Located on the hills of Ras Maska, Punto Akto has been serving unique food since 1990. From an authentic Italian restaurant to an American-style Italian eatery, Punto Alto is one of Tripoli’s iconic restaurants, known by the locals and families. Under a high ceiling decorated with colorful paintings, waiters wearing white shirts, black pants and black ties, a bar, and vast glass facades, I sat for lunch.
First impression: garlic haunts the place, old-style seats, commercial tables, but waiters wearing elegant dining style uniforms... paper comes to cover the table like cheap American diners... but wait... I judged too quickly. Wait until the food lands on the table, discover the portions size and then eat...
Other than being enormous, the portions look great, and the quality of food is incredibly delicious! Inspired by the casual Italian eateries of New York, comes Punto Alto, managed by a Lebanese family who has brought up in Australia.
First time at Punto Alto, I ordered one plate of every section: spaghetti puttanesca, chicken tortellini, chicken cheese with potatoes, vegetarian pizza, season salad, and mushroom risotto. The food is awesome! Really awesome, and I was not expecting it at all.
Before going through the food reviews, let’s talk about the portions: plates are presented in serving platters, each plate is good for four persons! Let’s eat.
I started with the salad, a huge portion of beetroot, tomatoes, small corn, fresh mushrooms, asparagus, and carrots, among other ingredients presented with lemon-mustard sauce on the side — an excellent first impression.
Risotto, a gigantic portion of risotto, cooked al dente, mixed with fresh mushrooms and tender chicken chunks, cooked in white sauce. Perfectly cooked rice, delicious sauce, tender chicken... bravo!
Fries covered with melted cheese, long and thick fries made to impress served on a hot metal pan. With that the sharing platter, all fried but no oil taste whatsoever. The calamari is tender on the inside, as well as the shrimp and onion rings.
The pizza; Two thumbs up! Not gooey, not watery, not soaked but simply great. Loaded with fresh ingredients and covered with the sauce, the pizza impressed me. The pizza was the least I expected at Punto Alto. Out of thousands of pizzas in Lebanon, few impress me, and this one makes it on the list.
Spaghetti; OMG! Probably a complete pack is served for one person. Cooked al dente with olive oil, tomatoes, and black olives, the pasta drew a smile on my face. Chef, I’m really impressed! I’m not sure if it’s the low expectation or the restaurant decor... but the food impressed me!
More plates, chicken escalope of the week, chicken bread and cheese and tortellini... all very good! Very good food, huge portions, colorful plates, balanced flavors, good taste; I was happy eating from everything and left happy and satisfied.
Punto Alto Tripoli: https://goo.gl/maps/wUWHKeJ4K6wVL37F9
