Ranking Sourdough Bakeries in Beirut

The following is a ranking/review of sourdough bakeries around Beirut. Any opinions expressed are merely that. Any jokes made are intended to be tongue-in-cheek, and are exaggerations made for the sake of comedy.

1. The Green Mill, Koraytem

Now this is the crème de la crème of sourdough bakeries. The Green Mill is truly the home of natural sourdough. They believe in making real bread the slow, old-fashioned way, baked fresh every day. No added preservatives. No shortcuts. No exceptions.

Their peanut butter and almond butter? 100% natural. I’m pretty sure they’re just back there blending peanuts behind the counter. And don’t even try to leave without grabbing a pack of brownies. It’s basically impossible.

As for the sourdough… it smells so good, you’ll start wondering if they make candles. And the taste? So good, you kind of understand why Jesus tried to take credit for bread in the first place. But hey, don’t just take my word for it. Ask any white foreigner what their favorite Lebanese bakery is. And let’s be real, sourdough is the only food you’d actually trust a white person’s opinion on.

2. TUSK!, Mar Mikhael

Tusk was pretty good. Pretty pricey, but pretty good. They’ve got an almost overwhelming variety—pastries, manakish, pizza… I haven’t seen an identity crisis this bad since I watched Split.

If the waiters start wearing wigs or propeller hats and talking about “the beast,” run.

Bonus point for naming your bakery after a Fleetwood Mac song. Personally, I would’ve gone with “Silver Springs – Live at the Warner Brothers Studio in Burbank, CA 5/23/97”, but apparently that’s too wordy.

3. Mavia, Gemmayze

As Gordon Ramsay once said, “Finally, some good f*cking food.” And as his kids probably said, “Mom’s cooking is better.” Mavia runs with that exact philosophy. The bakery is staffed by underprivileged women, creating job opportunities while giving back to the community.

And if these women are anything like your tante, they would have found a way to make you feel guilty for not ordering the entire menu. Then they’ll comment on how you barely touched your seventh serving of pizza.

Fear not, you’ll be more than eager to take leftovers. Mavia has some great sourdough that doesn’t make you feel like you’re performing open-heart surgery just to take a bite.

4. Bread and Salt, Achrafieh

Much to my surprise: salt, not sold separately. At what point should sourdough bakeries start giving you chainsaws for cutlery? Don’t get me wrong, the sourdough is not bad. They’ve just fallen victim to the curse that haunts every avocado toast lover. Don’t even get me started about the AI art on their instagram page.

Hayao Miyazaki is still alive so he might not be rolling in his grave, but I hope you know the man who single handedly keeps childlike wonder alive despises you. They do win some points for presentation and convenience. Their sourdough scoring patterns are beautiful and their prepared sandwiches are perfect for when you’re running late to class or a meeting.

Honorable Mention: Sourdough, Broumana

When I ordered the bread I asked if it was fresh, they assured me that it was. However, the bread was staler than small-talk with a tinder date. In my opinion the sourdough didn’t taste very fresh. However, If you’re looking for a sweet treat, they do have a pretty impressive selection of croissants and the gingerbread houses are to die for.

Loved this ranking of sourdough bakeries in Beirut? Check out the #Bakeries section for more content like this.

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