Mezza Maison
Equestrian Club. Al Hamra Corniche
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Tel: 02 6501089
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Mezza Maison is one of the Marina’s latest dining locations. Serving up quality Lebanese and North African fare in a relaxed environment. Located on the Corniche al Hamra , next to Cappuccino Grand Café, you couldn’t ask for a nicer venue for a restaurant. I dropped by one evening for dinner soon after the restaurant had opened. The first thing that strikes you upon entering the restaurant is the decor (and perhaps the music), to say its impressive would be an understatement. Blue Moroccan tiles run across the front of the coffee/juice bar, elegant lanterns hang effortlessly from the ceiling, and fine dining tables merge the contemporary with the traditional faux antiqued brick walls. If I had walked blindfolded into the restaurant before seeing this I would have thought I was in Beirut, not Jeddah.
What’s nice about Mezza Maison is the size of the dishes, they are all small (tapas sized) terracotta like dishes, to the greedy they may seem small, perhaps even stingy, but in reality this means there is hardly any waste of food, and one has room to try even more Mezza, which in turn makes for an even more interesting and varied meal.
We tried the usual suspects like the homous, tabbouleh, and warag enab (Stuffed vine leaves), and all were good, but it is the more unusual dishes offered at Mezza which were the real winners here. The salmon red Habra Naya (essentially raw pureed minced meat – similar to a creamed steak tartar) with a side serving of garlic sauce was just ace, I haven’t tried anything as good in a long time. Equally impressive was the Jellab drink we tried, more of a milk shake here in looks, it was not too sweet, and the icy rose water provided the perfect thirst quenching escape from the richness of the Mezza. No expense seems to have been spared on the ingredients, or decor for that matter; even the Water is not your typical Evian, We didn’t see anything except Voss on our visit!
Other interesting dishes worth a mention include the Saj Tava (a steaming pie like dish of grilled meats served in a spicy tomatoe sauce topped with saj bread), The Sambousa while good, but not particularly different than elsewhere, and the Samak Harra (a spicy fish dish) failed to make an impression on the group as it was a little too oily. However the Batenjan or Lebanese Aubergine dish served in yogurt was fantastic, and the sweet and dry Couscous Salad left us wanting more. We also liked the inclusion of some local Saudi dishes, and found the Aish-Bil-Lahm (bread topped with minced meat) particularly good..
Also worthy of a mention are some of the Moroccan dishes, both the Lahm with Barkouk (Mutton with Prunes) and the Chicken Bastilla pastry impressed, The Bastilla is a typical Moroccan dish usually reserved for weddings and large celebrations, this sweet chicken, egg and crushed nut pastry is worthy of an award, I couldnt get enough of this, and I haven’t even started on the desserts yet!
The Desserts include a selection of middle eastern classics, with a bunch of contemporary takes too, so there’s a Halwa Chocolate pie, a Mohallabiya dessert made with peaches, and even an Othamli Cheesecake with a Kunafa crust base topped with sugar glazed hazelnuts. While these modern takes on local and regional desserts were good, equally impressive was the Cheese Kunafa, which we also enjoyed. Its great to finally see restaurants in Jeddah take food seriously, I think Mezza Maison may just have become one of our new favourites.
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I gave this place a visit on Thursday 9 August, and I was unimpressed if not a little disappointed to say the least! The venue itself is nice, albeit a bit small in the indoor area. Nothing really special about the service, and I felt a little bit ignored sometimes by the waiters. As for the food itself (what really matter to me!) I liked the Tabbouleh and Vine leaves, the shrimp tajin wasn’t as good (it was a bit chewy and plastic-y if you know what I mean). The the chicken shish in the mixed grill plate was undercooked and the kebab was a little bit dry, the lamb shish and chops were tender and good.
My overall impression, not impressed, as I said earlier, and the food is really overpriced (the mixed grill for example had five small skewers, and no fries or rice for 70 something Riyals), and the service wasn’t really great either. I don’t think that I would give it another visit in the neat future, and I really don’t know why jeddahfood’s website is listing this restaurant as a “recommended” one!
Now that the pleasant cooler weather has arrived, it is an ideal time to visit the Marina area near the Park Hyatt hotel. Doormen prevent youths unescorted by female relatives from gaining admittance, and there is an agreeable ambiance with many groups of women dining together and promenading animatedly along the car-free esplanade. We dined at Mezze Maison last weekend, arriving at 8:30pm without a reservation and finding plenty of tables free; by the time we left at 10pm every table was full. The service is friendly and welcoming. The food is your average Lebanese cuisine with the usual lavish amounts of lemon juice squeezed over everything, including lamb’s tongue, rendering everything far too acidic for this particular diner; goat lebneh in olive oil is worth a recommendation. A major drawback is the fruit-flavored shisha fumes that permeate the entire area and catch in the throats of unwary diners.
