In the midst of our weeklong hunt for the best Mediterranean food in Malaga, we decided to give this place a try.
This place was really good. We arrived a little before opening, and, to our surprise, they opened right on time - although it took them a moment to notice we were there (both in the kitchen getting ready we suspect).
There was both indoor and outdoor seating. Given our preference for "non-smoking" and that it was chilly that evening, we opted to eat in doors. Small 4-6 4 person table tops were available inside a very nicely decorated restaurant with imagery from olden Lebanon.
After reviewing the menu and asking some questions we settled in on the tabule, lentil soup, hummus, musaka, baked fish and chicken with caramelized onions.
The food was served promptly and was all very good.
The tabule was excellent. As my kiddo noted, "no wonder why they call this place Tabule". The chop of the parsley was perfect, the balance of tomato and cracked wheat was perfect and the amount of lemon was just perfect. The lettuce leaves were also a nice touch. We almost ordered another, but thought twice given how much we had already ordered.
The lentil soup was very different from any lentil soup I had had before. Blended with an array of spices that gave it a wonderful and smoky flavor. It was honestly one of the best I've had.
The hummus was decent, nothing out of the ordinary. Great flavor, consistency and served with warm pita bread. I was a little surprised that there was an additional charge for the bread when we ordered the hummus. This kinda just appeared on our final bill. Neither here nor there, but just took me by surprise.
My wife had the musaka and it was decent. Nothing crazy, but hit a craving. She both cooks it at home and is one of her favorite dishes, so the bar was high.
I had the fish and my kiddo had the chicken, while both were fine. Neither were particularly Lebanese either in our mind from the prep to the flavors, they were very standard fair restaurant food. Again, they were tasty, just not the cultural cuisine we were in pursuit of. My kiddo also noted that the chicken was a bit dry - I tried it and can confirm it was a bit overcooked.
Overall, we enjoyed our meal. We'd certainly be open to coming back, but probably not if we were craving a Mediterranean explosion. read more