Pasta and pizza in Beirut: the Italian side of a family restaurant
· 2 min read
Ask ten people in Beirut for pasta and you’ll get ten answers, most of them in Mar Mikhael or Verdun and most of them expensive. Ask the families around Salim Slam and LIU and a good share will point you to La Tavola — a place better known for its burgers and grilled chicken.
That is not a contradiction. Here is how the Italian side works.
The pasta list
Ten dishes, all made to order:
- Fettuccine chicken — grilled chicken, mushroom and fresh cream. The dish most tables start with.
- Creamy pesto fettuccine — basil pesto loosened with cream, parmesan and mushroom.
- Fettuccine shrimps / shrimps pasta — the same cream base with sautéed shrimp.
- Mixed cheese pasta — mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar and emmental with mushrooms.
- Mac and cheese — 200 g of macaroni in our own sauce, with a spicy option.
- Penne arrabiata — tomato, chili, parmesan; the vegetarian dish that isn’t an afterthought.
- Vegetarian pasta — carrot, broccoli, mushroom and cream.
Prices sit between $9 and $19 — a Tuesday dinner, not an occasion.
Pizza from the same oven
Five pizzas, thin and crisp: margherita, pepperoni, pollo chicken on an Alfredo base, truffle with mushroom and parmesan, and a vegetarian with red pepper, corn and olives. They come out fast because the oven is always on for the garlic bread.
Why it tastes right
No secret Italian grandmother. The same things that make the grilled chicken good: everything is prepared daily in one kitchen, sauces are made in-house, and portions are measured. A pasta plate is a full plate.
What to order with it
If you are a mixed table — on Salim Slam you usually are — pair a pasta with a half farouj plate, a pizza for the kids and a crispy plate. That is dinner for four for around $50, and nobody has to agree on a cuisine.
See the pasta and pizza menu with live prices, or reserve a table on WhatsApp.