It's one of Beirut's most famous landmarks, a massive seaside palace with swimming pool beach club and swanky eatery known by longtime locals as Café d"Orient or simply as La Plage by everyone else. It's been part of the Beirut visual waterfront for decades, a regal gourmand destination for Hollywood celebrities, dignitaries and highbrow socialites that's recently reclaimed its position at the top of the city's restaurant scene. Daytime visitors arrive to an outdoor beach club with swimming pool terrace, tanning pier and sexy summer scene unrivaled on this side of the Mediterranean. By night, and during winter months, a brassy indoor dining room offers a formal affair for swanky dinner parties with arched windows, white tablecloths and black-and-white images of Beirut's glittery past.
The Food
At first glance the menu and space reminded us of a Nikki Beach, but with an architectural presence that doesn’t include homemade cabanas and stained-white upholstery. This place is pure new-Beirut glamour that begins with an East-meets-West menu of sushi and sashimi specialties, market-fresh salads, and French-inspired appetizers like salmon or tuna carpaccio. Lunch and dinner are defined by a selection of homemade pastas or risotto topped with white truffles, langoustines or vegetarian toppings cooked to order. Even heartier, grilled meat and seafood dishes are accompanied by hefty sides like grilled potatoes, heirloom tomatoes and artichokes.
Last Word
One of Beirut’s top eateries offers an all-day entertainment scene with outdoor swimming pool, lounge and glitzy dining room for late-night merriment in the Lebanese capital.
