Dan and I really love, love, love Lebanese cuisine. We have been to some great Lebanese restaurants (including this incredible one in Amman, Jordan –Fakhreldine), and we always try to eat at Lebanese restaurants when in the Middle East. We had one proper dinner evening in Dubai last year on our way to the Maldives. We made a dinner reservation at Al Nafoorah Al Qasr.

Dan at Al Nafoorah Al Qasr.

Al Nafoorah Al Qasr is located inside the Jumeirah Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah hotel – only about a 10 minute Uber drive from our hotel on the Palm Jumeirah. And like the Jumeriah Al Qasr, Al Nafoorah Al Qasr is a gorgeous restaurant. Having both indoor and outdoor seating, the interior of the restaurant is centered around an olive tree and is immaculately decorated. The outdoor seating is along a man-made waterway, complete with tourist sightseeing boats, with views of the Burj Al Arab. We sat outside and had a perfect table overlooking the Burj Al Arab, as seen above.

The inside of Al Nafoorah Al Qasr.

Interior seating at Al Nafoorah Al Qasr.

I loved these lamp shades.

The menu at Al Nafoorah Al Qasr features “authentic Lebanese cuisine” “from Lebanon with love” – to quote the restaurant. For dining purposes, the menu is a la carte and features all the standard well-known Lebanese dishes. Per our waiter, the food is all served sharing style and the portions are decently sized. Al Nafoorah Al Qasr also has a decent wine list, which is always nice in Dubai, including selections from Lebanon,

The menu at Al Nafoorah Al Qasr.

We were welcomed by a lovely waiter who brought us a starter of fresh zucchinis and carrots and a small bowl of olives. This was a very cute welcome! We also ordered a bottle of Lebanese wine from Chateau Ksara. I loved this wine – it was a big red and very tasty.

The cutest little starter at Al Nafoorah Al Qasr.

Our red wine.

For food, we ordered a number of things that we shared, mostly traditional Lebanese dishes. One of the best was a Fattoush Salad, which is a green Mediterranean salad with cucumbers and tomatoes topped with fried bread. I love a Fattoush Salad in the Middle East. We also ordered one of Dan’s favorite Middle Eastern dishes, kibbeh nayyeh. Kibbeh nayyeh is, gasp, minced raw lamb mixed with fine bulgur and spices. Once it arrives, you mix it with olive oil, raw white onion, mint and a delicious white garlic sauce and eat it with bread. Yes, it sounds weird, but it is also delicious. We have trouble finding it often, so we always order it when its on the menu. Of course, hot pillowy Lebanese bread accompanied our meal. This bread bowl was unlimited and staff frequently replaced the bread.

Fattoush salad.

Kibbeh Nayyeh – the raw minced lamb.

This bread is so good.

I also ordered pan fried halloumi, which is a type of cheese made from a mix of sheep and goat milk cheeses. Its texture reminds me a lot of tofu, and I have heard it described as “squeeky cheese.” This halloumi was served warm with a Pistachio nut topping. We also split a chicken shawarma wrap that was served with french fries. This was entirely too much food, but it was so tasty. The shawarma wrap was particularly good with the whipped garlic dip.

Halloumi cheese dish.

Chicken shawarma with french fries.

Our table!

While we, again, ordered way too much dinner, we (er, I) could not resist the deconstructed Baklava cheesecake. A photo is below, and this was absolutely delicious.

The deconstructed Baklava cheesecake.

For those dining at Al Nafoorah Al Qasr, this restaurant is certainly upscale but not super, duper expensive, especially by Dubai standards (although there are much less expensive restaurants in Dubai!). The attire is upscale casual – I wore a dress and Dan wore khakis and a polo shirt. I would suggest long pants for men, as I am not sure if shorts are permitted in the restaurant. We made a reservation 2 weeks in advance, and I highly recommend making one, especially if you want a great seat!

STEAL OUR DINNER

Al Nafoorah Al Qasr: Located inside the Jumeirah Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah hotel. Open for dinner daily. Reservations highly recommended. Alcohol served.