20 Best Places to Eat in Lebanon: The Ultimate Culinary & Dining Guide
Lebanese cuisine is world-renowned as one of the richest and healthiest culinary traditions of the Mediterranean. Centered around cold and hot mezze platters, fresh olive oil, garlic, lemon, sumac, wild herbs, charcoal-grilled skewers, and fresh seafood, dining in Lebanon is a celebration of community and flavor.
Must-Try Traditional Dishes
When dining in Lebanon, be sure to savor these iconic national dishes and Levant culinary specialties:
- Kibbeh Nayyeh: The national dish of Lebanon, made of ultra-fresh raw lamb or beef minced finely with bulgur wheat, mint, onions, and cold-pressed olive oil, eaten with fresh flatbread.
- Authentic Lebanese Mezze: An elaborate spread featuring Hummus, Baba Ghanoush (smoky eggplant dip), Tabouleh (finely chopped parsley, mint, tomatoes, and bulgur salad), and Fattoush (crunchy garden salad with toasted pita and sumac).
- Kibbeh & Sambousek: Crispy fried bulgur shells stuffed with spiced minced beef, pine nuts, and onions, alongside savory cheese pastries.
- Shawarma & Manakish: Thinly sliced spit-roasted lamb or chicken wrapped in flatbread with garlic toum sauce, alongside oven-baked flatbreads topped with Za'atar wild thyme mix or Akkawi cheese.
- Knefeh & Baklava: Melted sweet cheese topped with semolina crust, soaked in orange blossom syrup and served inside sesame bread, alongside layers of pistachio pastry.
20 Best Places to Eat in Lebanon
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Em Sherif Restaurant
- Cuisine: Fine Dining Authentic Lebanese Mezze
- Location: Ashrafieh, Beirut
- Must-Try Dish: Royal Lebanese Mezze Spread & Mixed Grills
- About the Place: Em Sherif provides an opulent, oriental palace-style dining experience in Beirut. Guests enjoy an extravagant continuous parade of over 30 traditional cold and hot mezze dishes.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Em Sherif Restaurant
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Babel Dbayeh
- Cuisine: Progressive Lebanese & Seafood
- Location: Dbayeh Highway, Mount Lebanon
- Must-Try Dish: Sizzling Shrimp Kebab & Rose Water Desserts
- About the Place: Renowned for grand stone architecture and innovative culinary presentations, Babel revisits traditional Lebanese recipes with progressive culinary twists and fresh seafood.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Babel Dbayeh
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Tawlet (Souk El Tayeb)
- Cuisine: Farm-to-Table Regional Lebanese Home Cooking
- Location: Mar Mikhael, Beirut
- Must-Try Dish: Daily Rotating Regional Home-cooked Buffet
- About the Place: Operating under the Souk El Tayeb farmers market initiative, Tawlet features rotating daily menus prepared by traditional female home cooks brought from different villages across Lebanon.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Tawlet
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Liza Beirut
- Cuisine: Upscale Modern Lebanese
- Location: Rue Abdel Wahab El Inglizi, Ashrafieh, Beirut
- Must-Try Dish: Lamb Shank Ouzi & Kharfroush
- About the Place: Set inside a stunning 19th-century Ottoman palace with dramatic wallpaper and high ceilings, Liza serves light, refined interpretations of classic Lebanese dishes.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Liza Beirut
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Le Chef
- Cuisine: Historic Lebanese Neighborhood Bistro
- Location: Gouraud Street, Gemmayzeh, Beirut
- Must-Try Dish: Kibbeh bi Laban & Daily Stew (Yakhneh)
- About the Place: Operating since 1967, Le Chef is an iconic, beloved budget eatery in Gemmayzeh serving hearty, authentic home-style daily stews and traditional comfort foods.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Le Chef
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Al Halabi Restaurant
- Cuisine: Traditional Lebanese & Aleppine Charcoal Grills
- Location: Antelias, Mount Lebanon
- Must-Try Dish: Kabab Khaschkhasch & Raw Kibbeh Nayyeh
- About the Place: A legendary family dining destination in Antelias celebrated for perfectly executed traditional mezze, wood-fired flatbreads, and charcoal-grilled kebabs.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Al Halabi Restaurant
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Mayrig
- Cuisine: Authentic Armenian-Lebanese Fusion
- Location: Pasteur Street, Gemmayzeh, Beirut
- Must-Try Dish: Mante Dumplings & Cherry Kabab
- About the Place: Mayrig preserves and celebrates rich silk-road Armenian-Lebanese culinary heritage, serving wood-bakedante dumplings, spicy soujouk, and cherry-infused meat kebabs.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Mayrig
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Baron
- Cuisine: Modern Mediterranean & Market-Fresh Fusion
- Location: Pharaon Street, Mar Mikhael, Beirut
- Must-Try Dish: Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini & Wagyu Ribeye
- About the Place: Ranked among the best dining venues in the Middle East, Baron serves innovative, ingredient-driven seasonal dishes prepared over open wood flames in Mar Mikhael.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Baron
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Al Fadel Restaurant
- Cuisine: Mountain Lebanese Mezze
- Location: Naas, Bikfaya, Mount Lebanon
- Must-Try Dish: Arak & Mountain-style Raw Kibbeh Nayyeh
