Yildizlar
Andalus Street
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Tel: 02 6531150
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Yildizlar is probably one of Jeddah’s best Restaurants, they’ve certainly been on the scene long enough and remain a popular choice, especially at lunch times when you will often find it difficult to get a table as the restaurant fills up with business types.
The name ‘Yildizlar’ is Turkish for Stars’, the restaurant serves up a mix of Turkish and Lebanese Cuisines (two of the most popular types of food in Jeddah).
The restaurant has a classic Interior, more traditional than modern in style (as you might expect from one of Jeddah’s oldest restaurants), with dark wooden panels lining the walls and small delicate chandeliers lighting the tables. Its well known among the business community in Jeddah for its excellent Arabic Food, so it’s not unusual to bump into some of the leading business men in town when visiting.
The Food is typical of a Middle Eastern restaurant, and all the usual fare is available. The sambousas are always served fresh, and are soft and doughy. The Kofta and Kebabs are so good you will almost certainly want to order a large dish.
Ask for a Mixed grill to try a bit of everything, fish, kofta, shrimps etc. Najel Fillets are also available, along with Lobster, Smoke Salmon and Caviar if you fancy something a little more extravagant.
Good selection of Soups and Salads and some fantastic starters with nice selection of Mezze, Kibbah, Houmous, Baba Ghanoush etc.. Yildizlar also have great Kibbah Nayeh (raw meat).. Be sure to try some of their arabic bread which is cooked fresh in their own oven.
If you like desserts,try the Kataif biljoz or with Kashta, these are tiny pancakes rolled with pistachios and cream. All Kinds of Tea are available, Jasmine, Green Tea, Arabic Coffee. etc
The Staff are polite and very attentive, private dining rooms are available for business meetings in addition to the open area restaurant which also has a busy family section. a Takeaway Menu is also available. Prices are above average, but you get what you pay for, and its very good.
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I agree with everything you guys said, the bad and the good. They really need a face lift!
The food is very very good, the decore is terrible (70s) and me being an artist I prefer a modern decore. I hope they change it soon because they have lots of competition now.
I agree with evreyone the restaursant need to work on its staff anger mangement each time we go the waitor tries to seat us wherever he pleases and just for fun we always disagree with him and sit somewhere else and as usual he gets a little displeased and as for the prices look at the sky and your see your bill skyrocketing it really is expensive but still the taste is awesome but the dishes are kind of small for what you pay.
Sorry Yildizlar lovers, I’ll never even think of this place again. Why?
Last night we had dinner there, the food was good the service wasn’t bad till it was time to pay the bill, we agreed that with the restaurant very expensive dishes plus adding 17% service charge, of course it’s not an obligation to pay extra tips. When the waiter come to take it, opened finding no tips he looked very angry that we thought he’s going to throw us out of the place but it didn’t end yet after we stood heading to the door he took the cover containing our bill and from a distance he throw it to a table making a loud sound. This behavior is not to be described as a non-professional but in my opinion it was rude and ugly. I think it is an optional to any customer to decide whether to pay tips or not. Anyway I’ll never go back to this restaurant or even recommend it to anyone.
The food is really amazing, I always like to get it BUT take away, it is too expensive to have your meal there, you pay even more than byblos! a shawerma platter with a drink costs 100 SAR!
The waiters are not friendly, I don’t mind to go for expensive restaurants but only when it deserves!!
As you set foot in Yildizlar, you feel as though you have stepped in the subtlest of time machines. This is not the sort of time machine that takes you back to any time and place you desire. Instead, this time machine takes you to a very specific time and place, Lebanon in the 1970s. As we make way to our table, I am informed that Yildizlar has not changed much in the last 30 or so years. Such is the case because people come, and keep coming, for one reason only: The food.
“Modern” would not be an appropriate word to describe Yildizlar. Curtains made from a deep velvety red cover a large window, and rather than looking out onto the uninteresting Jeddah parking lot, you see a massive panoramic picture of what I assume to be Beirut. Keeping in-line with the overall theme of the establishment, the photo also seemed to have been taken during the 70s. Chandeliers, hanging from the ceiling, shy away from the shiny crystal sorts that seem so common in Jeddah. Instead, these are made of an opaque yellow/brownish glass that hang down as if they organically grew that way over the years due to the natural force of gravity. They have a sort of sugary/candy like appeal that might entice some to give it a lick just to be disappointed that it tastes of glass; similar to the way a child might take a bite of a red crayon titled “Strawberry”, only to find that it tastes of wax. The final touch to the general demeanor of Yildizlar is waiters dressed in old-style tuxedos, with bowties and all. While the décor may not be especially fancy or classy, it does give the restaurant a certain quirky atmosphere, and there is always something to be said for those who are willing to stick to their guns no matter how much times have changed.
