New Lebanese hotspot on Leidseplein
If there’s one thing we certainly don’t lack in Amsterdam, it’s hummus. First it was Asian street food that was impossible to avoid; now restaurants serving Middle Eastern cuisine are popping up like chickpeas. The latest addition? Fenice on Leidseplein.
And no, this isn’t a tourist trap. About where Ron Gastrobar Paris by Ron Blaauw used to be on Leidseplein, Lebanese restaurant Fenicie opened last week. The enormous 460 m2 (!) restaurant has been completely renovated, and with its green and gold tones, you can imagine yourself in Lebanon.
Cold and hot mazza
The focus is on small Lebanese dishes: mazza. Have the chef’s favourite mazza brought to the table, along with those of his mother, who still occasionally lends a hand. Start with cold dishes such as fatoush, tabouleh, tarator djej (a tahini-based spread) and baba ganoush. Forget the ready-made muhammara you buy at the supermarket. The version served here has spent no less than twelve hours on the stove before making its way to your table. You eat all these delicious dishes with the homemade Lebanese bread, which comes fresh from the oven every morning.
The dishes are exactly as the Lebanese eat them at home, and you can taste that in the hot dishes too. Be sure to try the kibbeh and waraq enab (stuffed vine leaves). Lebanese cuisine is also excellently suited to vegans, so you can come here with anyone. Do linger at the bar for a cocktail or two; on Fridays and Saturdays, they don’t kick you out until 3:00 a.m.
Touch-ups
Did you come straight from work in your scruffy clothes, only to suddenly notice that there are lots of handsome men in the restaurant? Fenice offers a very special service. On Fridays and Saturdays, the restroom is equipped with a … a makeup artist. Yes, you read that right. Get yourself glammed up and leave with a full stomach and a boost of confidence.
Read also:
