CARUSO 📍SAIFI
I love trying different types of places, as you may have noticed. So, this weekend, we decided to experience something special, a chic new restaurant/bar. Caruso is a stylish, must-visit lounge, located in Sodeco, Beirut. It offers you the perfect spot to not only be surrounded by works of art but also to taste delicious craft cocktails, premium spirits, and fine wines, alongside an exquisite food menu. A song written by Lucio Dalla is actually behind the concept of it all.
I really loved the design of the place, it's very elegant and neat, with beautiful lighting. It even reminded me a bit of Cipriani, a restaurant in Monte Carlo, maybe it's the wood, the dark blue color, and the photographs on the walls.
This place caters to all flavors, offering a variety of delicious dishes to enjoy. We started off by having really delicious edamame, then we ordered the salmon tartare, and my friends really liked it. I personally prefer it when it's fresh, this one was soaked in lemon, but if you like sour, you will find it tasty; although it is quite expensive. The shrimp tempura was juicy and crispy! I really like the shrimp in it. We also ordered the spinach dip, which was good but I would prefer it with the same bread offered with the salmon tartare rather than tortilla chips! One of the dishes I liked the most was the baked eggplant with mozzarella, it was rich in flavor! We tried three sets of maki rolls salmon, shrimp, and tuna; they could surely be improved as they tasted a bit too basic. We also tried a couple of their cocktails and honestly, they were a bit too watery and too sweet with very little alcohol in them. I personally think it’s better if you go there with a group to order a bottle.
Generally, the place is still very new so there is definitely room for improvement. The service was fine, they have a lot of staff for a small venue, which is good. The music was mostly Arabic and some Latino/ Old School English songs.
Overall, we had a good evening with friends and we enjoyed the setting of the place. I can see that many Lebanese like to dance to Arabic music and I think their DJ did a good job doing so! If you like Arabic music, you definitely would enjoy it. But as for me, I prefer to go to places with deep house/commercial music, since I don't understand Arabic. Although some songs are growing on me and I already have some favorites! I must mention that the sound system they have is really good. I recommend going there for a night out with friends!
👥Service 8/10
🍽Food 6,5/10
✨Atmosphere 7/10
💦Cleanliness 9/10
💸Affordable 6/10
💕Overall: 7,3/10
💵Around 35 $ per person
