Aley's restaurants are the main reason many Beirutis come up the mountain on a summer evening. The style is Lebanese mezze served on terraces with views, often with a fountain, often loud, almost always good. Reservations are sensible on weekends from June to September.
Casino Aley — a long-established institution on the main street, mezze and grilled meats on a wide terrace; the wine list is decent and the service still wears bow ties.
Al Halabi — a Beirut institution with a mountain outpost in Aley, doing the full Lebanese spread (raw kibbe, fattoush, tabbouleh, grilled lamb) consistently well.
Em Sherif Mountain Branch — the upmarket cousin of the Beirut original, with a set menu in the high Lebanese style; pricey but the kind of meal worth a long evening.
For something simpler, the bakeries along the main street do the standard man'oushe (thyme-and-olive-oil flatbread) in the morning and the sweet kashta-stuffed varieties in the afternoon.