Cafes, bars and restaurants in Downtown Beirut, as surveyed by consulting firm Hodema. Illustration by Guilhem Dorandeu.
What was designed to be the heart of Beirut, rebuilt after the Civil War, Downtown has reflected all the difficulties of the country. Downtown took the brunt of the 2019 protests centered in Martyrs Square when many businesses were attacked and looted, then, what remained was destroyed in the 2020 Port Explosion.Hodema found last year that Downtown’s proximity to the explosion and the protests made owners steer away from reopening, though fast forward to 2024 and the zone seems to be waking up. There are 15 more F&B outlets this year compared to the total number of outlets recorded last year which sat at 29. The zone of Downtown is showing signs of life, primarily due to the growth witnessed in Saifi Village. Notably, within Saifi, Buco which is short for Burger and Cocktails, was opened by Chef Tarek Alameddine serving high-quality...
What was designed to be the heart of Beirut, rebuilt after the Civil War, Downtown has reflected all the difficulties of the country. Downtown took the brunt of the 2019 protests centered in Martyrs Square when many businesses were attacked and looted, then, what remained was destroyed in the 2020 Port Explosion.Hodema found last year that Downtown’s proximity to the explosion and the protests made owners steer away from reopening, though fast forward to 2024 and the zone seems to be waking up. There are 15 more F&B outlets this year compared to the total number of outlets recorded last year which sat at 29. The zone of Downtown is showing signs of life, primarily due to the growth witnessed in Saifi Village. Notably, within Saifi, Buco which is short for Burger and Cocktails, was opened by Chef Tarek Alameddine serving...