Yildizlar is a time machine in another way, quite different from being sent back to 1970s Lebanon, in that the food takes one back in its own special way. For many of its customers, perhaps more specifically those of Arab decent, it takes you back to childhood. A time where the taste of your mothers food was comforting, exciting, and a miraculous experience all at once. One has to fight the urge to scurry into the kitchen to see if it is in fact his own mother or grandmother behind the stove. All this is to say that the food is quite delicious.
The mezza consisted of your usual suspects: meat cheese and spinach sumbosas, kibbeh, kibbehneeya, hummus, babaganoush, tahina cooked with onions, muhamara, and stuffed grape leaves, all served with baskets of toasted white and wheat Arabic bread. All were filling and delicious. I had to pass on the Kibbehneeya due to a bad experience as a child, but my surrounding company seemed to love it.
The entrées consisted of grilled kofta, fish, and chicken, all of which were packed with flavor. They were served with what I like to call Lebanese pizza slices, and French fries. The Lebanese pizza was a nice and light accompaniment to the grilled goods. I did not bother with the French fries because, in all honesty, with so much delicious food around it simply seemed like a waste of space in my already filling belly. By the end of the feast, it is quite difficult to move and think effectively. It might be wise to avoid Yildizlar if one is trying to watch his waistline, while the food is many things, it certainly is not diet-friendly. It is, however, extremely soul-friendly.
Unfortunately, if there is one area in which Yildizlar is lacking, it seems to be the service. Although they are well dressed I cannot say, at least in my personal experience, that they were consistently well behaved. I ordered a carrot juice and it came at room temperature when I was expecting it to be cold. I finished my glass of water and it remained empty for the rest of my time there. Upon removing a breadbasket from the table, a waiter grabbed the last piece of bread with his bare hands and tossed it over to another. To prepare for the entrée, the waiters place small warm grills on the table to keep the grilled goods hot, which I certainly appreciate. Without so much as a tap on the soldier or an “excuse me”, however, one waiter by the name of Bader simply shoves my chair, to make space, while I was still eating and sitting. In the process, he knocks over my fork and does not even offer an apology. The subordinate waiter standing behind him gets me another, but then Bader has the nerve to point at the second fork reserved for the entrée. Once he was done, I was then forced to scooch my chair back to its original position. I look around and notice that none of the other patrons had to go through such a demeaning process, so perhaps there was just something about my face that rubbed Bader the wrong way. That being said, the restaurant did seem to be quite popular with many patrons about, so it is perfectly possible that they are more concerned with speed than service. Either way, it did rub me the wrong way and I hope that it is not a common occurrence.
Still, the food alone provides a joyous experience worth having. By looking around, I saw many tables filled with Saudis accompanied by foreigners of one sort or another. As an introduction to Arab cuisine, it is a perfect location. If you are looking to impress others with how modern and lavish Jeddah can be, go elsewhere, Yildizlar is all about the food. Would I go again? Yes. Would I tip the service? No. Would I tip the chefs in the kitchen? Yes, and I would also throw in a great big hug.
This res is one my fav places. whenver i visit jeddah, i have to go there. the food is delicious and can not be compared to other resturants. the service is good but the only thing that I hope it will change is the place because it is small.
i go to yildizlar on most special occasions. i actually like the 80′s theme and the waiters are even dressed according to it:)
the service is fabulous.even though the prices are higer as compared to other arabic restarants, he your are alwayz given complimentry starters or desserts.
the bread brought in is alwayz fresh and soft which can be eaten with everything from salads/hummus to the mixed grill.
if you havent been there yet, its worth a try. all meat items are very filling and are alwayz served fresh and the portions of all food are quite big so look through the menu before ordering too much
I’ve been there a long time ago. And I don’t remember much.
I’ve been to a party where the dinner was from Yildizlar, and I was surprised by the catering. It was very good n delicious.
sorry guys,
but this is the worst food experience I have ever had in Jeddah,
once you step in to the restaurant you feel that you are in a (Time Machine). that takes you back to the early 80′s.
the decoration, floor, ceiling, tables, chairs, even plates and menu look very rusty and old.
the food is very heavy and full of fat I swear they use (traditional Ghee) for cooking.
I believe no body has changed any thing in the restaurant from the atmosphere to the menu since it opened in 80′s.
The oldest Lebanese restaurants at Jeddah opened on yearly 80s. I believe it’s time to renew the decoration but when it comes to food they are DEFINITELY THE BEST,THE BEST,THE BEST,THE BEST,
The food is exceptional but I think it is time to revamp the place. Keep the same style just brand new red velvet walls, new chairs and new tables.It is starting to look its age. The best mixed grill in Jeddah ,even though they eliminated the mushrooms. It continues to be a special place with good food that makes you happy that you ate there.
When i was reading the article, my mouth kept watering. I’m really excited to try the food at this restaurant. i just wanted to know if reservations are needed and how their prices are.
Thank you for the great review.
Need re-decoration
But still good food and a benchmark for lebanese food
Try them in outside catering they really know how to make a nice presentations.
I know this place since 1988
Ahmed F Shaker