CARVAAN BAY YOKOHAMA — Restaurant in Yokohama

First time back in Sakuragicho in a while, and somehow, I ended up at this place on the 7th floor of a building I’d never even noticed before — Colette Mare. The restaurant entrance had a kind of international, slightly mysterious vibe. Not what I expected, but definitely made me curious.

Inside, the lights were low and cozy, and the view? Stunning. Right from our table, we had a full view of the Minato Mirai ferris wheel and the city sparkling at night. It’s one of those views that makes everything feel just a little more special.

The food is “Middle Eastern,” but not in a bold or super spicy way — more like a friendly introduction to the flavors. Nothing too surprising, and easy to enjoy even if you don’t usually eat that kind of cuisine. Kind of like Middle East meets modern Western dining.

Service was fine — smooth and low-key, which actually worked well. No interruptions, just quiet time with a great view and good company.

If I had one small wish, it’d be for a little more explanation on the menu. Some of the names made me feel like I needed a quick Google search. But all in all, it’s a nice spot for couples or friends who want a calm dinner with...

Overall it was a decent. Food was just alright. I think it was pretty much adjusted to Japanese palette as it was lacking the usual Arabic kick of spice/chili and sometimes overwhelming salt/pepper flavor of Arabic food when we ordered the Iskander lunch set and the Arabic lunch set. This is maybe the reason why there was a bottle of ground pepper served with the dishes.

The sizes were also adjusted maybe to Japanese eating portion as they were smaller than what the pictures on the menu were portraying. Arabic food portions are usually much bigger.

The dessert we tried like the ice cream and cheese cake are somehow much better than the Main Dishes. It was a good wrap up. Not too sweet which I like better as the usual Arabic ones are very sweet.

Food can be better given the high end prices but I guess people are paying for the city view and fabolous atmosphere of the place.

I'd give it another chance by trying the other Arabic dishes and not the set menu.

By the way, for families, they don't allow kids/babies during...

It’s a good restaurant with the potential of becoming a great restaurant. I chose the “grand menu”, which was ok but next time I would just go for the Omani fish tajine which was by far the best dish of them all. That was just perfect and the portion size is sufficient. The menu does not come at considerably better value for money either, costing a total 9350 yen (approx 60 usd). The ambiance is nice, decor and music resemble a middle eastern style. Staff is friendly and polite as you’d expect in Japan. Some speak basic English which is enough for the visit. My only complaint is that they gave me the table in the corner, the farthest from the window, so no chance to enjoy the view. There were several free tables closer, and they said all were reserved, but nobody showed up until I left. Not nice as I felt really isolated.. Being very polite and respectful doesn’t necessarily mean great...