Five Delicious Iftars in Beirut You Don't Want to Miss

Ramadan may be more than midway complete, but there’s still plenty of time to squeeze in a scrumptious Iftar at many a select restaurant in Beirut. Whether you are observing the festive season or celebrating with Muslim friends, the capital is host to a wide spread of wonderful meals to stir the senses and satiate the belly. Here are a few that’ll make the long fast worthwhile.


Boulevard Beirut

Boulevard Beirut is a new fixture on the Ain Mreisseh stretch. In fact, the entire complex where it is housed is an overhaul of predecessors La Plage and Al Dirwandi. What hasn’t changed, however, is the front-row seat to the majestic Mediterranean and an unobstructed view of the sun as it makes its plunge into the horizon. The buffet is top notch, with tabbouleh and fattouch tossed before your very eyes; dizzyingly delicious hindbeh; spiced savory pastries; and juicy cubes of chicken and beef cooking out on the grill. Save room for the assortment of ashta-based Lebanese turnovers, including sha3biyet and katayef.

Lebanese savory pastries. Photo courtesy of instagram.com/boulevardbeirut


Movenpick Mediterranee

If you want to treat yourself to a luxurious feast becoming of royalty, I challenge you to outdo Movenpick’s Mediterranée buffet. Featuring a healthy mix between Occidental and Oriental cuisines and boasting a shawarma spit, a fry bath for fresh falafel, and grilled meat, this fiesta has all the bases covered. Don’t get stalled at the cheese and deli cuts station—delicious as they are, there’s a whole lot more to discover. End on a refreshing note of Movenpick’s famous ice cream, particularly the caramel.
Shawarma station



Al Balad

Sometimes, you simply can’t be bothered to fight your way through an inordinately long buffet line, only to discover the last chicken wing has been snatched up and all that remains is a sad-looking green bean stew. If you’re dining in a group of six or more people, make a beeline for Al Balad in downtown Beirut and enjoy a set menu dishing up all your favorites, including dates, amareddine, lentil soup, a selection of 13 hot and cold mezze platters, mixed grill, ouzi, kellaj and watermelon. For $30 a pop, that’s one handsome deal.

Photo courtesy of instagram.com/albaladrestaurants

TSC Signature

TSC Signature always seems to have the best values in town, and they certainly don’t disappoint with their Iftar. For a meager 20,000 LL, you get pampered with jellab, fattouch, a choice of one of their numerous plats du jour, and dessert. I probably don’t need to convince you how incredibly affordable that is, and if you presumptuously pass off TSC’s cuisine as quotidian supermarket quality, you couldn't be more mistaken.



Delicious grilled steak

PZZA.CO

Traditional Lebanese cuisine day in and day out can become rather hackneyed, so why not head to PZZA.CO in Beirut Souks for an Italian-inspired meal? Start with a nutty chickpea soup drizzled with lemon and tahini, followed by a panzanella salad, the restaurant’s famous bocconcini in carrozza (baby mozzarella cheese accompanied by a tomato basil sauce), an original zaatar pizza, creamy rigatoni Bolognese, and finally—can you stomach all this?—a caramel date cake with toffee, pecan sauce, and vanilla bean ice cream. Buon appetito!

Panzanella salad. Photo courtesy of instagram.com/pzzaco



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