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A WALK THROUGH CULTURE AND FOOD OF BEIRUT

10/14/2015 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 2 Comments

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The capital of Lebanon is known as “Paris of the Middle East” and for capturing the hearts of visitors from around the world. Due to recent political developments many travellers avoid Beirut nowadays but let me tell you, it is completely safe (or as safe as a big city in Europe would be). With its beautiful charm, cool restaurants, thriving bars and gorgeous backstreets, it is the perfect get-away for a long weekend.

So we booked the flights from Cairo, boarded the plane a few days later and all of the sudden landed in Beirut. After some negotiations at the airport, we stepped into our taxi and went straight to our Airbnb in Gemmayze, Beirut’s trendy district. Once we reached the city center I immediately knew that our time in Beirut would be amazing. It was also that drive that we decided to stay in Beirut for all three days (instead of visiting places outside of town for one day) and explore every angle on foot.
So, safe some money on taxis and the hassle of finding the right bus and instead put on some comfy shoes and walk your way around the capital. Beirut is pedestrian-friendly for Middle Eastern standards and you’ll always be able to find some kind of sidewalk wherever your are. Getting hungry on the way? I also have that covered for you. Below is a quick guide to walking and eating your way through Beirut.

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A WALK THROUGH CULTURE AND FOOD OF BEIRUT

This Beirut guide covers our 3 day itinerary. There is a lot to explore in Beirut but it’s not a city with many sights. Instead, Beirut is more about taking in the atmosphere, watching Lebanese people go about their business, eating till you’re rolling and marvelling at its rustic yet beautiful architecture.

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Gemmayze

Most major hotel chains are located in downtown and close to the Corniche. However if you want to experience the young and hip Beirut I recommend to stay in a small hotel or Airbnb in Gemmayze. Skip the hotel’s breakfast, opt for one of the many cute cafes and bistro and mingle with expats and locals alike.

Rue Gouraud, Gemmayze’s main residential and commercial street, is a great starting point. From here you can wander either towards the East or West or just left and right, aka up and down the hills and get a good overview of this bohemian district. Leave the map in your bag and just keep your eyes open for the many historical buildings from the French era. While making your way through narrow streets and climbing steep stairs, don’t forget to stop by one of the quaint coffee shops or have a relaxing breakfast at Urbanista. Urbanista is a favorite among young Lebanese and their broad range of breakfast items, cakes and coffees are exactly what you are looking for when craving a good morning meal. The interior is stylish, the staff is super friendly and the atmosphere is relaxing.

For drinks at night (or even during the day), check out the chill rooftop hangout Coop d’Etat that serves good mojitos and cold beer. It’s a mixture between hip bar and pub garden and offers a relaxing view of Beirut’s port. To experience a more cozy vibe with a charming bar tender, visit the Spoon bar located on Rue Gouraud and a perfect spot for people watching.

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Mar Mikhail

There is a reason why Beirut is also called the “Hipster capital of the Middle East” and it’s Mar Mikhail (or Saint Michael in English). Located east of Gemmayze, this is Beirut’s latest revitalised districts and my absolute favorite neighborhood in Beirut. If you were to be looking for the place with the highest density of outdoor patios, fashionable bars, stylish restaurants, design shops, art galleries and… hipsters, this would be it.
Mar Mikhail is worth some exploration during the day. It’s a hub for art and creativity and so are its colourful steps that were created with the mission of making Beirut a brighter place and are even featured among the nine most creative staircases around the world by Vogue magazine. Laid-back during daylight, at night Mar Mikhail becomes really alive and the place-to-be for all party-goers or those looking for a drink or two. During our stay in Beirut we kept on coming back to Mar Mikhail and thus tried out quite a few restaurants.

Our first night brought us to Tavolina, an Italian restaurant known for its amazing pizza. Italian food is hard to come by in Cairo, so we were literally craving some Mediterranean carbohydrates and did not get disappointed.

The next night we more or less accidentally stumbled into Mótto because it was the only place that was still serving food at 10.30 pm. This small and cozy restaurant serves foods of the world with a changing menu every week or so and in the end you pay what you think is fair. The food was beyond delicious and to some extend even quite creative. That evening they served a beetroot pistachio soup and I can’t stop thinking about it.

For lunch the following day we went to Divvy, a chic restaurant that is all about sharing. The international menu offers everything but not too much – with around 2-3 dishes in each food category: veggies, sandwiches, chicken, seafood, meat, salads, desserts and drink. The food is served like Spanish tapas aka for sharing and is really tasty. The puffy asparagus tart comes with a fresh green salad on a stone platter and the Buffalo Chicken Tortilla are presented in a small basket. A great lunch spot to give your feet a rest and sooth your empty stomach.

