"Sometimes one wonders why there are restaurants that you visit again and again, although you already know their one or other small weaknesses due to multiple experiences. To Al Howara in Wuppertal, we are always moving back because we like Arabic cuisine in the meantime and the other two Arab restaurants the Mamounia has opened again in the city not to reach the quality of Al Howara. In addition, we are not pea counters looking for deficits and complaining immediately of every smallest deficiency. The overall impression is decisive. To the small weaknesses later more. The restaurant is located on the outskirts of the city, minutes from the Wuppertal Hbf. About 10 years ago at the present site in a former textile factory, the house has certainly already been on the hump for a good 100 years. In front of the cellar windows flows directly the Wupper, a river in which salmon and trout now feel very well. Maybe in 10 or more years you can just leave the fishing out of the cellar window. When you enter the Al Howara, you are in another very oriental world. The restaurant is maurically furnished oriental and decorated accordingly. Even the window borders have an adapted design. If you look through the windows first visitors are mostly surprised to see and hear the Wuppertaler Schwebebahn, which passes directly past the windows. However, after 10 years, one or the other in the Al Howara should be reworked or renovated. With a few space dividers and a different floor covering, you could definitely reduce the noise level with full load, because it is already limit value. This should not be understood as a criticism, only as a suggestion. We were kindly greeted by a young lady, the reserved table was located near a window nice and welcoming. The lady immediately took the cards and asked if we already had drinks wishes or would like to decide what to eat. Now we had drinks. My lady once again ordered a Lebanese white wine, although he actually always has too much acidity after her statement. Although wine is cultivated in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and also in Lebanon, there are no high-quality wines except for a few exceptions, but as table wines are as good as possible. Allah already knows why he actually opposes the consumption of alcohol and therefore does not give the believers the best wine. I restricted myself to a beer from German lands, although good beer is brewed in the Middle East and North Africa. However, many breweries have been purchased there by an unknown brewery from the Netherlands. Let's hope the Heinecken doesn't paint the beer orange at some point. Well, the wine was served and Hasimausi does not charge the high acidity. I was amazed. My beer was tapped oriental. Because we knew the card, we didn't need to think about it for a long time. We ordered 20, Euro the 15 small plates with cold and warm appetizers. Anyone who wants to enjoy Arabic food should always order a selection of the numerous appetizers Mezze. It is not possible to make a mistake in principle. As main dishes, we chose a lamb-back fillet for my lady just under 17, Euro and for me lamb lamb lamb chop poultry for just under 19, Euro. The friendly Fatima name explicitly changed the order and meant we had chosen the right one. The restaurant increasingly filled, as almost always when we have eaten here. Fatima was back at about 15!! It is common that the announcement takes place on each set plate, which is just served. These announcements are available in every Arab restaurant whether in Allemagne or 3,000 to 3,500 kilometers southeast of here. Now I would like to admit that at an advanced age, you can hardly notice more than 7 or 8 contents of the plates. Here, however, try: roasted cheese, eggplant puree, cucumbers with a lot of yoghurt, dough bags filled with lamb, wine leaves filled with cheese cream, various fish pastes, lamb chops, prawns in olive oil, etc. A lot of warm fladen bread. Olive oil is generously used in the appetizers. Garlic once more less. To admire Hasimausi I checked the 15 appetizers very carefully. Known people had told us that recently in Al Howara the appetizers would be served less fish and hard meat. If a restaurant does this and the green area goes up, it can only have two reasons. Either you reduce the proportions of fish and meat to save in shopping, because, as is well known, the purchase of goods for green food is much cheaper or you follow the current vegetarian and even worse the vegan trend wave, which is completely flooded in Germany. There is nothing to say about this, as long as this wave does not reach me and meets me. When looking closely, it did not reveal what I feared. The proportion of meaty and fishy products was still good 50%. So the Al Howara was not on the way to the Veggie restaurant. For Allah a very warm thank you Shukran . We were once again very satisfied with the appetizers and praised the next time only to order the smaller variant 10 small plates. It'll probably be back on this line. Fatima carefully asked if she should wait a little while serving the main dishes. Thankfully we said yes and Hasimausi ordered a Lebanese white wine. You know, he's supposed to have so much acidity. My recommendation that the lamb would be more suitable was ignored. As desired, a colleague from Fatima served the main dishes somewhat later, on the rustic, colourful ceramic plates used in Arabic countries. The lamb fillet intended for Hasimausi made not only visually a good impression. My lady expressly confirmed the pink quality and that the meat is very tender. The salad looked just as sweet, but the volume of Basmati rice appeared to me somewhat oversized. Who needs so much scented rice? The chilisauce served at my lady for a short time had you to answer yourself. My spontaneous advice to fight the chili breathlessness with acidic wine from Lebanon has triggered a toxic look. Also on my plate there were plenty of Basmati rice served. My little lamb fillet, the lamb meat and the chicken meat all without a tadel. Almost perfectly prepared, a really good meat quality. A rather inconspicuous salad. But the yoghurt garlic sauce to meat, spicy, delicious, great. High level of satisfaction, with a restriction. As already experienced in the past, the dishes in the Al Howara kitchen should be arranged with a little more care. The eye is known to eat. That's why, of course, you don't have to hire a foodstuff list, but make a little more careful the plates, would be good for the Al Howara. Mrs Fatima served and asked for our dessert wishes. I'm sorry, but after the appetizers and the main dishes that are not as economical, we wanted to confine ourselves to Arabic coffee with a digestif. Unfortunately, as in almost all Arab restaurants in Germany, the map does not offer any spirits from Arab countries, although there is one or other good product, such as Boukha. A fig fire from North Africa, which can withstand quite good German fruit fires. Or alternatively and especially suitable for the women's world, the Thibarine, a tasty liqueur from Datteln, where even Udo Lindenberg Likörchen Udo would have his joy. For 20, or 30, Euros per bottle depending on the quality, you can order these Arab digestif gastric lubricants online without any problems. Why they are offered in Arabic restaurants in Germany almost nowhere is a mystery. The ambience of Arabic! The food Arabic! But at the digestif the guest is to drink a grappa or Ramazotti from Italy? Or even worse, an ouzo from the EU subsidised Greece? Or much worse, a hunter brew! Conclusion: We were satisfied. In the past, the service sometimes acts a little organized and sometimes a bit rustic. That was not the case today, on the contrary. Attention, flutter, friendly and always an eye for empty plates and empty glasses. That's about 4.5 stars. The food has earned 4 stars, with optical improvements certainly next 4.5 stars. We value the ambience with 3.5 stars, as it would have to be refurbished one or the other, and you should also work on the sound level. Nevertheless, the overall impression deserves 4 stars. Shukran!"
