What’s New In & Around Beirut

In light of the multiple financial and economic crises that continue to grip Lebanon, it always fascinates me when I see new places crop up, or living spaces being treated to a facelift. Revival in Lebanon is at the core of our fabric. Our entrepreneurial culture perpetually outweighs the lesser than ideal circumstances that beleaguer us. All this to say, it’s a heartwarming feeling when you see others around you continue to invest and not relinquish hope in this country.

Here’s the latest example of that!



Xpark

Perched on high in the hills of Mar Roukoz, not far from Waves waterpark, Xpark is Lebanon’s first indoor jump park spread across an impressive 3,300 square meters. Find different areas to suit every age and expert level: (1) X Mini for ages up to 6 to explore trampoline style jumping, (2) Freestyle, (3) Xpertramps for elevated performance enthusiasts, (4) XDunk for bouncing and shooting hoops, (5) soft-play for toddlers, (6) edutainment zone catering to ages 4-12, and more. Upstairs discover a café serving drinks and snacks, multipurpose rooms to house birthday parties, and lockers. Xpark, exclusively employing Lebanese athletic youth, is perfect for adrenaline junkies interested in a novel way to stay trim and active.


Xpark is Lebanon's first indoor jump park

Xpark on Instagram


Burger King - Jal el Dib

Burger King’s flagship branch has decorated the Jal el Dib highway for 24 years now. This location has always been preferred by my little ones, owing to a formidable four-tiered play place and an outdoor playground to boot. I was pleased to see a total renovation completed last month, encompassing new seating and benches, enhanced lighting, touchscreen kiosks for quick ordering, fresher bathrooms, and an expanded play zone outside. Jal el Dib’s BK also features a café, serving up coffee, pastries and soft serve ice cream. Be sure you download their mobile app to take advantage of frequent promos and discounts on food.


The renovated space inside Burger King - Jal el Dib


Burger King Lebanon on Instagram


Burger Basics

I know what you’re thinking – yet another burger joint in Lebanon? Isn’t the scene pretty saturated as it is? Burger Basics is the brainchild of an experienced Lebanese family restaurateur whose identity remains anonymous for now. But if you can appreciate their longevity (over 40 years in business) and unwavering commitment to excellence, you’d be pretty keen on trying just about anything they put out there. And I was more than happy to wolf down Burger Basic’s Mighty Meat burger. It’s got all the ingredients of culinary goodness: soft, supple, brioche bun; juicy, smashed, beef patty; American cheese; tomato; lettuce; and thousand island dressing. At present, Burger Basics is available exclusively as delivery through Toters.


The Mighty Meat at Burger Basics


Kintsugi Beirut

“Rooms. Bar. Resto.” Don’t you love a slogan that adequately captures the offering in full? Kintsugi sits where Villa Clara once did, tucked inside the narrow, storied residential streets of Mar Mikhael, just off of Armenia Street. The Japanese word “kintsugi” refers to the art of mending broken pottery with gold – a metaphor for renewing one’s lease on life and embracing all flaws and imperfections as intrinsic to the process. French owner Olivier, a resident of Beirut for two decades and the man who counts “Behind the Green Door” as among his successful ventures, was just 600 meters from the Beirut port explosions of August 2020. Kintsugi Beirut houses seven unique guest rooms, each with its own flair and color scheme, in addition to a restaurant and glasshouse for dining under the stars even whilst it rains.


The main entrance of Kintsugi in Mar Mikhael


Kintsugi Beirut on Instagram


Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following Beirutista here.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Crowning Iftar Experience at the Crowne Plaza Beirut

Image
It had been decidedly too long since my first visit to the Crowne Plaza Beirut, tucked in the heart of Hamra along the main drag. Standing tall – a formidable 21 floors to be exact – with sweeping panoramic views of the Lebanese capital city, the Crowne Plaza, an IHG (Intercontinental Hotels Group) property, has so much going for it. To begin, the underground self-parking facility cannot be overlooked, as parking is typically nightmare-inducing elsewhere in Beirut. At just 200,000 LBP (USD 2.20) for up to four hours, this is a bargain. Alight the elevator at the ground floor, where a few steps westward will land you at the threshold of the Crowne Plaza. The hotel boasts 190 rooms, and I’m told that you can nab a room with complimentary breakfast buffet including VAT for about $100. You really can’t beat that in or outside of the city! Last Friday, we forayed into Hamra with the aim of trying the Iftar, a traditional Ramadan feast enjoyed at sunset, at Crowne Plaza’s Vivaldi restaurant...
Read more

6 Types of Patrons You’ll Encounter at a Coffee Shop in Lebanon

Image
You haven’t really adult-ed if you haven’t flocked to a coffee shop at least once in the past week, am I right? Admittedly, I was a little late to the game. I started sipping on caffeinated brew when my eldest was born, about six years ago. I’d place him in his stroller and lap around the mall for an hour or two, and when he drifted off to sleep, I’d slide into an armchair at Dunkin’ and order a donut, croissant-wich and coffee combo (yep, that was the ultimate trifecta.).  Fresh-brewed dark roast coffee, served piping hot with the steam blanketing my visage to deliver facial-like effects. Those few moments of uninterrupted peace formed my golden hour. I’d sit back, sip on my cup of joe, and quietly take in the scenes surrounding me. To this day, I love hanging out aimlessly at a coffee shop, merely to study the behavior of other patrons and try to deduce their craft. Here are the most common profiles I’ve encountered. My favorite indulgence at a coffee shop: donut and a cup of ...
Read more

7 Types of Lebanese Parents You’ll Encounter at School Pickup

Image
For the past three years, I’ve been shuttling my kids to and from school. It’s always a treat to greet them as their scholastic day draws to a close and they melt into your arms, eager to head home.  Right up there after that gratifying reunion is the entertainment value you derive from your encounters with other parents milling around the school building threshold in the minutes leading up to end of day. So amusing is the range of characters you’ll meet – whether they be grandparents filling in for parents tied up at work, or parents able to carve out time to pluck up their offspring – that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to blog about it. Here they are in no specific order. Can you relate?   1. The Haughty Mama : her favorite hand accessory is her smartphone, which she’s either holding to her lips transmitting nonstop nonsense voice notes, or scrolling furiously through her Instagram feed. Her hair is perfectly coiffed, with the essential extensions. She’s got those...
Read more