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Saifi Village  

Now that you are energised from your lunch break make your way west towards Saifi Village. This nowadays upscale residential neighbourhood was completely destroyed during the Lebanese war and later rebuilt by a private company. Today you find French colonial buildings, town houses, cobblestone streets and small shops. The new urbanist style might not be as charming as Gemmayze’s historical art deco buildings but with its art galleries, antique stores and artisan shops there is still a lot of Beirut to discover here.
I simply loved walking around and enjoyed the quietness of this place. I especially liked that the streets and sidewalks are relatively large and every house has a different color.

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Downdown District

At the heart of Beirut, the downtown district might not be as touristy as other areas but it’s still worth a visit when you are in the mood to spurge on shopping. The main attraction of Downtown, as sad as it sounds, is a shopping mall called Beirut Souks. Before coming to Beirut I didn’t do much research as I like to surprised by my travel destination. So when I heard about this big thing called Beirut Souks I expected a typical vibrant and busy local market with lots of souvenir and food offers. But Beirut Souks is everything but traditional. It’s a major commercial mall with over 200 shops and department stores. I really liked that it is kind of an outdoor mall, so you can still enjoy the breezy air and sunshine. A definite highlight is the farmer’s market Souk el Tayeb which takes place every Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm at the Beirut Souk. There is a stand (the one with a very long queue) that sells freshly baked flatbread with Zatar and other toppings. Absolutely delicious and totally worth the wait.

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Other than the shopping mall, the Downtown district is marked by the beautiful blue Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque and has two marinas. Within a short walking distance of the Beirut Souks, the West Marina is a great place to stroll down the promenade, take a coffee break or have dinner with a view of the many impressive yachts. If you stay in Downtown until sunset, make sure to visit Iris, a rooftop bar overlooking Beirut. Their cocktails are to dye for and the view at dawn is breathtaking.

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Hamra, University and the Corniche

If in Beirut, do as the Lebanese – and walk down the palm-treed Corniche (seaside promenade) which is 4.8 km long and a popular destination for everyone seeking a beautiful view of the Mediterranean and the summit of Mount Lebanon. Half way through you pass by the American University of Beirut. The main entrance for visitors is at Bliss Street, a little walk up the hill but the lush greenery and many cats make up for this little work-out. Yes, you heard me right. The American University of Beirut is a heaven for well fed and cuddly cats. If you are not into cats, don’t worry, the nicely sculptured gardens and quiet sitting areas offer a side of Beirut that appeals to anyone.  We also heard that the museum is nice but since we visited on a holiday it was closed. The university itself is situated two streets away from the Hamra shopping district. Again, as we visited this area of Beirut during a holiday, most shops were closed. However we had an enjoyable lunch at the Lebanese restaurant Kahwet Leila which comforts its customers with a quirky design but traditional Lebanese food. Meals include staples like falafel, hummus, grilled meat and pesto halloumi. If you are new to Middle Eastern Cuisine, Kahwet Leila will serve you all the flavours and yumminess of Lebanese food.

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I’ve fallen in love with Beirut und so will you. It’s a city with amazing food, lovely people from all kinds of backgrounds, stunning rooftop bars, a frenetic nightlife and most importantly, a place where cropped tops and hijabs appear to coexist peacefully.

Or as Anthony Bourdain says: ” EVERYONE should visit.”

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Filed Under: FOOD GUIDES, TRAVEL INSPIRATION

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black.white.vivid is a seasonal food blog with plant-based recipes from home and away.

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I‘m really not back in the Instagram groove yet. I‘m really not back in the Instagram groove yet. Even though I‘ve already prepared 20 or so new images to post and that were supposed to make the transition from my Instagram break easier, I keep forgetting posting on my feed.  Although I‘ve come love sharing images and short videos on my Stories all the more. I just uploaded a few of yesterday’s happenings in Malmö. I had delicious coffee, ate too much food and met Malin of @goodeatings ✨ Happy days!7

Oh and this is probably my favorite photo yet. I shot it the other day in Dubai where it’s still summer and melons juicy and sweet. I simply love the light and colors. Endless summers can be so pretty, too. Though I’m also enjoying Malmö‘s autumn cold at the moment 💛  #lifeandthyme #foodandwine #appetitejournal #theartofslowliving #eattheworld #cntravelereats #kinfolklife #gatheringslikethese #teamcanon #mycommontablefood
Weekend Mood on a Wednesday evening! Because I li Weekend Mood on a Wednesday evening!

Because I literally can’t wait for this work week to be over because I’m heading to Europe tomorrow with stops in Germany, Copenhagen, Malmö and London.

