Mijana at The Ritz-Carlton in Abu Dhabi brings together the very best of both the old and new Lebanese culinary delights. This contemporary restaurant was a great way to showcase to my visitor some of the best of this region’s Arabic dishes.
The property of Ritz Carlton in Abu Dhabi is absolutely stunning. Situated right across from the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, they offer their guests some of the best views of Abu Dhabi. We were able to find the Lebanese restaurant, Mijana, quickly and was seated outside on their terrace.
The servers were all very attentive and was friendly to share about their own culture and where they are from.
Starters
The mezzeh platters were great starter choices especially for our visitors from abroad as it gives them a wide variety of different spreads and appetizers. The cold mezzeh platter comes in a beautiful glass dish and is presented beautifully with 9 or so different mezzes. Included is the Beetroot moutabel, muhammara, hoummus, warak enab, moutabal batinjan, babaghanoush, labneh, hoummus beiruti for AED 145.
My all time favorites is always the babaghanoush and the labneh. With such a lavish spread, I am sure you will find your favourite too!
Next we had the hot mezzeh platter which comes with Fatayer jebneh, fatayer sabanekh, fatayer lahem, kibbeh AED 90. This dish has meat as well as dairy in it. Another great option for guests wanting to try different mezzes without ordering a lot of each. Kibbeh is my go-to order but with this mezzeh platter, I was also able to try new Fatayers I have never tried before.
Mains
For our mains, we ordered
Mashawee mshakaleh – mix of shish tawook, kabab halabi, lahem meshui, lamb chops AED130
Lahem meshui – tender grilled lamb skewers AED 120
Lobster tail meshui – grilled lobster marinated with Arabic spices AED 190
The lobster tail of course was my favourite dish as I am a huge seafood lover. While I was there I found out they have a specific night for seafood which I am looking forward to trying out. My husband ordered the Mashawee and it came in such a large portion he was unable to finish them all. These dishes came with sides as well so you could imagine the feast we had at Mijana.
Desserts
Last but not least we had to try their cheese kunafa. I absoloutely loved it. It’s a warm semolina cake with melted cheese, topped with pistachio and sugar syrup! AED 48. They also hosted us with a small dessert platter of balava and Arabic pastries.
We had a great time experiencing the Lebanese delights as well as enjoying the lovely ambiance they had outdoors. Definitely would love to come back again for their seafood night.
For a limited time, Mijana is offering guests 20% off their bill if they take on the no-mobile phone challenge. Lock your phone in a glass case for the duration of the meal to avail the offer. Reservations are recommended, please call 9712-818-8282.
DOT on her way was an invited guest at Mijana. All opinions and photos are of her own.
