AVANTI 📍DOWNTOWN
A new and fresh member has just joined the Italian dining Experience in Beirut. This restaurant has landed in the downtown area, next to the already classic Metropole restaurant, and in fact, they have the same owners, so the places have quite similar vibes and identical terraces.
Avanti presents itself as a classic Italian restaurant, serving homemade Italian specialties and wooden-baked pizzas. Although the interior of the Avanti has a chicer style, it is surrounded by many portraits of iconic movie stars such as Marlin Monroe, James Dean, Gina Lollobrigida, etc. In the middle, you will find the main star of the place - the dazzling chandelier. Avanti is very romantic and is perfect for a first, second, or twenty-fifth date! My friends and I went there for dinner on a Thursday night, it was packed and had a very nice atmosphere and vibe.
We were in the mood for some pizza & pasta and here are some of the items we tried from the menu. As a starter, they served us focaccia bread, it is really fresh and textural, especially if you dip it in oil. The beef carpaccio tasted good, but I personally found the portion too small. Regina's wood-fired pizza with prosciutto, mushrooms, and mozzarella was really delicious, the ingredients are of good quality and the dough is thin; just like a typical Italian pizza. The homemade spinach ravioli was excellent, with the pasta cooked to perfection with quality garnishes. They also serve gluten-free plates of pasta. Wine would have gone really well with the dishes we ordered, but instead, I just went for sparkling water and a glass of hot steaming coffee.
As for the service, it was decent and friendly but not extremely attentive. in my opinion, the music was a bit strange and failed to match the vibes of the place. Overall, we really enjoyed our dinner and downtown Beirut always has a lively vibe. On top of that, you get a different type of thrill when visiting a new place.
I wouldn't say the food was anything out of this world, but worth a try for sure! I definitely recommend going there for dinner with friends or enjoying a romantic dinner; for an average of 30$ to 45$ per person.
👥Service 7/10
🍽Food 8/10
✨Atmosphere 8/10
💦Cleanliness 8,5/10
💸Affordable 6/10
💕Overall: 7,9/10
