Eating out in Beirut is one of the great pleasures of visiting Lebanon. The city has everything from cheap street food to high-end dining, and the quality is consistently high.
For street food, Barbar in Hamra is a Beirut institution -- open 24 hours, serving shawarma, falafel, grilled meats and fresh juices at rock-bottom prices. You will always find a crowd here at 2 AM. Malek el Batata nearby does excellent cheap sandwiches.
The Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael neighbourhoods are the centre of Beirut's restaurant scene, with dozens of options ranging from traditional Lebanese to Japanese, Italian and fusion. The area was hit hard by the 2020 port explosion but many restaurants have reopened.
For a proper Lebanese mezze experience, Tawlet in Mar Mikhael serves a daily changing buffet prepared by cooks from different regions of Lebanon -- an excellent way to taste the country's regional diversity. Em Sherif in Achrafieh is more upscale, with beautifully presented traditional dishes.
Bourj al Hamam offers classic Lebanese cuisine with excellent grilled meats. For seafood, head to the restaurants along the old port in Byblos or the fishing harbour in Tyre.
Budget travelers can eat well for $5-10 a meal at shawarma stands, manakish bakeries and falafel shops throughout the city. A sit-down meal at a mid-range restaurant with mezze and drinks will run $20-40 per person.