I also can’t wait for autumn. I secretly wish that it will be moody and rainy and maybe even snowing, though the weather forecast is mostly sunny and snow at the beginning of October is probably wishful thinking too. 
Either way, I’m just quite excited for the food I get to eat, friends and family I get to see and magical moments I get to experience. 📸 Edited with my newest preset bundle „Mellow Cream“ (link in profile @blackwhitevivid )  #lifeandthyme  #theartofslowliving #seasonalfood #plantfueled #bevisuallyinspired #shareyourtable #breakfastinbed
Lately, I’ve been on a self-investment journey. Lately, I’ve been on a self-investment journey. I briefly talked about it in my last post. This summer I started learning how to be a good cook. There is no better investment than in yourself and even though sometimes others benefit from it too (like @fevonos who gets to eat pretty great dinners for a while now), often times it’s just for yourself. 
A while ago I made a list of things I wanted to invest my time in. Number one for me will always be photography and styling. It’s something I love and will consistently focus on. While it’s smart to surround yourself with people that are extremely good at it (like @linda_lomelino who styled this gorgeous scene), I also realized that thinking out of the box, improving a skill in one field to become better in another area, is an option too. So I decided to take up handwriting/calligraphy classes.

For the longest time ever I disliked my handwriting. And even though we live in a digital age and I hardly use pen and paper nowadays, my ugly scribbles have always annoyed me. Soon I’ll be taking an online handwriting class, so that my grocery and to-do lists, my journal entries and my Christmas cards finally look pretty. I don’t do this to become crafty or sell cute cards (though you never know where life takes you) but simply because I know I’ll be happy every time I write something down. And it’s a subject that boosts your creativity one way or another (I hope you’re as excited as I am for gorgeous flat lays with handwritten letters 😋). Anything you always wanted to learn or improve?

