who goes to Bent El Sultan Restaurant to order it 🙂

Final Verdict?

It was a chic and refined dining experience; we really enjoyed the contemporary Lebanese and Levantine fusion cuisine and the creativity and originality of the dishes prepared by the talented Chef Rabih Chouman. The dishes we sampled that night were based on Greek yogurt and pomegranate flavours, which most of us enjoyed.

The music was rather moody; it wasn’t up to the liveliness of the delicious food we were eating. Their playlist should be reconsidered.

The waiters were very courteous and friendly.

The prices at Bent El Sultan Restaurant are fair based on the quality of food you are served.

As I mentioned earlier, the atmosphere is typical of a shisha lounge and became so starting 9:30pm – the tables around us were filled with customers who would not touch their food as they clung to their precious arguileh. I would recommend that if you’re coming to Bent El Sultan Restaurant to enjoy the food (which is really delicious) without excessively inhaling different flavours of smoke, come early.

Obvious Word of the Day: #Fluffy

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Bent el Sultan Restaurant

Address: Main Street, Verdun, Beirut

Contact: +961-1-345355

For opening hours, check out their page on 

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