An Eastern Mediterranean party at Mesiba
By Seger Abels
Lijnbaansgracht 161, 1016 VX Amsterdam, Netherlands
BOOK NOWMesiba Mesiba! Party Party! But kid you not…Mesiba, an Eastern Mediterranean-focused restaurant, is so much more than just a place where you can dance after dinner. Oke oke, it’s also exactly that and therefore Mesiba is a truly interesting place in Amsterdam where everyone can find something to their liking. ‘Mesiba’ is the Hebrew word for party and when asking around that is also something people associate this restaurant with. Big cities all over the world embrace this type of restaurant way more than we Dutchies. You book a table with a group of friends. You dine, you wine, you cocktail and at a certain point the tables get out of the way and the volume of the music goes up. No need to go to a cafe/bar/club after dinner. Sounds like the perfect evening right? The danger with these concepts is that all the focus and energy goes into crafting the perfect “party vibe” and the food doesn’t always get the love it deserves, and, as we all know, Unbookables members need, want, and dream of the ultimate all-rounder experiences… Food without vibes? Not it. Vibes without food? Not it. Finding the best of both worlds is what we are here for, to seek them out and to share the epic dining experiences that are out there. Experiences like… Mesiba!
A menu showcasing Eastern Mediterranean cuisine inspired by old family recipes from the owners Eyal and Sam. And just like those families the dishes are meant to be shared and enjoyed together. Dishes are high in flavour and generous in portions. When we had our fill we noticed we kept going in with our fork for that last final bite…a good sign. Kicking spices and fresh herbs just makes us come back for more. The day before our dinner we asked one of the chefs for some inside information on what to order and we of course share these insider tips with you: always (and we mean always) start with their homemade super amazing fluffy Cubanen bread served (warm) with whipped (baharet) butter and labneh. Sabiche is an all-time favourite of ours and at Mesiba it didn’t disappoint. The Moroccan-style fish is amazing! Butterflied sea bream served with a spicy Moroccan tomato sauce (the sauce…) and chickpea-bean salad. We loved the chicken shishlik as it’s a “guilty pleasure” but felt culinary at Mesiba. And then…the dessert. Mami’s Babka is a meal on its own so feel free to share, but don’t feel free to skip this. A braided sweet chocolate bun with vanilla ice cream based on Eyal’s grandmother’s recipe.
Enough about the food, back to the party. Mesiba is a proper restaurant and you should definitely go there to enjoy good food, good service and great vibes. So please regard it as any other restaurant you love. That being said, the entrepreneurs behind the restaurant are also the ones behind ChinChin, iNN and bars Calle Echo and Hachi. The DO knows how to build a party so first have dinner there on a Wednesday and enjoy the food, then go back on a Friday and dance your feet off. Mesibaaaaa!
Mesiba
The Place: Eastern Mediterranean cuisine.
The Space: Mediterranean chique. Definitely great for your Instagram.
The Base: €60-80 pp
The Face: Friends, families, couples. Pretty people of all sorts.
The Ace: Come for the shabice, stay for the DJ.
The Veg: Lots of festive vegetarian options!
Opening Hours: Wed-Sat 18:00-closing , Sun- Tues Closed
Images from mesiba.nl, Mesiba
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