This restaurant has more signs hanging over it than a Chinese astrologer. The Cedar Tree restaurant has been here on St Andrew's Street since 1986 and its latest addendum, which opened earlier this year, is Byblos. It is a mezee house. Mezee being a type of Lebanese tapas shared at the table.

We arrived at around eight o'clock and the restaurant already buzzed with the conversations of a mixed crowd. We were given a table for two by a colourful mosaic of what looked like a portrait of Osama bin Laden: it wasn't, but it did look a little like him.

The decor in Byblos is all pale beige and white marble, both rough-hewn and polished . . . a nice combination. Around the walls there are various mosaics of traditional Lebanese scenes and locations: vineyards, the ruins of the Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek, pastoral scenes. The tables are inlaid with traditional mosaic too, taking diners far away from the grimy streets of Dublin, which, much as we love our capital, is no bad thing on a soggy Friday evening. The music was traditional Lebanese too: inoffensive and comfortably in the background.

I was joined by my cousin EB, whose father is Lebanese. EB chose the wine, thankfully, as I don't know much about Lebanese wine. Lebanon's first great wine-drinking inhabitants were the Phoenicians between 1200 and 800BC and later the Romans, who cultivated much of its present-day vineyards. She ordered a Ksara Chateau 2002 red . . . a supple and smooth Cabernet-MerlotPetit Verdot blend with a nose of strawberries and cherries and just a hint of cinnamon.

The menu was divided into numerous sections: mezees, cold dishes, hot dishes, mains and so on. We stuck with the mezee section and chose the Tripoli . . . "hommos, tabouleh, baba, falafel, chicken kafta, batata harra, kibbeh saynieh, arayas djaj, olives and pickles, followed by a main course: djaj bilzaytoun." It all sounded exciting and exotic. Soon after ordering, the small earthenware dishes were being served at our table with an explanation of each by a MiddleEastern waiter with a slight Dublin accent.

This is a good time to concentrate as otherwise you may be left guessing what that fabulous dish was called the next time you want to order it.

The dishes are brought out to be shared between diners, adding to the idea of food as a sharing, social gel that has more to do with socialising than it has with tucking into your own dish. And it is this aspect of the experience I enjoyed the most. The idea of everyone at the table eating from the same dishes rather than manoeuvering pieces of each other's food across the table, trying not to make a mess, has long appealed to me.

The staff were the most friendly and gregarious I have come across in an Irish restaurant for a long time; laughs, smiles and the odd joke seasoned the meal. Of the mezee dishes, the three which stood out were the baba, pureed aubergine seasoned with olive oil and various herbs (I can understand why Russians call this dish 'eggplant caviar');

the kibbeh saynieh, made with lamb and bulghur, which left us wanting MORE; and the falafel, which was moist, rich and velveteen on the tongue.

I would recommend coming to Byblos on an empty belly if you want to try the mezee option as there is a lot of food to get through . . . but then again we never felt rushed so taking a long time over the dishes seems to be an option too. We were both truly sated before the table was cleared for the main course but a few moments respite and we were ready to taste again. The main, djaj bilzaytoun, didn't wow me; it was reasonable . . . chicken in a lemon and ginger sauce served with rice. I was expecting a zingy blast from the lemon and ginger but the flavours didn't shine through the murkiness of the sauce. The rice was good, as was the chicken.

At this point, we had been eating for two-and-a-half hours and were beginning to crave the cool air outside so I requested the bill. The manager asked us mysteriously if maybe we would wait a few moments. We shrugged and agreed, the lights were dimmed and the music got quite loud. I looked nervously at EB. Then, out of the darkness a round, wobbling belly slowly appeared, attached to it a maniacally grinning belly dancer, and for a few hilarious moments nobody knew where to look or what to say. It was loony but fun and I laughed all the way home. I would recommend Byblos for the food and the cabaret and to anyone looking for an interesting restaurant that doesn't take itself too seriously.

THE BILL
2 Tripoli Mezze 56.00
1 Bottle Ksara Chateau 2002 30.90
TOTAL 86.90

BYBLOS
The Mezee House
11 Saint Andrew's Street
Dublin 2
Tel: 01 679 1517