A profoundly tasty mix of Lebanese, Israeli, and Syrian street food staples
Santos
Tue – Sat, 10h – 11h; Sun, 10h30 – 11h
Hagay Elle, Yalla’s owner and head cook, wouldn’t describe himself as a chef, but a “cooking enthusiast” from Israel. He learned the basics necessary to run a kitchen at the wildly popular Boa-Bao restaurant over the course of one year and then decided to break out on his own. Yallah originally opened in Chiado in December of 2018 but moved to Santos about two years ago. Since then it has enjoyed amazing reviews for its charming interior and decor and, perhaps more importantly, what comes out of the kitchen. The casual Middle Eastern menu consists of exceptional handmade dishes like the obvious falafel, pita, babaganoush, and tabbouleh, while also including items like the supremely tasty aggar (grilled eggplant salad with feta, pomegranate, and coriander), the tahine with capers and parsley, and other masterful creations by the chef.
As with most mezze restaurants, the menu is best shared, so it’s wise to bring along a hungry friend or two so you can diversify your order and taste a lot of things. Aside from the staple items, Atlas especially recommends trying the beetroot dip and having some orange juice with coriander and chili or a fresh mint lemonade to kick things off. Continue on with a melt-in-your-mouth lamb brochette or the calamar with zaatar. Full disclosure: the bill is going to be a little more than you expect, but for the quality of food you’ll receive, it’s definitely worth it.
Trying to save a few bucks? Try the lunch menu and go for the Merguez kebab of lamb and sausage meatballs in a pita or go for the Jerusalem mix pita with chicken. There are plenty of options for vegetarians as well, like the delicious falafel sandwich, so everyone will leave with a smile. Yallah is an Arabic expression that means let’s go (or get a move on), so what are you waiting for? Yallah!
