Lately a Lebanese restaurant, much like McDonald’s, seems to be opening around every corner, but when it comes to Leila, it  really does bring a taste of Lebanon to the Egyptian food scene, literally.

A popular eatery in Lebanon that was established in 2006, Leila has opened its first Egyptian branch last March in Sixth of October’s Arabia Mall. Set in the casual dining area of the mall, Leila has indoors and outdoors dining areas, with the outdoors one overlooking the mall’s dancing fountain.

We sat in the open air area and ordered appetizers and a fetta dish. The place was decorated with gramophones, pictures of old Lebanese and Arab singers and actors, wood work and cute little flower pots throughout to give it a fresh, airy modern Middle Eastern feel. We ordered hummus with ground beef, cheese-filled spring rolls, stuffed vine leaves, chicken livers, Fattoush salad and grilled Halloumi cheese.

Our waiter started us off with their homemade bread with spiced green and black olives and we loved their herb-topped dinner rolls and the zesty kick in the olives. The mezzas were then brought to our table and although I am not a fan of Halloumi cheese, theirs was perfectly grilled to bring out the flavor without over drying it, but what I loved most about it, is that, unlike many other places, it was not brought to us in a pool of its own oils and fats. The cheese spring rolls were of perfect crunch and the vine leaves were served cold with a lemony flavour, like authentic Lebanese cuisines would serve it.

 

Overall, our experience at Leila was enjoyable, the staff were friendly and the food authentically Lebanese, we can’t wait for their new branch to open in Alexandria.