Strolling Down Memory Lane: Restaurant Closures in Beirut
The other day, I was scrolling through the extensive directory of restaurants published
on my blog. By no means is this an exhaustive list of every eatery in
Lebanon. It is merely a compilation of the places I’ve (1) visited and (2)
felt utterly compelled to showcase. To be sure, the list counts hundreds of food
institutions in and around Beirut.
But as I was skimming over the roster, I realized an update
was in order, for a vast number of these joints have gone out of business. A reliable source in the food and beverage industry recently confided that 741
establishments shuttered in the past year alone. That number is at once record-breaking and crippling.
Indeed, the one constant in Lebanon is change, and more
often than not, it’s anything but positive. Our dilapidated roads, the poor
urban planning, telecom and mobile service, pollution of the environment, economic
stagnation, unemployment, unreasonably low wages…the banes afflicting this
nation are too numerous to recount here.
One of the beacons of light that we
have typically sought out and flaunted to the world has been our F&B scene, a dynamic field that largely forms a focal point of Beirutista. It pains me more and more to see decent ventures struggling to survive,
only to throw in the towel as they fall deeper and deeper in the red.
Here are a few restaurant closures that have left me distraught.
Bayrut Street Food (and Bayrut
Street Food Bites)
Last summer, I was so happy to report my latest shawarma
find. Sure, this is Lebanon, land of the shawarma, but for years, I couldn’t
confidently recommend a good shawarma without reservation. There were so many
I’d frequented since my move here, yet they’d all shuttered.
One fine day,
as I was strolling through City Mall Dora, I stumbled upon Bayrut Street Food
Bites, the fast casual counterpart to Bayrut Street Food in Gemmayze. I’ll
never understand why they elected to spell ‘Bayrut’ the way they did, but I
refrained from judging that book by its cover and was duly rewarded!
At the
outset, a shawarma combo went for 13,000 LBP ($8.67): two substantial
sandwiches plus a generous heaping of fries washed down with a Coke. No frills
or fussy fixings: just chicken or beef or both. Months later, the price escalated
to 15,000 LBP, but the shawarma spits looked scrawny and off-putting. The
allure died, and now so did the restaurant.
It may have been tasty, but that wasn't enough Bayrut Street Food afloat |
Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated restaurant in Lebanon’s
recent history, The Cheesecake Factory descended upon Verdun in December 2015.
We had the rare privilege of dining with the Senior VP of Global Development
Lisa McDowell at the red-carpet debut, an occasion I happily committed to
memory.
But we were quizzical at the choice of location and communicated our
uncertainty to McDowell. Downtown Beirut, and Zaitunay Bay as the outermost
reach of it, forms the tip of the frontier for the majority of folks flocking
from outside Beirut. Hamra is popular with students and young adults, but
Verdun tends to be insular, attracting denizens from within its own area. For
me, a trip to Verdun would have to be deliberated, as it’s distant from the
epicenter of the capital and quite a trek given the ubiquitous traffic.
The fact that no parking structure was dedicated to guests
of The Cheesecake Factory, whose occupancy is 343 persons, was also reason for
anxiety. McDowell, however, seemed confident that the weight of The Cheesecake
Factory name; its global renown as a hotspot for delicious, super-generous
dishes; and its superior service would make it a destination for those near and
far. Next time, they should hire me to do their strategic planning!
At the red-carpet opening of The Cheesecake Factory in Verdun, Beirut (Photo courtesy of Beiruting.com, 2015) |
Back in 2016, I wrote about my thrill at discovering Frida had
weathered the inclement F&B scene in Lebanon, what with restaurants opening
and shuttering almost weekly in the capital. I remember first discovering it in
2011, when Frida was all the rage for its delicious Lebanese cuisine with spicy
Southwestern American influences. That summer we frequented it more than half a
dozen times.
But evolving routines and dining-out habits soon found us removed
from the quartier in Achrafieh where Frida perches. Well, Frida certainly didn’t
go down without a fight, but its demise is certain. I will never forget their
cored cucumbers stuffed with labneh nor the welcome basket of warm markouk
bread. Adios, Frida.
Here’s a restaurant that didn’t make it to celebrate its
first birthday. RAW Café, sibling venture of the nightclub RAW, launched in
October 2018. Though it necessarily boasted Lebanon’s favorite pastime, the
hookah, their cuisine didn’t cut corners or make compromises on taste, quality,
or aesthetics. Even the menu prices were an ode to affordable dining out,
something the F&B industry is finally starting to promote in the wretched
economy we live in.
A perfectly cooked beef tenderloin topped with molten Brie,
a decadent peanut butter cookie baked in a cast-iron skillet, a zingy lemonade
bursting with fresh ginger – these were just a few of the notable items that
tickled our taste buds and had us looking forward to the next visit. Alas, that
shall never be.
Beef tenderloin blanketed in a cheesy mushroom sauce for a relatively affordable 25,000 LBP ($16.67) at Raw Cafe |
I’ll never forget the living olive tree standing tall in the
center of Woodbees’ dining space, nor the nifty, compostable packaging that was
no doubt ahead of its time for 2015. The brainchild of the folks behind wildly
successful bread chain Wooden Bakery, Woodbees was a breath of fresh air in
that it slammed the dullness and repetition we all too often see in restaurant
menus around town. Salads were copious, sandwiches entirely original and meaty –
anyone remember Woodbees’ Kebab in a whole-wheat wrap? It packed in halloumi
and muhammara and, in a word, was mind-blowing! Even the architecture of the
venue, shaped like a beehive, was quirky and refreshing. Too bad the Queen Bee
has died.
I wonder what they'll do with that olive tree now that Woodbees has closed shop |
What venues have rendered you disoriented over their disappearance?
Indeed. Thats crippling. Out of the 5 mentioned, i only tried woodbees and by curiosity not out of passion. That explains part of what u said. For me, and the gourmet in me,the mentionned places failed in telling their story, and had no soul. They did not promote what they are good at and they did not make people like me eager to be the first trialists. Regardless of their taste and quality, they failed in inducing trials and saying who they are and wgat do they stand for. Wait for more, the list is long, not to mention the fact that any unemployed or amateur who is bored is opening a restaurant in lebanon...
ReplyDeleteWe often say passion leads to success. But I can cite many examples where even that rule is broken. Do you remember Harry's Bar in Saifi Village? If ever a restaurant/chef in Lebanon was worthy of a Michelin star, it was above and beyond Harry's Bar. But it hardly survived a year and some odd months. There are many like it: Dottore Antica, Magnolia Bakery, Studio 54, Secteur, and the list goes on and on and on. But you're completely justified to say that opening a restaurant has become a fad, and often the restaurateur lacks any real business savvy. In truth, the F&B sector is one of the toughest to succeed in!
DeleteOne of the restaurant closures that shocked us all was La petite table. Starting off successfully in Naccache Gardens then expanding to ABC Verdun, the place boasted a generous salad bar, a glorious brunch buffet, and a unique menu with exciting flavors. However, the place didn't survive the crisis, and the closure of its Naccache branch was the beginning of the end. To our shock, the place closed in fall 2018, not long after introducing their new tarts and new dishes. Ever since, the place page on zomato says that the place is "temporarily closed", and the place closed with its furniture still there, and the mystery continues.
ReplyDeleteI only ever visited the ABC Verdun branch when it opened in the summer of 2017. Here's the review: https://www.beirutista.co/2017/08/palate-pleasing-platters-at-la-petite.html. What a pity. I think all of Naccache Gardens has virtually closed, hasn't it? Every time I drive by, it looks like a ghost town.
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