Crave
Danielle Issa

Here’s Everything You Need To Know About New Italian Hotspot Harry’s Bar Beirut

I’ve picked up on a recent trend in the prominent kitchens of Beirut: the executive chefs are young—incredibly young—and sprightly. Chef Sotiris at the Four Seasons is a mere 34 years old. Chef Amer el Hajj at TSC Signature can’t be much older. Eyeing this pattern, you’d think I would be prepared to stomach the fact that the executive chef at Harry’s Bar Beirut’s is just 24 years of age, but I simply could not. And especially not after I had the privilege of sampling his gourmet flair; he’s a genius!

Meet Andrea Gurzi, the star behind the exquisite cuisine at the storied Venetian stronghold who hails from Calabria, Italy. Prior to his arrival to Beirut, Gurzi worked at the Four Seasons Milano for four years before being sought after to man the kitchen at Harry’s Bar in Lebanon. Together with three Italian chefs, three Lebanese sous chefs, and two pastry chefs, Gurzi is cooking up a beautiful storm, and lucky are those who have the fortune to dine on his flawless fare.



The menu features seven antipasti dishes, seven primi piatti comprising pasta and risotti, and eight secondi piatti counting four fish and four meat options. Dolci includes a Tiramisu Classico and Baba al Limoncello. All are recommended with an espresso or digestive spirits.

Get a taste of Chef Gurzi’s inimitable creations, and let your drooling do the judging:


This is tonno tonnato, which in Italian roughly translates to “tuna’d tuna.” A raw tuna steak is lightly garnished in its own sauce, along with grated jicama, pickled ginger and fresh herbs; an incredibly tender texture with subtle flavors you’d never discern were fish.



Sautéed scallops (capesante) with grilled heart of artichoke wedges, broccoli, and pine nuts in a light savory sauce.



Al dente spaghetti intertwined with fresh chunks of lobster meat and tomato and parsley as garnish.



Heart of artichoke (carciofo) stuffed with an indescribably delicious concoction of bread, cheese, mint and more artichoke!Topped with grated jicama and crispy sautéed onions.



Melt-in-your-mouth veal (vitello) filet with a cap of herb-infused bread crumbs and sides of porcini mushrooms and a butternut squash purée.



The most delicate tenderloin beef (filetto di manzo) grilled to a perfect pink finish, garnished with a sprig of rosemary and accompanied by sautéed spinach and skin-on potato buttons. Impeccable!



Limoncello-soaked baba cradling a dollop of homemade crème patissière and citrus zest.



The food of the gods: panna cotta, or cooked cream, topped with berry coulis and a generous assortment of fresh blueberries, raspberries, quartered strawberries, mint leaves, crunchy sugar crystals and shattered meringue.



Coffee time! The ultimate tiramisu in a martini glass: a base of coffee-saturated sweet bread, mascarpone and a tufted bed of whipped eggs with sugar.

Chef Gurzi is destined among the ranks of Michelin-starred chefs. His use of premium ingredients, the majority of which is imported from Italy, as well as his eye for presentation render his dishes visual masterpieces. If you consider yourself a gourmet, you need to get to Harry’s Bar pronto!

Harry’s Bar Beirut
Gouraud Street
Saifi Village
Tel.: +9611972540

Open Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday.
Lunch: 12:30-3pm.
Dinner: 8-11:30pm.