Must-see restaurants in Beirut

Finally this popular Souk El Tayeb farmer's market stall has a storefront! Famous for her country-style saj (grilled flatbread) with the freshest greens,…

Turkish-German style döner kebab may be one of the top five drunk munchies worldwide, and this fact is not lost on the good proprietors of KB Döner nor…

In the ultra-elegant part of Achrafiyeh, Bab Sharki offers a wide selection of Levantine dishes, including Iraqi, Armenian and Aleppian cuisine. Its…

You might find better shawarma, falafel or manoushe (cheese and herb-topped flatbread baked in a pizza oven) in Beirut, but the scene at Barbar makes your…

This sweet little fish restaurant on the Armenia strip has appropriately nautical blue-and-white check tables. There's a range of seafood mezze: delicious…

Beirut's love affair with all things Asian is elevated to new heights (and prices) with this new small plates fusion lounge-restaurant. Inventive…

Maryool is as if a traditional Lebanese mezze joint did a semester in Copenhagen and came back a little more chic. The ambience is all amber wood and grey…

Beirut is a city of special flatbread moments, and this is one of the best. The classic Armenian breakfast lahme baajin – spiced ground beef on thin dough…

On a quiet Mar Mikhaël corner, this sweet family-run spot offers cuisine true to this traditional Armenian area. There's a cute little plant-shaded…

Cheap and cheerful, Beit Halab is considered by Syrians to be among the best Syrian food in Beirut. Nibble traditional Levantine mezze to start and then…

Dar, or ‘home’ in Arabic, is cosily tucked away at the end of an alley in bustling Hamra. The peaceful restaurant and bookstore space spill out of a mid…

Old Beirut lives on through clever recreations such as this chic coffeehouse, which is designed to evoke the city's 'Paris of the East' past. The menu…

Tucked away in the corner of a shopping plaza, this socially focused cafe and restaurant is quite a surprise to discover, with its buzzy garden atrium…

Beirut's capital of sourdough, Tusk bakes a wide variety of breads, as well as seasonal cakes and pastries (including fun riffs on the croissant, like…

In the heart of the Badaro eating and drinking area, this appeals for its tables in the handsome covered streetside garden of a villa. The menu is…

Beirut is certifiably mad for burgers, and for our money, this is the city’s best. You don’t come here for ambience (it’s a tiny space with a few…

Oslo is a charming shop founded by a Lebanese confectioner who made it big in LA and returned to Beirut to shake up the ice-cream scene. The shop scoops…

As international as it name would suggest, this industrial-chic cafe is as popular with expats as it is with locals. It has individual and communal tables…

After indulging in a happy hour or two in Hamra, many locals head to this trattoria for a restorative bowl of pasta or a Roman-style (ie thin-crust) pizza…

Set in a very charming historic house pleasantly screened by greenery from this quiet street, this is a likeably discreet spot that does a pleasing line…