Stuff We Love
Danielle Issa

Five Of Our Favorite Restaurants to Celebrate Mother’s Day in Lebanon

She’s been tending to your every need, want, and indulgence since before you could utter “Mama.” She’d get up every morning to prepare your breakfast and send you off to school with a bulging lunch pail in tote. You came home afternoons to find a heartwarming stew on the stove, or your favorite cake wafting fragrantly by the oven. In the evenings, as you poured over your homework, she’d peek into your bedroom with a tray of fresh orange wedges and creamy labneh on toasted bread.

This Mother’s Day, show her that her efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, and treat her to the fabulous, swanky feast she deserves.


1. L’Ancre Restaurant

(Image via Zomato.com)

As you’re driving along the coast from Maameltein to Tabarja, a seaside fish restaurant named l’Ancre (“anchor” in French) perches over the waters just north of the Casino du Liban. Enter a beautiful all-glass space with unobstructed panoramic views of the Jounieh bay. You’ll have to return in warmer weather to enjoy the serene terrace, evoking the French Rivera dining scene. But for now, console yourselves with the impeccable seafood marvels l’Ancre offers. The generous Salade Ancre is essential, brimming with a fresh catch of fruits de mer like calamari, octopus, and shrimp. The melt-in-your-mouth kibbet samak requires no introduction, and your mother will delight in the tableside presentation of the seabass (“lokkos”) baked in salt.

L’Ancre
Jounieh Bay
+9619855529


2. Casablanca Restaurant

(Image via No Garlic No Onions)

Long heralded as Beirut’s best brunch with blue-ribbon service and impeccably-executed fusion dishes, Casablanca is an organic-lovers’ utopia. Everything is fresh, local, and bursting with flavor. Situated in a traditional villa in the Ain el Mreisseh area, Casablanca offers breathtaking vistas of the Mediterranean in a lively, kitsch setting. Brunch guests will adore the French toast, a hearty slice of browned bread served with seasonal fruit and drizzled with maple syrup. For dinner, order the grilled tender beef marinated in sake and served with a side of sautéed mushrooms. End on one of the city’s finest baked cheesecakes.

Casablanca
Dar Mreisseh
Ain El Mreisseh
Tel.: +9611369334
Mob.: +9613856111


3. La Posta Restaurant

(Image via fromagesandfridays.com)

Fancy giving your mama a taste of la dolce vita? La Posta in Achrafieh is a gastronomic reference in Italian cuisine, serving one exceptional black truffle ravioli pasta dish swimming in cream. Saturday mornings out on the terrace feature a lavish spread of edibles for brunch, including a salad bar; live stations of pasta, crepes, omelets and eggs; cheeses; cold cuts; and an irresistible array of desserts. The homemade donuts, albeit un-Italian, pair wonderfully with a nice cup of cappuccino and will round out your meal. Take mother dearest here for a generous feast and tranquil lounging.

La Posta
Trabaud Street
Achrafieh
Tel.: +9611209909


4. Al Mawkadeh Restaurant

(Image via parisalep.com)

Maybe Mom’s more about mountain views, unpolluted air far removed from the capital, and a cozy ambiance to boot. If so, then Al Mawkadeh, Arabic for “chimney,” will warm her spirits in no time. Nestled in Mayrouba along the road to Faraya, the round-shaped restaurant offers countryside dining stripped of airs and pretense: crunchy fattouch drenched in olive oil; thick, slightly sour labneh; soft white cheese; marinated taouk chicken cooked in a clay crock; and other baladeh favorites. The thin, crunchy saj pies are scrumptious.

Al Mawkadeh
Kisirwan, Mayrouba Main Street
Mayrouba
Tel.: +9619330773
Mob.: +9613130770


5. Mayrig Restaurant

(Image via Zomato)

If it’s a cultural adventure Mom prefers, take her to Mayrig (aptly “mother” in Armenian) in Gemmayzeh where the colorful setting and eclectic fixtures inside a stone house will transport her to a foodie paradise. With supreme dishes like fishna keufteh, or kibbeh balls stuffed with sour cherry coulis and resting on a bed of plain yogurt, as well as the savory mante—try the spinach edition—you’ll hardly be at loss as to how to delight her (and your!) stomach. Don’t pass up the dried apricots stuffed with ashta for the sweet ending.

Mayrig
Pasteur Street
Gemmayzeh
Tel.: +9611572121
Mob.: +9613228227