The interior of Mamaz Kitchen. Photo sent by the establishment.
After Gemmayzeh and Damour, Michel Abchee chose Furn al-Hayek for the latest addition to the Lost universe. On March 20, 2025, to mark Mother’s Day, he opened Mamaz Kitchen, a restaurant nestled in a restored 1950s building in the heart of Achrafieh. The Lost boutique hotel is set to open in the coming days, featuring 16 rooms across several floors of a long-abandoned building.
“When I enter an abandoned space, I want to soak up the history and past of that place,” Abchee said. The building, left neglected since the Civil War, was rented by the Lost team after its purchase. The total investment for the hotel and restaurant amounts to $1.5 million.
“We take over old Lebanese buildings and houses, which we try to preserve and restore, creating a hotel atmosphere in reimagined homes,” he added.
The restaurant space spans 200 square meters, kitchen included, and seats 80 guests indoors and about 20 on the terrace. It opens from the hotel lobby, where breakfast is also served. The space was entirely designed in-house.
“The architecture is homegrown,” Abchee said, explaining that he drew inspiration from colonial style to complement a menu of “original and modernized” Lebanese cuisine.
Named Mamaz Kitchen in tribute to Lebanese mothers, the restaurant puts a twist on traditional recipes. “We wanted an original menu that stays within Lebanese cuisine, like a hommos mhamassa, a spiced hommos with meat, or a reimagined kebbeh nayyeh,” he said. The average bill runs around $35. Delivery is already available through Toters.
The team includes about 30 people, 10 of them in the kitchen. The restaurant is open from 8 a.m. to midnight. True to the Lost concept, the bar remains central to the space.
“There’s always this idea of conviviality around the bar, where you can then head to your room or your table,” Abchee said.
Mamaz Kitchen and the new Lost hotel are part of a broader effort at urban renewal.
“Saifi Haut and Monnot are interesting destinations — forgotten parts of the city that are coming back to life. This is a neighborhood bistro where you come for a drink or invite friends,” he said.
Born in Gemmayzeh in 2019, just before Lebanon’s financial crisis, the Lost concept gradually expanded: first to Lost at Sea in Damour for the summer season, and now to this new hotel in Achrafieh, which may not be the last. Despite the departure of his partners, Abchee decided to carry on solo.
“We’ll continue to look for other locations in Lebanon, still under the name Lost — because it’s easy to get lost in Achrafieh,” he said with a smile.
For Abchee, the concept’s guiding principle is simple: “Each building revives the life of the past. The mission is to bring Lebanese architecture back to life, shaped by the character of the house or building we work on — and to offer a unique experience in comfort and simplicity, with a staff that makes all the difference.”
If Lost Gemmayzeh evokes the 1950s, the new Achrafieh location immerses guests in the early 20th century. But the spirit remains the same — warm, detail-oriented, and grounded in a desire to create a haven of beauty and simplicity in the middle of Beirut’s chaos.
