Margherita opened its branch in Jounieh around two months ago and I have to say it’s a great branch in terms of location. It’s a renovated old Lebanese house with a large terrace right on the sea. I visited it last week and took some pictures that I thought were worth sharing. If you want to read reviews on Margherita, check Mark and Chahe’s reviews [Here] and [Here].

I’ve been to St. Elmo’s four times already, twice with friends, once on a tweet-up and the last time on a personal invite and I’ve enjoyed my meals and drinks every single time. I was planning to review the place earlier but they have so many items I wanted to try that it was hard to post about it after a single visit.

Located on Beirut’s Zaitunay Bay, St. Elmo’s owes its name to St.Erasmus of Formaie, the patron saint of sailors, and is decorated with nautical vintage stuff to offer a retro-urban seaside setting [Taken from Website]. The restaurant is divided into three parts, one outdoor area overlooking the Zaytounay harbor, an indoor lounge/pub area overlooking a more formal dining area suitable for lunch and dinner.

Before you order any food, there is a long list of drinks and cocktails that you can choose from, ranging from a rich selection of white/rose/red wine, beers and champagne to Sangrias, Mojitos, Bloody Marias and House Elixirs. I am not a big fan of Bloody Marias but one of my friends had the Bloody Mess (see below picture) and he loved it. I recommend trying the Sangria Pitchers, Lynchburg Lemonade (Sour drink), and the Caribbean Shrub.

You can check out the list of drinks and cocktails [Here].

BLOODY MESS: Vodka, Elmo’s clamato juice, giant shrimp & fresh oyster

Moving on to the starters and salads, I recommend the fresh Summer Rolls, the Black Carpaccio (see below picture), the Grilled Calamari and the Tataki Tuna Nicoise salad. All are healthy and delicious choices. The Smoked Salmon Bagel is a must-try in the Sarnies section. It’s a real shame that we don’t have any bagel shops in Lebanon, or at least none that I know of. The only one I used to go to was Euro Deli on Bliss Street during my AUB years but last time I checked, it was closed.

If you want to start with something rather unhealthy, I recommend you go for the Mac & Cheese as a starter. Just don’t have it by yourself because you won’t have any space left for the main dishes.

BLACK CARPACCIO :Cold-cured Black Angus Tenderloin topped with arugula, fresh artichoke hearts, fennel & shaved parmesan with truffle oil

Speaking of main dishes, St. Elmo’s is the place to visit if you are a Fish & Chips or Lobster fan. I haven’t tried the Poached 750g Nova Scotia lobster yet but heard good reviews about it, but I can assure you that the Fish & Chips are the best you can have in Lebanon. The dish is big enough for two people and is awesome! For those of you who don’t drink alcohol, watch out though because they are beer-battered. (All items that contain alcohol are pointed out in the menu).

Fish & Chips: 275g of Beer battered Mediterranean bass served and our home-made tartar sauce & parmesan fries

Last but not least, the desserts offered at St. Elmo’s are the perfect ending to your lunch/dinner. If you are feeling full, order an apéritif and take a small break because some of them are not to miss, especially the Chocolate chip cookie and Nutella Cheesecake.

SOFT CENTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE Oven baked & topped with vanilla bean ice cream

All in all, St. Elmo’s is Beirut’s only English SeaFood Brasserie and is located at the most suitable place, the Zaytounay bay. It’s a new concept that I encourage all Lebanese to try and is rather affordable given its location and when compared to some restaurants around it. (30-50$ per person for a full meal)

If you wish to read more about St. Elmo’s:
[St. Elmo's Facebook page]
[St. Elmo's website] [Menu]

The outdoor area overlooking the yachts and boats

PS: St. Elmo’s also serves brunch from 10am till 1pm, check out their brunch menu [Here].

I had no clue Naked Pizza opened in Lebanon until I spotted their delivery scooter the other day.

Naked Pizza, (originally named World’s Healthiest Pizza), was launched in the US in 2006 as an ambitious business model that seeks to change the nutritional profile of fast food. By way of example, Naked Pizza is demonstrating that pizza does not have to be part of the problem in our global epidemic of obesity and chronic disease, but in fact can be part of the solution. [More]

It’s definitely worth a try!

Their first branch in Lebanon is located on George Tabet st. Off Adib Issac Rd Achrafieh – Lebanon. [Map]

Phone: 01 20 77 88
Opening Hours: 10am till midnight.
Website: NakedPizzaLebanon.com

Figs are one my favourite fruits and can be used in so many different ways. I like them raw, dried out or made into jam.

Lebanon from The Hungry Cyclist on Vimeo.

Drinkers in Lebanon are the secular-minded wealthy?

Read the whole article [Here].

Thanks Sandro!

If you happen to be around Achkout, make sure you pass by Awwad and give it a try. Their Achta is really good. The shop is on the Achkout main road facing the Kataeb house.

I was picking up some Manakish from Furn Beaino yesterday around noon when a middle-aged man walks in and asks the owner if someone came and ordered 4 Zaatar, 4 Lahm Baajine and 4 Jebneh in the past hour. The owner answers him back that no one had placed such an order today. As it appears, the guy, who’s a Syrian refugee in Lebanon, had sent his two young kids ( a boy and a girl) to get Manakish an hour and a half ago and they still didn’t come back home so he got worried and went looking for them.

