Welcoming:9/10 Menu Choices: 9/10 Food Presentation: 9/10
Food Temperature: 9/10 Food Taste: 17/20 Service: 10/10
Ambiance/Music: 9/10 Architecture/Interior: 9/10 Air Quality: 9/10
Total: 90/100
It’s been some time since I last came to Couqley, the place for good food, great ambiance and professionalism. I decided to visit again to indulge in some more pain perdu and their famous steak-frites until that was, I laid my eyes on the special of the day board.
Couqley has been a favorite in Beirut, providing a real French bistro experience in a setup that will transport you to the streets of Paris, to those buildings built more then a century ago, where the wooden interior makes for an authentic, cozy experience. I sat in one of the corners and enjoyed the vibes this restaurant has to offer.
The first impression was great:
- I loved the ambiance
- It was calm, without the music that can add transform to noise in a busy restaurant
- The waiters were all very well trained and professional
- The colors were less yellowish and more fresh, until the 23rd hour passed
- The blackboard has an interesting selection on offer
The place, in a few lines:
- Couqley has a French brasserie setup
- The restaurant has an outside and inside dining area
- There’s an outside terrace with its wooden pergola
- The inner restaurant’s high ceiling creates a soothing atmosphere
- 14 lamps suspended from the ceiling give a warm yellowish light all around
- Six pictures on the wall welcome you as you take a seat
- A long, brown chesterfield sofa sits along one brick wall
- Look up the wall and you can see wine boxes, opened bottles as well as a wine barrel
- By the main door the floor is made up of little marble cubes with the Couqley logo
- The bar is full of suspended glasses, hanging above the surfaces
- A door takes you to the kitchen
- Wooden chairs have their own individual red and green cushions
- Brown wooden square tables give an authentic feeling
- Paper place-mats and a bread plate sit ready on every table
- Two different checkered napkins; one green and the other red matching the table to the decor
- The plates are branded with the restaurant’s logo – I like that
The menu:
- Starters
- Salads
- Plat Express
- Side Orders and Sauces
- Recommendation du Chef (Cote de boeuf)
- Plat Principal
- Weekday Lunch Formula
- The Wine Selection, Couqley carafes, wine by the glass
Dinner was very good:
- Foie gras with pain d’epice: The best part of the experience is the bread. The aromas it dissipates announce the start of a luxurious experience. Three rectangular foie gras blocs, served with strawberry coulis and balsamic vinegar, simple and nice despite the foie gras being overly soft. On the other hand I loved the strawberry mix; diced strawberries mixed with a bit of sugar. It’s a light and revisited version the average strawberry jam.
- Quiche Parma ham LBP17,000: The Parma ham made me smile. A triangular piece of tart is served with a green salad. A fine piece of crunchy dough, filled with intense melted cheese and crunchy diced pieces of Parma ham added a smoky flavor. I loved it.
- Crab cakes: two circular pieces served with a green salad. Well seasoned and oil-free, they were as good as they should be. I might have preferred them crunchy, though.
Before moving to the main plates, I have to say that the mixed green salad was really good. Fresh, lemony, well seasoned, crunchy and enjoyable.
Here is where the fun begins:
