Em Sherif is upmarket Lebanese done with conviction. The fixed menu is a long parade of mezze followed by mixed grills and sweets — beautifully presented, generously spiced, and accompanied by arak poured at the table. The dining room, with its ornate tiles, brass details and dimmed lighting, plays its part.
It is expensive by Beirut standards and worth it for a single big dinner. Book ahead and arrive hungry. Em Sherif Cafe, a few streets away, does a lighter version of the same cooking at lunch.