The Byblos Fishing Club is one of the most established seafood restaurants on the old harbour, with tables directly on the waterfront and a menu built around whatever the local fleet brought in that morning. The fish is grilled or baked simply, served with mezze — hummus, tabbouleh, grilled vegetables, and the Lebanese mountain herbs that appear on every coastal table. The mezze spread here is a meal in itself before the fish arrives.
The setting is the draw as much as the food: you eat looking out over the harbour at the fishing boats with the castle walls visible above the roofline. Prices are on the higher side for Lebanon but well within reason for the quality and location. Book ahead on summer weekends when Beirut visitors descend on the harbour en masse. Alcohol is served.