However, on the upper level, there is no shisha stench and the promenaders linger on the terrace admiring the views of the lights of Jeddah across the bay. Here one finds elegant Muse Restaurant with its interesting menu and fabulous décor and well-trained staff. The desserts, created by a French patissier, are works of art and the ice-cream so delicious that it may well be made with real cream. Apparently, at lunchtime, desserts are chosen from the trolley, while in the evenings there is a menu offering a choice from five that are individually prepared to order. The rather small bathrooms are worth a visit to figure out the unusual way that the water is made to flow into the egg-shaped washbasins. But of special interest is the exceptional ceiling lighting which is truly beautiful and cannot really be described as a chandelier but more of a sculpture. It is rumored that the French head chef has been awarded a Michelin star, and the owner is also an innovative chef in his own right. Well worth a visit, although Muse is amongst the most expensive restaurants in Jeddah.
Went there with my family for the 1st time and I was kind of lost in the directions. So I called them and they tried to direct me towards their restaurant. Unfortunately, I still couldn’t find it so I called in again.
And guess what? Their manager Mr. Zaid told us that tell me where you are and I will come to get you guys. Damn it … I was like “are we in Saudi Arabia??”. this is excellent customer service.
Anyway, we told him that we are standing outside Cafe Aroma and the guy was there within 3 or 4 minutes. Drove us to the location and though I had tried their food once (in the single’s section), I had kind of forgotten about the taste. Here is my list of postives and negatives about Mezza Maison.
Pros:
Excellent location, good view of the sea
Excellent Customer Service,
Very Good Food
Hygienic
Cons:
Limited Menu,
Loud music
Delay in serving food
Thats all from me. Hope it helps the owners to improve and customers to go and visit this fine restaurant. Especially those who want to enjoy their food with bit of a seaview
nice view and seatings , delicious food ..
A must go place! I always visit with my wife. Delicious food and amazing service. Keep it up.
LOVE THIS PLACE!
Great service,great location and mouth watering food worth the price
I have tired lebanese food before but i think Mezza Maison serves the Best of all located in one of the finest area with an amazing view along with friendly and well organised staff
i couldn’t get enough of the fresh thirst quenching cocktail juices and the halwa chocolate pie <3
i am a lebanese too, and i visit mezza regularly, i thing you lived a lot abroad that why you forgot the auhtentic lebanese taste… really no offense as u said.. but as it’s called the maison of lebanese food..
No offense to anyone who likes the place, but they are still beginners when it comes to lebanese food and have a long way to go. The ambiance of the place is great, lovely location and decor but unfortunately no taste! The tabouleh was dry, the hommos looked like it was made from a can and not fresh, the makanik were still raw when served, the shish tawook was very dry and the meat was tasteless. I am lebanese and i know what our food should taste like
They just might need a new chef..
went there on the recommendation of jeddah food, i am a regular at salad bar, capuccino, lenotre and the like at this great place on the jeddah port, mezza maison has the best atmosphere but the food was a bit of a let down. although the tabbouli was great and shishbarak not bad, the grilled meat was soggy and tasted fatty, also the kibbeh nayyi had a fatty taste to it that smelt like someones grandmas house but i didnt get sick so thats ok. anyways will visit there again for sure just be careful what you order i dont think it’s a place for a proper dinner, just nibbles …..
ps mafrouke was yummy…
Thank you very much Jeddah food for giving me this opportunity to write about this an awesome Mezza Maison restaurant.
First, the location of this restaurant is simply WOW.So, relaxing and peaceful that one can forgets his/her all worries as soon entryig it.And as you step in you will feel that you are in Lebnon.It is a restaurant which truely represents the traditions and food culture of Lebnon.We are really lucky to have such a wonderful place in Jeddah.Hardly few restaurants can their true tradition and Mezza is one of them.And the interior is done so perfectly that itself it welcomes the guests.
Now, coming to its food really so yummilicious.I can simply say once you start you cant stop…They have pure Lebanese aroma in their food.While sitting there and enjoying one can simply forget that the restaurant is in Jeddah.The presentation of food is so tremendous and attractive simply mouth starts watering…The blend of other country’s foods is just mindblowing…And the Desserts part, I am speechless just dont have to explain…
Over All the restaurant is terrific.And the staff is really well trained.Beautiful and tastiest food paradise….:)
Hope to hear something good from you…:D
i have been to the place its nice the atmosphere and the seating arrangement was good. The food arrived a bit delay but it was tasty we have ordered BBQ and some fresh juices. Overall a nice place and i will recommend it to my friends.