- About the Place: A revered family-run mountain institution nestled under pine trees in Bikfaya, famous for immaculate mezze platters, fresh mountain spring water, and homemade arak.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Al Fadel Restaurant
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Abdul Rahman Hallab & Sons
- Cuisine: Traditional Oriental Sweets & Pastries
- Location: El-Mina Street, Tripoli
- Must-Try Dish: Halawet El Jibn & Kashta Baklava
- About the Place: Established in 1881 in Tripoli, this famous sweet shop is legendary across the Middle East for crafting exquisite oriental pastries, cream-filled Halawet El Jibn, and baklava.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Abdul Rahman Hallab & Sons
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Meat the Fish
- Cuisine: Gourmet Seafood, Steaks & Artisanal Market
- Location: Saifi Village, Beirut
- Must-Try Dish: Smoked Salmon Toast & Wagyu Beef Tacos
- About the Place: Starting as a premium seafood and meat importer, this buzzy market-bistro in Saifi Village serves fresh gourmet international bites, oysters, and craft salads.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Meat the Fish
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Ferdinand
- Cuisine: Gastropub & Artisanal Burgers
- Location: Mahatma Gandhi Street, Hamra, Beirut
- Must-Try Dish: The Ferdinand Burger with Blueberry Jam & Bacon
- About the Place: A cozy, friendly neighborhood gastropub in Hamra famous for craft single-malt whiskeys, signature cocktails, and arguably Beirut's most celebrated gourmet beef burger.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Ferdinand
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Mounir Restaurant
- Cuisine: Traditional Mountain Mezze & Charcoal Grill
- Location: Ras El Matn, Mount Lebanon
- Must-Try Dish: Mixed Charcoal Skewers & Fresh Tabouleh
- About the Place: Perched on pine-forested slopes overlooking Mount Lebanon valleys, Mounir offers expansive terraced garden dining paired with traditional Lebanese mezze feasts.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Mounir Restaurant
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Chez Sami
- Cuisine: Fresh Seafood & Coastal Mezze
- Location: Maameltein Coast, Jounieh
- Must-Try Dish: Salt-Baked Hamour & Fried Calamari
- About the Place: Situated right along the sea waters of Jounieh Bay, Chez Sami is a high-end seafood destination where guests select raw catches of the day to be grilled or baked.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Chez Sami
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T-Marbouta
- Cuisine: Lebanese Cafe & Traditional Urban Bistro
- Location: Hamra, Beirut
- Must-Try Dish: Fatteh Hummus with Yogurt & Pine Nuts
- About the Place: Featuring a green outdoor garden in the heart of Hamra, T-Marbouta is a popular cultural cafe serving traditional home-cooked Lebanese dishes, mezze, and mint tea.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to T-Marbouta
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Burgundy
- Cuisine: French Fine Dining & Haute Cuisine
- Location: Gouraud Street, Saifi, Beirut
- Must-Try Dish: Pan-Seared Foie Gras & Dry-Aged Beef Filet
- About the Place: One of Beirut's most celebrated fine dining venues, Burgundy delivers refined French culinary techniques, sommelier wine pairings, and sleek contemporary interiors.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Burgundy
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Babel Bahr
- Cuisine: Coastal Seafood & Lebanese Fusion
- Location: Amchit Coast, Mount Lebanon
- Must-Try Dish: Sultan Ibrahim Fish & Lobster Mezze
- About the Place: Carved into the rocky coastal cliffs of Amchit, Babel Bahr offers dramatic Mediterranean sea views alongside innovative seafood and traditional mezze spreads.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Babel Bahr
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Ichkhanian Bakery
- Cuisine: Traditional Lahmajoun Flatbreads
- Location: Zokak el-Blat, Beirut
- Must-Try Dish: Armenian Lahmajoun with Pomegranate Molasses
- About the Place: Operating since 1946, this legendary bakery crafts thin, crispy Armenian lahmajoun flatbreads topped with spiced minced lamb, pomegranate molasses, and lemon slices.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Ichkhanian Bakery
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Hajj Nasr Bakery
- Cuisine: Traditional Lebanese Bakery & Ka'ak
- Location: Achrafieh, Beirut
- Must-Try Dish: Toasted Sesame Ka'ak stuffed with Picon Cheese and Za'atar
- About the Place: A famous traditional street bakery in Beirut dishing out crispy purse-shaped sesame Ka'ak bread stuffed with melted cheeses, za'atar, or sumac directly from stone ovens.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Hajj Nasr Bakery
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Casablanca
- Cuisine: Organic Seafood & Asian-Mediterranean Fusion
- Location: Ain el Mreisseh Waterfront, Beirut
- Must-Try Dish: Organic Weekend Brunch & Seared Aahi Tuna
- About the Place: Set inside a bright traditional Lebanese residential home overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, Casablanca is famous for organic brunches and fresh seafood fusion.
- Explore More: Read our full guide to Casablanca
Featured Image
Traditional Lebanese Mezze Feast
