Every dish has a story. From the humble hummus to decadent desserts, every plate whispers a tale spanning history, geography, travel and culture - all you need to do is listen with your taste buds.
To discover the newest chapter in the story of Byblos at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, the GDN Media team were invited to a preview of the seaside Lebanese restaurant last week to try Chef Tony El Khoury’s latest tales.
Since it opened in 2024, Byblos has become a favourite amongst diners, bringing warm Lebanese hospitality to Bahrain Bay, and blending age-old recipes with modern ingredients and culinary artistry to create unforgettable stories.
Take, for example, the Byblos Black Pearl - Chef Tony’s spin on hummus, a mainstay amongst Levantine and Khaleeji mezze around the world. 
While hummus - a transliteration of the Arabic word for chickpea, its main ingredient - brings together ingredients from across the land, Chef Tony brought in the sea and named the dish in homage to Bahrain’s pearling heritage. 
And the Byblos Black Pearl hummus was born, built on squid ink, nigella seeds and black sesame, served with cuttlefish sticks to tell a tale of land and sea. 
This is the kind of familiar yet thoughtful storytelling that keeps us coming back to Byblos, where behind every recipe, there is history and tradition, of course, but also a touch of fun and experimentation.
Although the Byblos Black Pearl did steal the visual show, it came with just as delicious side-stories like the Eggplant Raheb - a smoky grilled eggplant dressed with tomato, onion and a citrusy note; the Labneh Makdous - thick strained yoghurt paired with oil-cured baby eggplants; and the Beetroot Mutabbal - a vivid magenta take on the classic smoky eggplant dip.
The challenge with enjoying Levantine and Arab cuisine is always pacing - the mezze always threatens to fill up your stomach even before you get a whiff of the main course. 
And Chef Tony upped the challenge next with his Halloumi and Mushallah Salad, with grilled halloumi and strands of braided cheese served over fresh greens, before bringing out the hot mezze.
We enjoyed the Batata Harrah - fried potatoes tossed in garlic, coriander and chilli, alongside Sujuk Cigars - crisp pastry rolls filled with spiced sausage; Sawda Djej - chicken liver sautéed until glossy and finished with lemon; and Makanek - small, spiced Lebanese sausages.
And before we finally levelled up to the mains, a platter of Fattah Vine Leaves, with crisp bread and yoghurt whetted our appetites.
The main course dishes included Mudardarah bil Lahmeh - flavour-packed rice with fall-off-the-bone meat and caramelised onions, whose nutty notes made it an immediate favourite at our table. 
Joining the spread was the mixed grill, the stand-out of which is always the lamb chops - a quintessential Byblos treat. 
If one were to trace 14th century Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta’s adventures across the Islamic, Levantine and Arab world, one would find endless regional variations on these dishes.
But Byblos has been able to take those well-known tales and give them modern yet cosy twists, infusing not just history but also evolving heritage. 
As we reflected on this and enjoyed the waterfront view, a selection of desserts arrived.
For the tradition lovers, there was Madloukit Ashta - a Lebanese dessert built around ashta, the sweet clotted cream, and flavoured with rosewater.
And for the avant-garde, the Chocolate Halwa Mille Feuille encapsulated a marriage of the familiar with the French - crisp chocolate halwa bark layered with dots of saffron cream and chocolate.
Every chapter that we have enjoyed at Byblos has come packed with new stories on and off our plates.
Once again, in his newest anthology, Chef Tony rekindled our delight of gathering around the table. 
Discover these tales for yourself by booking a table. 
For more details, follow @fsbahrain on Instagram.