Salmontini: Simply Tasty and Fresh

Written by : Dalia F. Rating: 70/100

Salmontini has been a name and address for good salmon. It’s one of my favorite places where I often go to have good Japanese food and an amazing selection of salmon signature dishes. I went there last night and as usual, left full and happy.

Sad news about their branch in Zaytounay Bay closing down. I have also heard that they have cut down on staff and so on… I personally felt that their staff is overwhelmed. Our waiter for the night was a bit pushy and snappy. We would ask for something and he would say, “wait” or “can’t you see am finishing something”. No bus boys, one man does all. I would understand his frustration but it’s not a price that customers should pay for.

The food as usual is amazing.  Fresh and tasty variety with a variety of food types to satisfy different tastes – as some people prefer a good piece of meat to sushi. They also have a variety of gourmet salads, entrees, main dishes, sushi platters…

We ordered 

• Edamame: They can be better. Some are empty and others don’t look too appetizing
• Crispy Salmon Salad: My favorite.
• Crab Salad
• A mixed selection of Japanese selection: Maki, Sushi…
• From their special section: Dragon Maki, which comes covered with avocado with crab, lobster cooked inside – simply delicious
• Entrecote with French Fries
• Lamp Chops with Puree

We enjoyed our meal with a nice bottle of white wine from Chateau Marsyas.I liked:

• The fresh basket of bread, which they say in imported from France. The basket includes a variety of bread types – multicereal was my favorite
• Salmon mix spread which is so tasty and fresh. Just spread it on a piece of bread. If you don’t like it, there’s butter as well.

The place:Salmotini is nice. It’s a single house that feels excluded from Achrafieh’s traffic. The interior is classy, a mixture of wood and burgundy interior giving it the high-end feel. Beautiful paintings by Lebanese artist Ghada Saghiyeh, depicting the classy environment of the Lebanese society.What I didn’t appreciate:We asked for different types of wines that were not available. It felt like they were cutting down on their stock. I don’t think that this is acceptable in a place like Salmontini. This is why we settled for Chateau Marsyas, which was not bad actually.And also, check on your staff’s well-being – they seem tired – its reflecting their relationship with the customers.