Grand Beirut Restaurant Al Qana — Restaurant in Abu Dhabi

We were out enjoying a chill day in Abu Dhabi when hunger struck, and after some quick online digging, we decided to check out Grand Beirut at Al Qana. From the moment we stepped inside, the vibe hit just right, stylish yet cozy, with a cool mix of modern flair and authentic Lebanese touches. Plus, it was wonderfully quiet, so we could actually relax and soak it all in.

We went for the “1 Meter Kebab,” a massive 600 grams of nut-flavored goodness served with delicious sides like tajin, muhammara, khashkhash salsa, potato harra, and biwaz salad. Perfectly sized for the three of us, and honestly, excellent value compared to ordering separately. Sparkling water kept us refreshed throughout.

The service was a bit off at first. Sometimes we had to signal the staff several times, and a different staff member would come each time. But after a while, one person took over and everything improved noticeably.

Here’s a funny (and slightly annoying) moment: the guy serving our water splashed it everywhere every time he filled a glass. Was he nervous? Probably! My phone even got a splash. Definitely room for improvement there.

When the food arrived, we were genuinely wowed by the presentation and the sheer amount on the table. The kebab was grilled perfectly, juicy, flavorful, and just the right amount of spice. There was also this warm, creamy dip,kind of like Mutabal, but served hot, which threw us off a bit since we’re used to it cold. Still tasty though!

The restaurant features a dedicated smoking area, providing a comfortable space for smokers without affecting other guests.

The outdoor seating? Absolute gold. Imagine dining with stunning views of Al Qana’s waterfront and the iconic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, it’s a feast for the eyes as much as the palate.

And here’s the kicker, we found out on the way out that Grand Beirut is officially a MICHELIN 2024 restaurant. No wonder everything felt so on point!

If you love generous portions, great flavors, and a chill atmosphere with killer views, this place should definitely be on your list. Just a few service tweaks and...

We were out enjoying a chill day in Abu Dhabi when hunger struck, and after some quick online digging, we decided to check out Grand Beirut at Al Qana. From the moment we stepped inside, the vibe hit just right, stylish yet cozy, with a cool mix of modern flair and authentic Lebanese touches. Plus, it was wonderfully quiet, so we could actually relax and soak it all in.

We went for the “1 Meter Kebab,” a massive 600 grams of nut-flavored goodness served with delicious sides like tajin, muhammara, khashkhash salsa, potato harra, and biwaz salad. Perfectly sized for the three of us, and honestly, excellent value compared to ordering separately. Sparkling water kept us refreshed throughout.

The service was a bit off at first. Sometimes we had to signal the staff several times, and a different staff member would come each time. But after a while, one person took over and everything improved noticeably.

Here’s a funny (and slightly annoying) moment: the guy serving our water splashed it everywhere every time he filled a glass. Was he nervous? Probably! My phone even got a splash. Definitely room for improvement there.

When the food arrived, we were genuinely wowed by the presentation and the sheer amount on the table. The kebab was grilled perfectly, juicy, flavorful, and just the right amount of spice. There was also this warm, creamy dip,kind of like Mutabal, but served hot, which threw us off a bit since we’re used to it cold. Still tasty though!

The restaurant features a dedicated smoking area, providing a comfortable space for smokers without affecting other guests.

The outdoor seating? Absolute gold. Imagine dining with stunning views of Al Qana’s waterfront and the iconic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, it’s a feast for the eyes as much as the palate.

And here’s the kicker, we found out on the way out that Grand Beirut is officially a MICHELIN 2024 restaurant. No wonder everything felt so on point!

If you love generous portions, great flavors, and a chill atmosphere with killer views, this place should definitely be on your list. Just a few service tweaks and...

After reading many positive reviews, we decided to visit this place. We went in as a group of 4 people and ordered 4 breakfast trays. We ended up receiving only 1 tray (as shown in the picture) to be shared by 4 people on an unlimited refill basis. So basically, whether you go in as 1 person or 4 people, the quantity is the same, masked behind the 'unlimited' clause. Quite a rip-off. Do not be fooled by their Instagram story. For instance, Fattah is shown in their IG story for breakfast tray, but was not included for us.

We had to call on the server named Samah multiple times as the dishes were not being promptly refilled until pointed out by us. When the food did arrive, it came after forever. But with the kind of negative attitude he gave us, we stopped asking for refills after a point and made do with the cold bread, as it seemed like it was coming out of Samah's own personal kitchen. It was quite interesting to witness Samah's complete change in attitude towards other tables with Arabic speaking customers (we are non-arabic speakers). Felt discriminatory after a point.

Even if the aesthetic ambiance and Al Qana views somewhat made up for the lackluster service, the food was below average and definitely fell short on the generous portion sizes synonymous with authentic Lebanese fare. The chickpea-so-called 'stew' was just a plate of steamed chickpeas. Most Arab restaurants provide salads for free with the main course. Sadly, there were no salads included in the breakfast tray. The manakish was the only redeemable dish but the portions were so limited (each time we ordered, only 1 manakish arrived that had to be split 4-ways). So to fill our appetite, we have to request for multiple seconds. As we had to get through to Samah first for this, we decided no more manakish for us thank you very much.

All in all, definitely not the experience we wanted, especially since I came here to have a hearty birthday breakfast. We won't be coming back or recommending this...