Restaurant Beirut - The 10 best restaurants Beirut - geocountry in 2024

Practical information : Eating out Beirut

Timetable

Most restaurants open for lunch service, until the last service, around 11pm. Many snack bars (especially in Hamra) are open non-stop, ideal for night-time snacks. Luxury establishments close their kitchens in the afternoon.

Budget & Tips

Apart from snacks (about $5 for a shawarma or falafels), Beirut restaurants are quite expensive, usually starting at $15/20 per person, even up to $25/30 with alcohol. If there are several people, a mezze to share can be advantageous: count 10/15 $ per person for a basic mezze. But for more luxurious assortments, the bill can quickly turn salty and easily reach $50/75 per person...

What costs extra

If the menus of a few restaurants display tax-free prices, you will not have any unpleasant surprises on the bill in the vast majority of cases. If tipping is not mandatory, it is a good idea to leave 10% of the bill to the waiters, who are usually poorly paid.

The local way

When having a drink for the aperitif, all restaurants will offer some snacks free of charge: olives, dried fruit, pickled vegetables, etc. The mezzes are eaten with pitas, bread patties with which you can pick up the various dishes. Unless you have an ogre's appetite, it is almost impossible to finish a mezze in extenso: the Lebanese like to have a real feast in front of them and are not at all embarrassed to leave leftovers. So there is no need to get drunk to finish at all costs.

To be avoided

Since the left hand is reserved for impure uses (we'll let you guess which ones), one should always eat with the right hand. The water being drinkable, there is no risk in drinking water in a carafe or asking for ice cubes.

Kids

In Beirut, children are welcome everywhere, but in the rest of the country, family restaurants do not serve alcohol.

Smokers

Beirut is a smokers' paradise: smoking is possible in almost all restaurants. For those who are bothered by smoke, some establishments have a non-smoking room.

Tourist traps

In Beirut's restaurants, the customer is king. It is therefore rare to see unscrupulous restaurateurs ripping off tourists. A few street bars in Armenia, however, do employ bargain hunters on weekends, which can be annoying.

The best restaurants Beirut

CAFÉ EM NAZIH

COUQLEY

OLIO

LA PALETTE CAFÉ

MANARA PALACE CAFÉ

FLEURON DE FADEL

L’ATELIER

DEEK DUKE

CAFÉ BLANC

CREPAWAY

SECCAR NABET

WHITE COAST (JAL EL DIB)

TARATOR

LE BAR À THYM

STOVE

ABOU ABDALLAH RESTAURANT

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