Ammatoli is an attractive outdoor/indoor downtown spot with big windows, tiled walls, and a long leather banquette that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Parisian cafe. The casual Mediterranean menu is an all-day affair, specializing in mezze platters, kebab plates, and more dishes from the Levant. Whether you're stopping by for spicy tomato shakshouka at brunch or a shawarma and hummus platter at dinner, everything here is beautifully plated and well-seasoned, with lots of sort-of-healthy options like a falafel bowl and beet-feta salad we could eat daily.

Ammatoli is the Long Beach spinoff of owners and chef Dima and Sam Habibeh’s Hermosa Beach-based restaurant, Beirut Mix. With Ammatoli, chef Dima has outdone herself with Levantine cuisine that originates from Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine—and the brunch menu is no exception. Whether you’re craving Shakshouka with eggs poached in tomato stew, or Levantine Chilaquiles, each dish evokes a home-cooked meal.

While I have long extolled the virtues and brilliance of Chef Dima Habibeh’s Levantine wonder that is Ammatoli, her food officially reached new heights this year when, in a rare display of dipping below the 10 freeway, the Los Angeles Times named her one of the best restaurants in the region. And rightfully so: The consistency in her product has what propelled her food from the get-go, offering Long Beach its best versions of beef shawarma—it can only stand to be compared to the version that many around the world flock to inside the Fifth Circle of Annan, Jordan—to silky smooth bowls of hummus. Stuffed between what was once a definitely middling burger joint and an architectural firm, Habibeh’s intention was simple: Show the love of her birthplace in Jordan and the love of her new home here in SoCal.

With the aim of bringing the diverse and vibrant flavors of the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Cypress and Palestine) to Long Beach, chef Dima Habibeh and her husband Husam or “Sam”, created Ammatoli, one of Long Beach’s newest spots for authentic, home-cooked Middle Eastern cuisine. As the chef and culinary mastermind behind Ammatoli, Dima, a proud Syrian-Jordanian woman, and her recipes aim to challenge conventional thinking behind Middle-Eastern dishes – introducing customers to flavorful dishes that beyond the traditional idea of hummus, kebabs and gyros. For foodies without fear of bold flavors, savory spices and unconventional twists on comfort food – some of Dima’s beloved specialties include musakhan chicken roles, and samkeh harra (a spicy grilled fish plate).

On a busy, wide, restaurant-filled block of 3rd Street in Long Beach, Dima and Sam Habibeh set up a sidewalk patio filled with umbrella-covered tables and potted shrubbery. It’s a calm haven for the excellent cooking that emphasizes Dima’s Palestinian, Syrian and Jordanian heritage: canonical mezze dishes, including a particularly wonderful muhammara with its pureed roasted peppers, tahini and pomegranate molasses in precise balance; rotisserie chicken over faintly smoky freekeh; and handsomely speckled mana’eesh pulled straight from the oven. On weekends Dima makes specials like comforting sayadieh — fish over spiced rice topped with almonds and caramelized onions.

I still sit, a mixture of feeling blessed and amazed, by the fact that we are home to a place—squished between a design firm and açai bowl joint on its west and a now-shuttered fast-casual space on its east—that has some of the region’s best Levantine food. There are moments when taking in an inhalation of the fumes given off by her shawarma, the heavy doses of clove and cardamom drifting from its steam plumes, that I become calm. I don’t say this to be hyperbolic, I say it because once you’ve experienced her shawarma, there is a sense of misplaced nostalgia: “How had I not grown up with this on a regular basis?

As the late, great Yellowcard once said, “There’s a place off Ocean Avenue where I used to sit and talk with you.” Okay, fine, it’s Ocean Boulevard, but you get the point. Ammatoli is a Mediterranean mecca that’s just a stone’s throw from the beach and is serving up some happy hour super deals like their buy one, get one 50% off bargain—buy any entrée and get a second one for half off. They have beer and wine for $2 off, but the real steal is their mezzas, which are a smorgasbord of Middle Eastern finger foods made for dipping and devouring.

While we all love $2 off draft and bottled beers and wine, it’s the food menu that will get you excited for Ammatoli’s happy hour in Long Beach. Happy hour specials include select mezzes for $7, including Hummus, Spicy Hummus, Mutabbal, Falafel 7 pcs, Mediterranean Fries, Batata Harra, Labneh, Mujaddara, Grape Leaves, and Cucumber and Yogurt dip. You can also do a three-way mezze with additional options of beets hummus, fried kibbeh, falafels, tabbouleh, tahini salad and the beets salad.

Ammatoli is an attractive outdoor/indoor downtown spot with big windows, tiled walls, and a long leather banquette that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Parisian cafe. The casual Mediterranean menu is an all-day affair, specializing in mezze platters, kebab plates, and more dishes from Levant. Whether you're stopping by for spicy tomato shakshouka at brunch or a shawarma and hummus platter at dinner, everything here is beautifully plated and well-seasoned.

AMMATOLI specializes in Levantine cuisine, encompassing the culinary traditions of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. This brings a distinctive blend of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Turkish influences, offering interestingly strong and unique flavors using fresh ingredients. The menu draws inspiration from Chef Dima’s family recipes and travels, presenting authentic dishes with a modern twist.

Ammatoli, the Long Beach counterpart to the Hermosa Beach favorite Beirut Mix, is the brainchild of culinary greats Dima and Sam Habibeh. This eatery takes Levantine cuisine to new heights, showcasing food and flavors from the Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine regions. When it comes to its weekend brunch food offerings, the tomato-stewed Shakshouka is a fan favorite.

Vegetarian and vegan options available, Traditional Arabic tea service. AMMATOLI is a highly recommended destination for anyone seeking Palestinian-inspired cuisine. The restaurant prides itself on using only the freshest ingredients and traditional recipes to create delicious and authentic dishes.

Ammatoli, located in Downtown Long Beach, is easily one of the city’s best restaurants, serving unparalleled Levantine cuisine in the region and regularly landing on L.A. Time’s 101 Best Restaurants list. Though I’m a fan of their mezzes across the board, their lentil soups deserve a spotlight.

One of the best places to eat in Long Beach for Mediterranean fans is Ammatoli. You can sit indoors or out on the patio and enjoy a variety of kebab plates and mezze platters. It’s all perfectly seasoned, and there’s a huge selection, so there’s sure to be something for everyone.

Adding to the list of local accolades: Chef Dima Habibeh of Ammatoli; along with chefs Stefano and Michael Procaccini of La Parolaccia; were recently named James Beard semifinalists in the best chef in California category.

I always, always, always recommend people to experience Ammatoli. It’s a Levantine restaurant owned by Chef Dima. What she has brought to that community is amazing, and she has even been internationally recognized.

Located at the City Place Shopping Center, this eatery is a culinary jewel in the neighborhood, serving incredible Mediterranean plates for lunch and dinner, plus bottomless brunch.

If you’re in the mood for some eastern Mediterranean meal, Ammatoli serves fusion food inspired by the cuisines of Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Palestine.