Orontes West

Aaaand we’re back in business! I can’t believe it’s been 6 months since my last review. Wouldn’t have imagined back then that the break would be so long. It sucked. I missed this.

I was super excited to hear that we can return to some sort of normality after all this time. Then of course, in true Dutch fashion, the weather decided to act like it’s November and my enthusiasm for cold biertjes on terraces kinda died. That was until Sunday. We finally hit 24 degrees – so I took my chances and sprinted out to the first terrace in sight.

Okay, not really. I’ve been planning to visit Orontes West for a while. They’re my neighbors, and I figured it’s a good place to start supporting horeca – nearby. Plus, I’ve heard good things and had to check stuff out myself.

The terrace was almost full, which made my heart happy. We grabbed one of the last tables available and ordered a cold Efes. As a starter, we got the Walnut Puree. The texture was nice and creamy, but it lacked deep flavor. I would’ve preferred a spicier kick, or an extra ingredient to kick it up a notch – something closer to muhammara.

We also tried a warm mezze that I haven’t heard of before, called Oruk. It’s minced meat, with more walnuts (I was on a nut trip, apparently) that’s deep-fried. Wasn’t super impressed, but the tzatziki was great!

On to the main event…the main. I wanted to check out Orontes’ Adana Kebab, because I have a good reference through my memories from Istanbul (which I’m very fond of). This lamb kebab did not disappoint. Spiced exactly as I remembered. It was juicy, full of flavor, and just really hit the spot. The rice side was also great, I wish I knew more details about it, I’d totally try to reproduce it at home.

All in all, a good experience at Orontes West. I wasn’t suuuuper hungry, so there are still plenty of things to try on their menu. Next time, I’d like to sample some classic mezzes, like humus, babaganuç and borek. I’d give this place a go, if you’re looking for chilling on a sunny terrace, spending hours sharing mezzes and amazing kebabs with friends.

Value for money: 7

Food Quality: 7

Location: 8 (Hugo De Grootplein 6)

Service: 8

Website: https://restaurantoronteswest.nl/