Review
About
Epice is Nashville's home for Lebanese cuisine done with the care and specificity that the cuisine deserves. Chef Karim Ghayur's cooking draws on the full range of the Lebanese table — mezze, grilled meats, vegetable preparations, and the specific spice combinations that give Lebanese food its identity — and presents it in a way that treats the cuisine as the sophisticated culinary tradition it is rather than a novelty category.
The mezze program is where to start and where the kitchen's real capabilities show most clearly. The hummus is made from scratch and properly textured — silky, properly seasoned, with the tahini integrated rather than separated. The fattoush is properly acidic and fresh. The kibbe arrives with the right texture and the right spicing. These are dishes with specific standards, and Epice hits them in ways that suggest someone in the kitchen has eaten the real thing and understands what they're replicating.
The grilled meats and larger plates extend the Lebanese menu with the same commitment. The kafta is properly spiced and properly grilled. The mixed grill is worth ordering for a table that wants to experience the range. The vegetable-forward options are among the most interesting on the menu — Lebanese cuisine handles vegetables with a sophistication that isn't always reflected in how American restaurants present it.
The mezze program is where to start and where the kitchen's real capabilities show most clearly. The hummus is made from scratch and properly textured — silky, properly seasoned, with the tahini integrated rather than separated. The fattoush is properly acidic and fresh. The kibbe arrives with the right texture and the right spicing. These are dishes with specific standards, and Epice hits them in ways that suggest someone in the kitchen has eaten the real thing and understands what they're replicating.
The grilled meats and larger plates extend the Lebanese menu with the same commitment. The kafta is properly spiced and properly grilled. The mixed grill is worth ordering for a table that wants to experience the range. The vegetable-forward options are among the most interesting on the menu — Lebanese cuisine handles vegetables with a sophistication that isn't always reflected in how American restaurants present it.
Epice is Nashville's best Lebanese restaurant — mezze, flatbreads, and Eastern Mediterranean cooking done with the kind of knowledge and warmth that makes every visit feel like a homecoming.
Epice is Nashville's most serious Lebanese restaurant, from Chef Karim Ghayur. The menu covers the full Lebanese table — mezze, grilled meats, vegetable preparations — treated as the sophisticated culinary tradition it is. The hummus is made from scratch, the kibbe is properly spiced, the kafta is properly grilled. The cooking here has the specificity that comes from someone who actually knows the cuisine.
