With an area of 100 square meters, Au 6ème can accommodate up to 37 people, with 27 seats inside and 10 outside. (Credit: DR)
Open only on weekends or for events, Au 6ème opened a few months ago in Achrafieh, on the sixth floor of a building. This restaurant features simple yet high-quality cuisine. "It's not a traditional restaurant. It's a private space where we serve specialties with a fixed menu," explained Chris Karam, co-owner. With an area of 100 m², the venue can accommodate up to 37 people, with 27 seats indoors and 10 outdoors. The staff at Au 6ème consists of six rotating employees, all from the East Village restaurant on the ground floor.
The menu at Au 6ème changes every few months to adapt to the seasons. Guests can enjoy three varied appetizers (dips, salad, seafood), as well as pizzas and grilled meats. "Our specialties are pizzas and meats," said Karam. The dishes are carefully prepared in what was previously Chris Karam’s apartment, and the wines are selected to complement the various meats offered, including Australian Wagyu beef and American Angus beef. The average price of a dinner ranges between $75 and $100.
On the terrace, a grill and a pizza oven add a unique touch, while the rest of the dishes are prepared in the apartment's kitchen with special attention to assembling appetizers, desserts, and sides. "We are open year-round, but we close the terrace in the winter," said Karam. On weekends, Au 6ème accommodates tables of 2 to 12 people; during the week, it hosts private dinners for 14 to 27 people.
Extension of East Village
The concept of Au 6ème emerged from a friendship and shared passion between Karam and his childhood friend Sary Najjar. "Sary is a big fan of pizza and taught me how to make them. We bought ovens and invited our friends," said Karam. The project grew from pizza nights among friends into a genuine private space attracting new clients. Najjar manages social media, reservations, customer service, as well as the pizzas, while Karam focuses on the cooking.
The financing of Au 6ème has been gradual and thoughtful. "We started with what I had at home, then we took tables and chairs from East Village," Karam explained. With growing success, the two friends reinvested earnings into improvements: leather chairs, marble tables, and a large oven. The total investment amounted to about $20,000, "just for adapting the apartment." Legally, Au 6ème is an extension of East Village, similar to a catering service, said Karam. This structure allows for flexibility and resource optimization, with both friends being 50% partners.
With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Karam has created Melting Pot in Gemmayze and Revolver in Downtown and has also worked in Greece for a few years. East Village, with its two branches in Achrafieh and Badaro, is his first real restaurant, following various bar and bar-restaurant projects. Najjar, on the other hand, works in advertising during the week, "which is why we open only two or three days a week; we want to be present together for cooking and to be available."
This article appeared originally in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.
