Customers sharing a meal and a nargileh at Dar Beirut restaurant in Gemmayzeh on Jan. 13, 2023. (Credit: João Sousa)
BEIRUT — One hundred and forty dollars. That was the bill Laura* and her husband were handed after what was supposed to be a casual lunch at a restaurant in Broummana — without drinks.The 32-year-old Lebanese consultant, who lives in Qatar, returned to Lebanon with her newborn, to spend a few weeks with family and attend weddings. As she does every year, she had drawn up a budget for the trip. Only this time, it did not last. By the middle of their stay, the couple had spent around 66% more than they had planned and had begun dipping into their savings. Meanwhile Private sector sentiment continues to relatively improve “My makeup artist used to charge $80. Now she charges $130,” Laura said. At her mother’s house, where she was staying, the private generator bill came to $635. “Even valets in Beirut were asking for LL800,000 despite...
BEIRUT — One hundred and forty dollars. That was the bill Laura* and her husband were handed after what was supposed to be a casual lunch at a restaurant in Broummana — without drinks.The 32-year-old Lebanese consultant, who lives in Qatar, returned to Lebanon with her newborn, to spend a few weeks with family and attend weddings. As she does every year, she had drawn up a budget for the trip. Only this time, it did not last. By the middle of their stay, the couple had spent around 66% more than they had planned and had begun dipping into their savings. Meanwhile Private sector sentiment continues to relatively improve “My makeup artist used to charge $80. Now she charges $130,” Laura said. At her mother’s house, where she was staying, the private generator bill came to $635. “Even valets in Beirut were asking for...
