In the hills outside Damascus, there was once a woman named Um Salim, wrapped in a floral scarf, hands always dusted with flour, eyes shining with quiet strength. Every Friday, rain or shine, she would kneel beside her saj a domed griddle balanced on bricks and firewood – and begin making manakish for the people of the road. Drivers, farmers, travelers, even children walking to school – all stopped at her roadside stand. Not for luxury, not for a shop. But for something far deeper: a taste of home.
Her dough was alive with stories. The za’atar came from her garden, the cheese from her neighbor’s goats, and every stretch of dough was shaped with love, pressed with fingerprints of resilience. People say she didn’t speak much – but when she handed you a manousheh, you felt seen. Nourished. Loved.
That story lives on at Tayybeh Express.
We are not just a take-away spot in Lisbon. We are a bridge across time and continents. We are the aroma of thyme sizzling in olive oil on a hot saj. We are the hands of Um Salim, multiplied, moving faster to serve a new generation. Our manakish are crafted with that same spirit: fast, yes – but never rushed. Simple, yes – but never soulless.
Our mission is to bring you that same emotional spark – the warmth of a homeland, wrapped in a manousheh. Whether you’re grabbing one on your way to work, or sharing it with your kids in the park, you are part of the journey. A journey that began in Syria’s sunlit mountains, with one woman and her fire.
Every bite you take at Tayybeh Express carries a story of survival, joy, and unshakable hospitality. It carries our thanks, and Um Salim’s memory.
This is more than street food.
This is Syrian soul food.
And we’re honored to share it with you.
