Al Pasha
Beirut-by-the-lagoon Lebanese mezze on Airport Road
Why Go
Just past the Simpson Bay bridge, a warmly lit dining room turns out the kind of Lebanese cooking you'd expect to find on a Beirut backstreet — mezze piled high, charcoal-kissed kebabs, and family recipes that quietly explain why locals keep coming back long after the tourist buses have gone home.
The Experience
Al Pasha sits in an unassuming spot on the Airport Road strip, but step inside and Simpson Bay's usual sports-bar-and-happy-hour rhythm falls away. The mood is calm and grown-up: soft lighting, Levantine touches on the walls, tables spaced for long conversations rather than quick turns. Service leans traditional-Lebanese hospitality — bread and olives arrive before you've settled in, and the owners circulate to make sure your table is layered with the right mix of hot and cold mezze. Because they're open from morning until midnight, you can drift in for a mid-afternoon hummus break, land here after a Maho sunset, or stretch a shared platter into a proper late dinner. It works equally well for couples, groups splitting a mezze spread, and vegetarians who've hit the wall on burger-and-fries menus elsewhere on the Dutch side.
What to Try
Start with a spread of cold mezze — hummus, moutabal (smoky eggplant), tabbouleh, and warm pita straight from the oven — then add hot mezze like kibbeh and cheese or spinach fatayer. From the grill, the mixed kebab platter (shish taouk chicken, lamb kofta, lamb shish) is the classic order, but the whole grilled fish and Mediterranean seafood dishes are where the kitchen shows off. Vegetarians and vegans have unusually deep options here — ask for a meat-free mezze selection and you'll eat as well as anyone at the table. On Wednesdays, the kitchen runs a special Couscous Evening that's worth planning your week around.
Insider Tip
Come hungry with at least one other person and order family-style: mezze is the whole point, and portions are built for sharing. Ask the server to "build the table" with a mix of hot and cold small plates before you commit to mains — you'll almost always be full before the kebabs are needed, and any leftovers travel beautifully back to your villa. If you're in town on a Wednesday, book ahead for the Couscous Evening; regulars fill it up fast.
The Practical Stuff
Address: 15 Airport Road, Simpson Bay (Dutch side), just past the Simpson Bay Lagoon bridge heading toward Maho. Open daily, roughly late morning through midnight — good for lunch, dinner, and late bites. Price range: $$ (mezze $8–14, mains and grilled platters in the mid-$20s–$30s). USD accepted; cards fine. Reservations recommended on weekends and for the Wednesday Couscous night — call +1 721-545-2588. Easy taxi ride from Maho, Cole Bay, and Philipsburg; parking available along Airport Road.
Pair It With
- Maho Beach Guide — Ten minutes west on Airport Road — catch a jet landing over the sand at sunset, then double back to Al Pasha for a leisurely mezze dinner away from the Maho crowds.
- Karakter Beach Bar Guide — Chilled-out Simpson Bay beach bar for a barefoot sundowner and toes-in-the-sand aperitif before heading up the road for Lebanese small plates.
- Topper's Rhum Distillery Guide — Nearby Cole Bay rum tasting room — do a mid-afternoon flight, then follow it with a heavy mezze spread at Al Pasha to soak everything up.
- Simpson Bay Lagoon sunset sail — An early-evening lagoon cruise ends just minutes from Al Pasha's door, making it a natural spot to land for dinner once you're back on shore.
