BEIRUT SAJ RESTAURANT — Restaurant in Tbilisi

Surprised this place has such a high rating, so went through some of the reviews to try and figure out how. Seems like it used to be good, as many note that the original chefs and staff left.

Our experience was terrible. The person who served us (a gray-haired guy with glasses) was the worst waiter I've ever encountered.

Didn't greet us when we came in. We ordered an appetizer, which he did not bring, and skipped straight to the main dish. I had to ask for the appetizer after the main dish was served. The appetizer in question was hummus. He drenched it in sunflower oil. The flatbread was very plain, probably the worst I've tried. The only thing decent was the main dish - a Kafta platter.

The sodas we ordered he brought to the table without opening them, without brining us glasses.

We ordered a meal to share, which was served on a wooden platter. Didn't bring us plates, or knives. The first time I asked for a knife, he ignored me. Only after I asked again did he bring a knife.

Keep in mind, that whenever he brings something to our table, he just drops it. Without looking at us, without saying a word.

He then went to the kitchen and started arguing with the chef, which we had to listen to (we were sitting next to the kitchen).

The chef then brought a meal we did not order. Turns out it was for the people sitting next to us, so we had to bring it to them. They only had people sitting at two tables and managed to mix up the orders.

Overall, the atmosphere in the place was terrible. Literally felt hostile. Never in my life have I experienced such a rude service and we travel a lot. It was our first night in Tbilisi, and it left a terrible first impression.

The moral of the story - the good reviews of this place are old. If you're planning to go there now - don't. The food might be worth it - but then order. Don't eat in the restaurant. If there's another Lebanese place, rather order from them. This establishment does not deserve...

Great Food Ruined by Shockingly Hostile Service

From the moment we stepped into this Lebanese restaurant, it was clear we were in for a uniquely unpleasant experience. The waiter, if one can even call him that, seemed to view our presence as a personal affront. We were left standing awkwardly at the entrance, invisible and unwelcome, before seating ourselves.

When our reluctant host finally deigned to acknowledge us, he unceremoniously dumped menus on our table and vanished. His demeanor wasn't merely indifferent; it was actively hostile, as if serving customers was a grievous imposition on his day.

The parade of incompetence continued. Our starter was forgotten. Pepsi was thrust upon us without glasses when we'd ordered Coke Zero. We had to repeatedly request basic utensils, only to have them tossed onto our table with evident disdain. The pinnacle of this farce was when our waiter managed to deliver another table's order to us - in a near-empty restaurant with only two occupied tables.

While the food itself was admittedly delicious - the meat, in particular, was excellent - it couldn't compensate for the waiter's determined efforts to make us feel unwelcome. It was as if he had undertaken a personal mission to provide the worst service humanly possible.

In summary, while the kitchen clearly knows its craft, the front-of-house experience was nothing short of abysmal. Unless you enjoy feeling like an unwanted intruder while dining out, I'd strongly advise giving this establishment...

Ordered on wolt on the 10th April 2025. The hummus is not a success (edible but lacking silkiness. It is not Lebanese in texture or flavour). I give it 7/10

The tabouleh is freshly made but it is bland.

It needs more lemon juice and black pepper (not a problem if you are ordering for home but a hassle if you are ordering to your hotel room and need to search for pepper to enhance its non existent taste) and the bulgur impact is minimal 8/10

The batata harra is technically not a batata harra but it is made of freshly cut potatoes and the seasoning is good 8/10

The foul moudamas is technically not that.

It is made with a local bean that is small in size but tastes good too. It could use more cumin and a touch of garlic (if there was any the amount was too small to notice) 8/10

The pita bread is fresh but it is not enough for two persons.

I would order more pita bread but such an item does not exist on the wolt menu.

I suspect the rave comments are mainly because the portions are generous and that vegans can find a lot to choose from but the latter is true in every Lebanese 🇱🇧 restaurant on planet earth 🌎

The final score is 7 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 31/4 = 7.75 so it qualifies for...