3 minute read
Lebanon LOVE FOR
Lebanon may be famous for many things, but food is arguably its greatest draw. Sure, its winter and skiing season is in full throttle but give us some kibbeh mishwieh and spicy makanek any day of the week. Here’s our guide the best foodie spots...
Aculinary tour of Lebanon should take in as many corners of the country as possible, but start in Beirut. Nobody really needs an introduction to the Lebanese capital, with its sometimes-intoxicating mix of hedonism, glamour, chaos and danger, but where to eat? Well, head to Tawlet in Mar Mikhael and Liza Beirut in Achrafieh. Both offer traditional Lebanese dishes to die for but come at them from different angles.
At Tawlet, the farmer’s kitchen of Souk el Tayeb, the restaurant’s continuously changing menu, rotation of cooks, and championing of small-scale producers means dishes are regional, seasonal and simple. The last time What’s On visited, we ate everything from massaee’t batenjeen (an aubergine and tomato dish) to bayd bil fokhara (eggs cooked in a clay dish). The main dining area includes a long communal table and if you’re lucky you might spot Souk el Tayeb’s founder, Kamal Mouzawak, mingling with diners and enjoying the true taste of Lebanese home cooking.
At Liza Beirut, there’s a similar dedication to craft and tradition, although with a twist. Founded by restaurateur, Liza Asseily, and her husband Ziad, the dishes are fresh, light, generous and bursting with flavour – but just as important, is the restaurant’s location. Occupying the second floor of a former 19th century palace, Liza Beirut is something to behold. Even if you’re not a foodie, go for the decor. There are stunning Ottoman-style windows, ceramic cityscapes by Marilyn Massoud and Rasha Nawam, and wallpaper designed by Idarica Gazzoni. It’s arguably one of the most beautiful buildings in Beirut.
When you’re done, head south to Tyre (called Sour in Arabic), where you’ll not only be treated to the Old City’s narrow cobbled lanes, brightly coloured houses, courtyard gardens, boutique hotels and beautiful shuttered windows, but some of the best street food in Lebanon. Take Mahfouz, for example. Essentially a sandwich shop, its speciality is fatayel – beef filets cut into small, mince-like pieces and then fried and served in Arabic bread with tarator and tomatoes. Chicken and makanek (a small, pan-fried beef sausage) versions are also available, but it’s the fatayel that’s the winner. Located in the Old Souk, it’s takeaway only, so probably best to take a few with you for the road.
Another Tyre institution is Baroud. Also situated in the Old Souk, it opens at the crack of dawn. A morning spot only, it serves traditional Lebanese breakfasts with zero pretension and maximum taste. The menu is limited – foul, hummus with tahini, or msabbaha (hot chickpeas with tahini, crushed garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and salt) – but delightful. With plastic chairs and only a handful of tables, don’t go expecting five-star luxury. When you’re done, go and enjoy the splendour of Tyre, with its dizzying array of Roman and Byzantine ruins and glorious beaches.
Wherever you go next, you’ll be in for a treat. If you drive east through Bikfaya and Bteghrine, past Wadi al-Jamajem (the Valley of the Skulls) and on towards Mount Sannine, you’ll eventually reach Baskinta. On the outskirts of the town, set back from the main road down a short track, is a small bakery run by husband and wife, Krikor and Laure.
Perched peacefully on the side of a steep valley, in the spring and summer months their home is sprinkled with the harvests of rural endeavour: bowls of thyme and herbal tea; olives and tomatoes; cucumbers and courgettes; mint and parsley; even walnuts and aubergines. Somewhere down the hill you’ll see chickens and their freshly laid eggs.
The bakery itself is humble, with low ceilings and an oven that can only fit two manakeesh at a time. There is a long wooden board on which dough – handmade in the early hours of the morning – is rolled into ovals and smothered with ingredients. When we visit, one is topped with three types of cheese (akkawi, kashkawan and mozzarella), another with homemade zaatar. Then there’s bayd w awarma, a calorie-ladened masterpiece topped with cheese, eggs and lamb confit, which sits confidently in the centre of the large aluminium tray. There is labneh w awarma, too, and bowls of olives and freshly chopped tomatoes. It’s the best manakeesh you’ll ever have – all served with the fullness of Lebanese generosity.
Where To Stay
If you’re feeling flush and love the glamour of Golden Age Beirut, there’s only one place you can stay – the Phoenicia. The hotel looms large in the imagination and is all delicately perforated façades and shimmering blue and turquoise tiles. Zaitunay Bay is a stone’s throw away and the hotel’s interior is a fascinating mix of the luxurious and the ostentatious. Originally opened in 1961, the hotel was only reopened in October last year following two years of closure in the wake of the Beirut blast. It’s return to life created quite a buzz and signified a return to better times for Lebanon’s tourism industry, although the country remains deeply entrenched in a crippling financial crisis.