I felt bad for him especially with all the kidnappings that are happening and thought of helping him out before he told the owner on his way out: “I will go now but please if they come back to your place, hurry up with the order and don’t delay them”.

Seriously? His kids are missing and that’s what he can think of? The owner was speechless for a second and one of the customers started laughing.

I passed by Fauchon in Gemmayze this morning and noticed there were people inside, so I parked and went down to see if it was open. The manager told me the official opening is today at noon.

Fauchon Paris is opening at the start of Gemmayze across the street from Paul.

Picture taken from NowLebanon

Following the national uproar in Lebanon when large amounts of rotten meat and dairy were found at some of Beirut’s top restaurants and supermarkets, researchers at the American University of Beirut (AUB) carried out a study on levels of bacterial contamination in Lebanon’s meat and dairy products. The lead researcher and environmentalist Rabih Kamleh explains how the findings reveal worrying levels of harmful pathogenic microorganisms such as Salmonella , Listeria and Escherichia Coli in Lebanese food. As far as dangers go, cheese “smells” the worst.

Water is at the base of any type of consumption or production process, especially for food supplies. If this source is highly contaminated Lebanon risks a severe public health hazard, as the food supply now becomes a potential vehicle for the transmission of many resistant bacterial pathogens .

Read the full report [Here]. Sahten Jamee3an!

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I went to check out yesterday this Junkyard/Pop-up restaurant my friend told me about. I was told it’s on Mar Mikhail’s street some 100 meters after Chez Sophie’s restaurant to the right but I could not find it at first. I called him to ask for more directions and as it appears, I had passed right next to it twice and didn’t notice the place.

Parking lot that gets you to the Junkyard

Looking at the second picture, you would never think there’s a hangout place behind those small trees and around those old buildings but the truth is this open air restaurant/bar is the coolest thing I’ve seen yet in Lebanon. It has no name, a unique design with tables/chairs/bars/toilets made out of junks down to the smallest detail, a container as a kitchen and chill-out music.

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Path to the Toilets

Added to that, the place is surrounded by old residential buildings with some balconies directly overlooking it. I noticed many were sitting on their balconies drinking coffee or smoking arguile not bothered one single bit by this sort of pop-up restaurant and pub. It felt like it brought life to the whole neighborhood.

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The kitchen is run by Thomas Reger, the executive chef at Le Sushi Bar and The Jasmine Room. To add to the place’s originality, there’s no set menu but daily dishes picked up by the chef. I had 3 appetizers, couscous with tomato, fresh tuna with peppers, Halloum with watermelon and all were good and refreshing dishes.

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The Bar

The man behind all that is Mario Haddad, who’s always investing in new and innovative ideas in Lebanon, seeking more self-satisfaction rather than just profits. You can read more about him in this article by LorientLeJour [Link].

Now the sad part is that the Junkyard will only open for 2-3 months and then close down before winter as it is not a viable nor sustainable project on the long-run. Nevertheless, if the idea were to work, I am sure the concept could be implemented in various locations on a yearly basis. After the Junkyard is closed, a group of restaurants also managed by Mario will be set up on site as of next year, offering a unique experience to the Lebanese. I will unveil more details about them in future posts.

In order to get to the Junkyard, go to Mar Mikhail’s street (As if you are heading to Burj Hammoud), turn right 100 meters after Chez Sophie restaurant right before the gas station (facing the bus cemetery), and then right again 20 meters into the corner.

When I first went to try the new Grand Cinemas at ABC in the first week of July, the rooftop wasn’t open yet. A week ago, I went to the movies again and noticed that it’s now accessible to all with some restaurants already open, mainly Leila, Roadster, Napoletana, OBI and Duo.

The Mzaar InterContinental Hotel is a great place for spending weekends during winter specially when the whole area is covered with snow. However, with all the snow gone and the hotel’s terrace open, nothing beats sitting outdoors, enjoying the view and the delicious open buffet.

I went there a couple of weeks ago and even though it was really hot, none of us was bothered as there was a large tent covering the whole terrace with ventilators all over the place. We had to call and reserve in advance as the place is usually fully booked (mostly families), even though it fits 600 people.

The buffet offers a large variety of food for all tastes. Grilled Salmon, Shrimps, Chicken and Steak, Italian Pasta Stand, Quesadillas, Pizza, all sorts of Lebanese Mezza, Sushi, Salads, Cheese, Raw meat, Salmon and others all for 45$ per person (Drinks not included). There’s also an exquisite dessert stand and arguile is available for those who want. Added to that, there’s a guy who plays the guitar and sings old rock songs and classics every Sunday and he’s not bad at all if you ask me.

Last but not least, the Mzaar InterContinental is truly a 5-star hotel and its service shows it. The waiters are friendly, quick and helpful, the stands are clean, the cooks are professional, the food is great and everything is just impeccable.

For further information or reservation, call +961 9 340 100.

I spotted this beautifully renovated old Lebanese house in Antelias in the street that has all the restaurants/pubs/Shisha places. The house is next to Pinocchio Restaurant and facing Public and Kahwit el Sitt. I am presuming it will be yet another restaurant, or maybe a pub just like Carlitto’s.

It could also be someone’s residence but I don’t think anyone would want to live on this street.

I passed by Gemmayze street this morning and it was still open. It looks like someone changed his mind.