Libanesische Küche Linaz — Restaurant in Gera

I read all google reviews before I ate at Linaz for the first time.

I was frankly intrigued to find out how it is because some 1 star reviews are very harsh whilst many 5 star reviews shower praises.

I am sad to confirm that the negative reviews are more in line with the experience I had.

On the 30th March 2025 at around 18:00 I ordered a half kg. portion of shish taouk (apparently this is the minimum amount one can order).

It was 7 degrees celsius outside and the temperature inside was only a couple of celsius degrees warmer because the door to the street was wide open.

The chicken pieces were very salty. When holding them in my hand pieces were literally falling off. This is probably because the chicken is pumped with softening hormones.

The food came in a white light weight box (similar to cardboard but a lighter material which I can't remember the name of) and it included french fries (from frozen. In good Lebanese food venues the french fries are made with freshly cut potatoes) and a liquid garlic sauce that tastes horrible.

Lebanese shish taouk should come with toum.

The latter is made by blending whole garlic cloves, fresh lemon juice and a high quality vegetable oil in a blender. The version at Linaz is an industrial sauce from a packet that is common in salad bars at low quality buffet restaurants in Europe.

I was also given a coleslaw salad which tasted bad because the cabbage and carrot pieces were drowned in an industrial milky sauce similar to the one that came in place of the toum (minus the garlicky flavour).

Because of the high salt content in the shish taouk I requested from the owner Abu Shehab tahini (in hope the tahini is unsalted so it would make eating the shish taouk more bearable).

Abu Shehab looked noticably surprised at my request and said he has no tahini (I ate in a thousand Lebanese restaurants all over the world including Lebanon and I confirm that all of them serve tahini because it is a staple of Lebanese cuisine).

Knowing that it was the first day of Eid (this means the sweets were freshly made in the morning) and seeing a selection of tempting sweets I asked how much the date filled pastries are (in Arabic it is called ma'amoul tamr). Abu Shehab replied the minimum amount one can purchase is half a kilo and that a kilo costs 20 Euros.

I am almost 50 years old and I never encountered such a rule in an Arabic sweet shop unless the sweets are pre packaged which is not the case here!

I bought half a kilo. I confirm the ma'amoul tamr is indeed fresh but the sugar content is very high (I honestly can't remember eating such over sweet ma'amoul in my life).

I am able to eat it by drinking tea with boiled fresh fenugreek seeds because the seeds are bitter and help to reduce from the sweetness.

Abu Shehab praises the manakeesh he makes and there is a gas oven to make them. Alas, one za'atar mankoushe costs 7.50 Euros (!).

Za'atar is wild thyme and it grows every where in Lebanon. It is hence very cheap (most Lebanese people pick them up in their villages or open spaces in towns or get them free from their relatives who live in the countryside).

In Berlin I ate fantastic za'atar manakeesh from Syrian bakeries that have better gas ovens for 3 Euros per piece. If Abu Shehab can sell his manakeesh at 7.50 Euros per piece it is proof that in some places (Gera perhaps?) you really can fool most people most...

authentic Lebanese dining experience with a warm atmosphere and exceptional service. The sushi platter is a flavorful standout, while the mixed grill is perfectly seasoned. Don’t miss the baklava for a sweet finish. A must-visit for lovers of Middle...

Ich kann gar nicht genug beschreiben, wie ich begeistert bin von meinem Besuch in diesem Restaurant. Vom Moment des Betretens bis zum Abschied wurde ich von der herzlichen Gastfreundschaft des Personals verwöhnt. Die Speisen sind nicht nur köstlich zubereitet, sondern jedes Gericht ist eine wahre Gaumenfreude. Die Auswahl an Speisen ist vielfältig und bietet für jeden Geschmack etwas. Der Service ist von höchster Qualität - aufmerksam, freundlich und professionell. Die Mitarbeiter nehmen sich Zeit, um sicherzustellen, dass jeder Gast ein unvergessliches Erlebnis hat. Ich kann dieses Restaurant nur wärmstens empfehlen und freue mich bereits auf meinen...