Em Sherif — Restaurant in Saifi

Yes, it was all the hype about Em Sherif and their high review scores that eventually aroused my curiosity. We were in the mood for Lebanese cuisine, so we decided to finally give it a try. When you go in, you notice that the restaurant is fancy, with its mirrored tables and silver cutlery (although I liked some aspects of the interior decoration more than others). A noteworthy issue to mention here is that the service was great from when we entered Em Sherif till when we left. The waiters were very welcoming and friendly, and swiftly brought the food to our table. Things work differently at Em Sherif; when you sit down you do not get a menu to choose from but instead the food directly starts coming your way. For a first-timer, the set menu descending at a fast pace in front of you as well as the waiters passing by with trays of food can be exciting, yet a bit overwhelming as you are trying to keep track of what is being offered and trying to taste everything. However, we did request for room to breathe when we were asked if we would like the hot constituents to be served. I am glad we did that because it was then that I enjoyed all the delicious flavors. Em Sherif does have great food. Their hummus is creamy and their humble labne is really really really good. From the items on the “hovering mezza” tray, the la7em bi3ajeen and sambousik were very tasty, and honestly I would rather that the tray land on the table permanently. The chickpeas in the balila were cooked perfectly and it was well seasoned, though a tad oily. I was surprised at how good the harak osbao was; it had the right amount of tanginess. Additionally, the marination of the skewered shrimps was great and I enjoyed the tender meat chunks (I preferred them to the chich taouk). I could go and on about the immense number of platters we tasted, but if I wanted to describe Em Sherif’s food concisely, it would be well-balanced; their seasoning and the combination of flavors were spot on. I also have to commend them on the kibbe nayye, which had the mint and onions within the mixture, meaning all you had to do was add the olive oil. After this feast of salted dishes, it was time for the sweet ones. Their um ali sauce is to die for! I loved their take on the foret noire presentation; it was placed in a bowl and the chocolate cake was in itself a moist hollow vessel in which the fruits and cream were placed. It seems the maamoul bi jibne is popping up everywhere nowadays, and I am a fan of it in general, and a fan of it at Em Sherif. The waiter places it on your plate and professionally slits it open so that the drizzle of syrup reaches the melted cheese beneath the crumbly crust. All in all, Em Sherif provides a rich set menu with a bit of everything and it left us feeling stuffed for the...

You’re slowly biting into a piece of Sambousek covered in Hummus, with some Hindbeh leaves in the mix… You close your eyes to savor the moment as you let the explosion of flavors invade you. A nostalgic Fairuz song is playing in the background, and a soft breeze is caressing your cheeks. Life is good. It’s especially good at Em Sherif where the culinary experience combines richness and delicateness, comfort and elegance, past and present.

A word of caution: you may have to roll out of the place, as walking would be physically impossible after what can only be described as a gargantuan feast… So you may want to pace yourself. It’s a set menu that takes the stress out of ordering, and ensures that energy is re-directed towards devouring the meal. And it’s classically Lebanese, with the cold and hot appetizers, the warm main dishes, and the desserts, all with small refined portions.

Everything was delicious but if I were to pick some highlights: The minced meat Rkakat and Sambousek were so scrumptious yet delicate at the same time The Kibbeh with yogurt is another hit. The flavoring, the umami, the freshness of the yoghurt…combine magically together Then when you think you’re done… comes a pleasant surprise: A muffin-shaped puff pastry filled with rice, minced meat, chicken and a whole array of condiments (raisins, almonds, shaved carrots, peas), sprinkled with a cinnamon flavored gravy… Sort of a “Riz aa Djej” with a twist. You won’t know what hit you. And you might come back for a second, third, maybe even a fourth serving. The desserts.. what a beautiful note to end this extraordinary performance on. The date and molasses cake might trigger a few inappropriate sounds of approval. The Mhallabye with the loukoum and biscuits will feel decadently sinful.

It’s a beautiful experience. Yes your tummy will beg you to stop, but your your heart and soul will beg...

Everyone in Lebanon says you should visit! I have paid a visit on 16/05/2019 there but in overall it was less than average. It is a very small restaurant, too crowded and too noisy.

People who work there are very arrogant and disrespectful. When we first entered, the person taking care of our table told us" Do you know it is 66 USD per person?" with an air of superiority. While serving they were really disrespectful. If you go for Iftar, there is no music and they all keep on telling you that you need to leave at 10 pm.

By the way, the food is OK, you can find better Lebanese food in Beirut than Em Sherif. While we got the desserts, we noticed he did not give us the full desserts as everyone else.

However, thanks to the manager Mr. Ali he was a very nice and respectful person (I wished they all work as professionally as him) and offered us to come back to visit Em Sherif. He was insisting but we refused because it is really not worth it and because I really hated the whole enviornment. Their seats are so UNcomfortable!

I would not recommend it for anyone, unless you want to waste your money and time.

The only thing I enjoyed was the lemon mint...