Lebanese cuisine adds more followers every day, and Madrid was crying out for a gastronomic temple in which surrender to the flavors of middle East . Wish Granted: The Restaurant mune Opened its doors with the aim of conquering the palates of the city.
Their salmon colored facade is almost as attractive as its windows, through which the light sneaks in at its whim and for which passers-by neighborhood of Chueca they can't help but peek out curiously.
Luminous Mune Bar
It is not for less, well the interior design, designed by Dalia Nahas , who runs the business together with her partner Rabih Haddad, invites you to shake the knocker on the door.
A trip to Beirut. Thus define mune its creator. “The decoration is my idea. My partner worked in real estate and I'm a designer, so we combine our skills to give rise to this space” Dalia tells us.
From the air furniture vintage to the decaying exposed brick walls, past the colorful jars of spices and vegetables that adorn a shelf. Every detail has been inspired by the Beirut aesthetic.
What story is hidden behind the jars? Nothing more and nothing less than the one that has baptized the business.
"Mune" is an ancient Lebanese ritual which consists of storing in glass containers all kinds of food (fruits, vegetables, herbs, plants, animal products...), so that they can be consumed in the long term.
"The origin of this tradition lies in the mountains: In the past, the villagers had to find a way to make Your spring and summer harvests will last through the harsh, cold winter. ", explains Dalia. Et voilà! This is how one of the most essential practices of the Lebanese culinary heritage.
Mune: the ritual that gave rise to the traditional Lebanese pantry
The great protagonist of the cozy setting is undoubtedly the communal wooden table, chosen to recreate the culinary display that takes place in Lebanese family meals , a corner to gather diners around the recipes that the owners of Mune they brought from their homes.
To whet your appetite, grape lovers should try one of their lebanese wines , for instance, Ixsir Altitudes 2016 -a red made with cabernet sauvignon, caladoc, syrah and tempranillo-.
Tabbouleh, fatush, raheb and assortment of cold mezzes
On the other hand, barley enthusiasts have two tempting options: Almaza and Beirut Beer, both imported from Lebanon.
As for the delicacies that we find on the menu, the cold mezzes They are the perfect starter: hummus; labne (yoghurt cream) , served with foccacia and zataar; muhammara (cream of roasted peppers, walnuts and pomegranate molasses) , served with Lebanese bread; either mutabal (aubergine cream).
look at the delicious Chickpea cream with truffle : you will not be able to stop dipping the bread in it. As you slide your finger across the phone screen, you will see that the alternatives offered by the menu (each one more appetizing) they are plentiful.
“The menu is very rich, as is Lebanese cuisine, which has a wide variety of ingredients and is also very healthy. we have many recipes vegetarian Y vegans”, Dahlia points out.
"Of the salads , one of the most typical is the tabbouleh, whose base is parsley. You also have fattush, a salad of various vegetables and crusty jubz bread , accompanied by a sauce pomegranate and sumac molasses , which gives it a spicy touch. It's really delicious,” she comments.
Falafel with tahini sauce
Although the fattush is one of the essentials, nor the exotic frike (a cereal similar to quinoa) with vegetables, pomegranate and pomegranate molasses vinaigrette, Not even the beet and feta salad will leave you indifferent.
Delight yourself with the explosion of flavor and scrape the bowl -work of the pottery workshop art today-, but, above all, it leaves room for the hot bites.
Our recommendation? Order the assortment of mezzes and taste the classic falafel, the kibbe (crispy meat and bulgur croquettes), the rakayek (cheese rolls), the fatayer (dumplings stuffed with spinach) and the sambusik , the carnivorous version of the dumplings
Dip the kibbe in the yogurt sauce It is a divine pleasure, we attest. "We want people to enjoy everything, that's why we also have portions that combine all the mezzes, both hot and cold”, explains Dalia to Traveler.es.
If at this point in the banquet you still haven't fallen in love with Mune, the final crush will come with the kabab karaz, or lebanese meatballs made with lamb and beef and bathed in cherry sauce.
It is necessary to mix the stew until dye basmati rice red with pine nuts to taste it properly. Here is the proof that, sometimes, the best results arise from impossible combinations.
From there we go to Grill: skewers of minced lamb and vegetables , beef tenderloin or marinated chicken breast. All of them served with basmati rice or sauteed potatoes with garlic, lemon, chili and cilantro.
Meatballs with cherry sauce
To put the finishing touch to this gastronomic journey to Beirut, what better than the quintessential dessert, esmalliyeh: you will dream of its cheese, its pistachios and its crispy orange noodles. So much so that you'll need to go back to Mune, diner's word.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Although it is worth enjoying a lunch by candlelight that Dalia lights with care every morning, Mune also has service take away Y at home. On the other hand, the menu adapts to different intolerances: most mezzes can be served gluten-free.
In turn, the drinks menu is completed with arak and signature cocktails like the exquisite 'Le garden de Mune': gin infused with chamomile, arak, lemon juice, sugar and egg white.
WHY GO
Mune is an escape route, the perfect antidote to routine, an enclave where we can satisfy our desire to travel, a portal between Beirut and Madrid. And the food? You better check it yourself.
the big table
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Address: Calle de Pelayo, 57, 28004 Madrid See map
Telephone: 913952056
Schedule: From Monday to Wednesday, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Thursday, from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday: from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Additional schedule information: Brunch on the weekend.
Half price: €20