Happy Thursday and Happy Weekend to all folks here.
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#flowerflatlay  #underthefloralspell #proventiallife #persuepretty #darlingdaily #smallthings #untoldvisuals #seekthesimplicity #teamcanon #floraldesign #floralstories #flower_daily
Guess how long I’ve been delaying this very firs Guess how long I’ve been delaying this very first post after my four-months Instagram break? 
3 weeks! It’s been sitting here for 3 long weeks and I somehow didn’t have the courage to post it. Do you know that feeling? 
Like when you didn’t go to the gym for the past year (true story) and dread the exhaustion and sore muscles and therefore decide to maybe wait a little longer. Just until you feel super fit and ready. Guess what, ready never comes and you won’t get fit until you start exercising again. 
Or when you didn’t sit behind a steering wheel for the past 10 years (also true story) but now live in Dubai and nothing is fun without driving. It’s scary at first and you have way too many self-doubts but then you wonder why you thought you would be bad at something millions of people do each day. 
Or the time when you didn’t see and haven’t really talked to a (back then good) friend for 8 years and are afraid the chemistry won’t be the same. And then it feels like it was only yesterday you saw each other the last time. 
Those were all moments that felt scary or at least uncomfortable at first. But they all had a somewhat happy ending (if you consider feeling stiff and aching a happy moment 😋). So I just hope that I’ll also survive this post (I heard a lot of things have changed again on Instagram). But I’m mostly excited, I’ve done some soul searching, mood searching and subject searching. The result is a bunch of new photos, new content and new inspiration. It’s all been sitting here for 3 long weeks too. For now I’m just happy I’ve finally shared my first post again and I’m finally back (true story 😉).
I’ve been dragging myself through life lately an I’ve been dragging myself through life lately and I’m dying to get out of that dark hole again. I’m not very good with handling those phases, though I know they are important and necessary to progress and evolve. I usually don’t share these kind of feelings on Instagram, all I do is stay away because I’ve learned that forcing it makes everything worse. So I don’t do photo shoots and share images I hate anyway but I put my phone away and have screen-free days or hours. I go on long evening walks (even when it’s 37C / 99 F outside), bake cakes and sit on the balcony doing nothing. Have you tried that lately. It’s so hard in the beginning but doing nothing other than maybe thinking has been one of the best exercises to clear my head. Since this week I’m seeing light again at the end of the tunnel. I picked up my camera again, started writing for my blog and came across some pretty amazing podcasts that gave me the right pep talk at the right time. If you like podcasts and want to feel inspired and motivated I can highly recommend listening to @onegirlband_ and @local_milk latest episodes. What are the books or podcasts or accounts or blogs that inspire and motivate you?
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 #saveur #lifeandthyme #onthetable #appetitejournal #theartofslowliving #kinfolklife #gatheringslikethese #cntravelereats #tablesituation #documentyourdays #gatheredstyle #vzcomade #makeitdelicious #seekthesimplicity #teamcanon #shareyourtable #thatsdarling #makemoments #dubaieats #untoldvisuals #pursuepretty #click_vision #smallthings #ourplatesdaily #darlingdaily #persuepretty #finditliveit #f52grams
Spring Skillet Pizza with asparagus, sugar pea sna Spring Skillet Pizza with asparagus, sugar pea snaps, edamame, pesto and basil - the first attempt of many more to come. Have you ever made skillet pizza? It looks super easy but mine collapsed when I tried to put it into the hot cast iron pan. But the taste is still super delicious. No need for a pizza stone 💁🏻‍♀️😄
🎨Edited with „Scandinavian Blue“ bundle & „Moody Darkness“ Preset (link in my profile @blackwhitevivid )
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 #foodandwine #lifeandthyme #eattheworld #veganfoodporn #plantbased #beautifulcuisines #plantfueled #vegantreats #plantstrong #diaryfree #veganfoodlovers #realfood #wholefoods #veganfoodshare #bestofvegan #cleaneats #healthyliving #vegansofig #tablesituation #dubaifood #teamcanon #dubaieats #gloobyfood #thekitchn #feedfeed #bhgfood #whatveganseat #huffposttaste
Slowly trying to get back into my routine after ou Slowly trying to get back into my routine after our 2-week vacation. It’s harder than I thought. During the first few days of my holiday I needed a lot of time to just relax and sleep. And then when my mind was well rested, it started working again. New ideas, new projects, new goals. But I didn’t act on them, I didn’t judge, I just let them come and go. That’s the hardest part because I always feel like I need to sit down the next minute and start working. I just knew that I needed a few more days off and that I should really take some time for myself doing something other than work. So being back home I have all these ideas and thoughts accumulated in my head and it’s such a big mess that it rather paralyses than motivates. Does that sound familiar to you? Maybe I should just take another day off, have some pear rosemary galette and write everything down before I start putting it into action. 😊 And just a little reminder, my favorite Lightroom Preset bundle is still 50% off until tomorrow (link in profile @blackwhitevivid). Just saying 🤷🏻‍♀️😊
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 #veganfoodporn #wholesome #appetitejournal #beautifulcuisines #plantbased #plantfueled #vegantreats #plantstrong #wholefoods #diaryfree #veganfoodlovers #seasonalfood #realfood #dubaifood #letscookvegan #cntravelereats #veganfoodshare #vzcomade #healthyliving #eattherainbow #bestofvegan #sugarfree #cleaneats #bbcgoodfood #vegansofig #teamcanon #dubaieats #gloobyfood
I‘m back to the desert and its slightly warm spr I‘m back to the desert and its slightly warm spring weather (37C/ 99F). I took an unplanned break from posting on my Instagram feed though I hope you liked my Stories from Réunion and Mauritius. It’s quite a change in scenery, I really enjoyed the lush and jungle-like landscape, though I’m really looking forward to some sandy time in Dubai now before I head off to a longer Europe trip mid May. Also, I just wanted to let you know that my favorite Lightroom Preset Bundle is 50% off for the next three days (link in profile @blackwhitevivid ). Happy Editing & Happy Sunday 💛
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#saveur #foodandwine #lifeandthyme #onthetable #theartofslowliving #beautifulcuisines #kinfolklife #gatheringslikethese #seasonalfood #mycommontable #cntravelereats #tablesituation #bevisuallyinspired #gatheredstyle #diewocheaufinstagram #documentyourdays #myeverydaymagic #seekthesimplicity #makemoments #chasinglight #shareyourtable #teamcanon #untoldvisuals #pursuepretty #foodphotography #foodphotographer
Emirati Sweet Dumplings with Coffee Syrup. Another Emirati Sweet Dumplings with Coffee Syrup. Another photoshoot in the desert, another favorite set of photos. Not just because I‘ve grown fond of the sand dunes but also because I‘m joining @terminatetor‘s #virtualcoffeeparty2018 - where other food bloggers from all over the world share a coffee-inspired recipe. The recipe for these dumplings, also known as Luqaimat, is now on the blog (link in profile @blackwhitevivid). I‘ve tagged everyone who participated this year, so if you need an extra dose of coffee this Friday, check out their posts too 😄
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#eattheworld #veganfoodporn #plantbased #beautifulcuisines #plantfueled #vegantreats #plantstrong #wholefoods #diaryfree #veganfoodlovers #appetitejournal #letscookvegan #realfood #veganfoodshare #mycommontable #dubaifood #seasonalfood #bestofvegan #cntravelereats #eattherainbow #cleaneats #vegansofig #teamcanon #gloobyfood #huffposttaste #dubaieats
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A Quick Travel Guide to Dubai and Beyond by Kati of black.white.vivid. // travel photography, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Dubai desert, Dubai food, Dubai restaurant, Dubai cafe, Dubai coffeeshop, UAE travel, food photography, restaurant photography, city photography, Lightroom presets

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VEGAN BLUEBERRY TART INSPIRED BY MY SUMMER IN EUROPE

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