A Sweet Surprise at Sweet Beirut, Bexley

Craving authentic Lebanese sweets? Sweet Beirut in Bexley has flaky pistachio and walnut baklava to creamy Sfoufa Ashta, knafeh Nabulseye and halawet el riz. With friendly service, festive Ramadan vibes and unique treats you will not find anywhere else.

"I need a sweet," said Laura. It is around 9pm on a Friday night and we were driving and looking for a place that sold baklava after we had eaten sandwiches in Georges Hall. Enter Sweet Beirut in Bexley. What really caught our attention were the lively Ramadan celebrations in the carpark next to Sweet Beirut.

The shop is very clean and modern and we walk past the displays wondering what to order. The range is large featuring some Lebanese pastries we have never seen before. A smiling face pops up behind the glass and asks if we need any help and she takes our order.

When she asks if we are eating in or taking away we explain that we are just waiting for a table to be free outside as Mr NQN is waiting outside with Teddy and Milo. She explains that that is no problem at all, they will bring a table and chairs outside for us which is so hospitable during this extremely busy Ramadan time.

We ask what she recommends and she says that she has two pieces of Sfoufa Ashta left. We take a piece of this and then she asks us if we like some other things. Before long she offers to put together a little tasting plate for us.

The mood is convivial and welcoming and passersby say hello to Teddy and Milo. And when Laura buys some sahlep from the stand at the market (also owned by Sweet Beirut) the young guy at the stand refuses to let her pay for 2 cups and just charges her for 1 cup.

The Sahlep is made from the orchid root tuber that gives it a milky, creamy texture and it is flavoured with rosewater and cinnamon for a gorgeous aroma.

Onto the sweets! We are excited to try them as we haven't tried some of them before. I adore the Sfoufa Ashta which is like a light sponge cake filled with ashta (clotted cream) with cinnamon and sultanas in it. I can see why it sells out so quickly and I'd order this again in a heartbeat.

Halawet el riz is also a lady finger which is rice cooked with ashta, a sweet, cheesy rice pudding that they cover with more ashta and chopped cashews and pistachios. We add some sugar syrup onto these and they are delicious.

Another favourite is the Mafrouke halwa style dessert made with caramelised sugar and semolina on stove ashta and nuts. We also try a pistachio version of it which is also nice but we prefer the caramelised sugar one out of the two (which is honestly a surprise because we love pistachio).

We also enjoy the Knafeh Nabulseye that originates from Nablus, an area of Palestine. This is a take on the classic cheese knafeh but this one is filled with ashta or clotted cream in the centre. The kataifi pastry on top retains a light crispiness and they also give us some sugar syrup to add on top to give it that more traditional knafeh vibe.

They explain that usually the lady fingers are filled with ashta but for Ramadan they are filling them with Nutella which gives it a rich chocolatey hazelnut flavour to it. All of these pastries are $20 which is incredibly reasonable.

Laura's itch for baklava needs to be scratched though so we go back in and buy some baklava. My favourite is the simplest square baklava with a pistachio and walnut and we also try a chocolate version. They're delicious with just the right amount of sweetness with a crisp texture.

So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever tried sahlep before? What is your favourite Lebanese dessert?

This meal was independently paid for.

Sweet Beirut

485 Forest Rd, Bexley NSW 2207

Phone: (02) 8068 1444

Open 7 days 8:30 am–11:30 pm