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.

It looks like they changed their minds indeed and the Gouraud street won’t be closed for a whole month. Instead it will be closed on several intervals. I am assuming they will close down the street bit by bit, not all at once. That’s a much better plan than the original one.

Old Banner

ABC was putting the final touches on its newly renovated and expanded mall in Dbayyeh before officially opening it two days ago in the presence the President of the Republic of Lebanon General Michel Sleiman. [Link]

It’s quite amazing how quickly the renovation and expansion were done. What I loved most is that it is all lit and colorful at night. Here’s a picture:

Sorry for the average quality of the picture but I took this picture while driving

And this is how it is supposed to look like.

Here’s a post on the evolution of ABC Dbayyeh Mall for those interested. [ABC]

Golden Beach 00:12 … Oceana: 00:28 … Miramar: 1:05 … Long Beach: 1:20 … Edde Sands: 1:37 … Florida Beach: 1:50 … Portemilio: 2:12 … Cyan: 2:47 … La Plage: 3:01 … Las Salinas: 3:31

This is embarrassing… [YouTube]

via Anti Racism Movement

I tweeted this picture (without the buildings on the left and right) asking people if they knew where that building is and many thought at first it was the Four Seasons hotel in Beirut because of the curved roof while in reality it’s very different from the beautiful Four Seasons building.

The fact is it’s a deserted building at the heart of Kaslik where a bomb exploded few years back. There are many stores and Lina’s cafe underneath it.

I hope someone will invest in it and build a rooftop there because the view over the Jounieh bay and Harissa mountain would be amazing.

Lebanese Minister of Tourism

“Due to the unstable security situation in Lebanon, the foreign ministry warns its citizens against traveling to Lebanon to maintain their safety, until further notice,” an unidentified high-ranking official in the ministry told the news agency.

“The kingdom is keen on not jeopardizing the safety of its citizens,” Asiri told the news agency. [Link]

With the situation worsening and the ever-increasing cost of living, neither Arabs nor Lebanese expats are willing to come to Lebanon this summer.

Honestly speaking, the situation is bad but not that bad. I think the ministry should talk with hotels, resorts and local businesses and have them offer summer packages at discounted prices to encourage tourists to come. It is quick shocking that there are barely any ads on TV or on the roads encouraging tourists to come to Lebanon.

Picture taken on Saturday

It’s been almost a year since I posted about that weird place in Jeita, which according to some of our readers, is supposed to be a museum on aquatic life.

As it appears, work has picked up at the site and they are finishing up the building and the boat which looks like a Phoenician one. I asked one of the workers on site if he knew what’s gonna open here, and he mentioned a museum and a restaurant.

The destruction of the Ancient Phoenician port in Minet el Hosn with the blessing of Lebanese Culture Minister Gaby Layoun did not go unnoticed as local and foreign media outlets have condemned the act and asked the minister for explanation.

Rhonda Parker from the Examiner posted a nice article rounding up the reactions from all parties involved. You can check it [Here]

The only party happy with the minister’s decision is the real estate company behind The Venus Towers that will are projected to be built on top of the ruins.

A woman looks down upon central Beirut from the top floor of the Four Seasons Hotel, Beirut. Picture by Cormac Walsh

The Middle East sees its ranking fall in Mercer’s 2012 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey due largely to a drop in rental prices.The survey found that Beirut is the most expensive city to live in this year within the Middle East, moving up eight notches to number 67.

Mercer’s survey factors in the cost of living for 214 cities globally. The consultancy compares the price of more than 200 factors in each location, including housing, transport, food and clothing costs. [Link]

Beirut has become so expensive that even expats no longer can afford it. Maybe we should stop building 1000 square meters apartments for Arabs to rent/buy and start building reasonable flats with rational prices for Lebanese and the average tourist.

Brownbook Magazine have a short article on The Farmer’s Kitchen, a new place by the guy behind Souk el Tayeb and Tawlet. The place sounds interesting and I’d love to pass by and try it out but I have no idea how to get there since it’s located in the area of Ammiq in the Bekaa Valley. Check out the article [Here]

The Presidential Palace where Fouad Chehad resided during his term in Zouk Mikhael has been under renovation for almost 2 years now and it looks like they are almost done. The house looks beautiful!

Let’s hope more Lebanese would preserve historical houses instead of demolishing them and replacing them with ugly buildings.

Here’s how the house looked two years ago.

Picture from Al-Akhbar

The Shura Council has suspended Culture Minister Gaby Layyoun’s decision to allow construction on the site of a Roman hippodrome in Downtown Beirut, following opposition from civil society activists. [Link]

The funny part is that the Culture Minister, who is supposed to be protecting and preserving such sites, was the one who “vociferously defended” the decision to go ahead with the project back in March 2012.

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Summer has begun.

All pictures were taken by JennHaddad

Picture taken by myself (edited via Instagram: LeNajib)

Beirut is like no other city in the Middle East, juxtaposing designer boutiques with grand mosques, bullet-scarred buildings with a boisterous nightlife. Though it has suffered hugely from decades of civil war, it is now one of the region’s safest places to visit. [BBC]

BBC are featuring on their main page a mini guide to Beirut, listing restaurants, hotels and main attractions to go to. Le Chef in Gemmayze is surprisingly still on the list of restaurants to visit.

Read the full article [Here].