A Fashion Insider Shares Her Little Black Book Of Beirut
My dream day in Beirut is a little like the city itself and probably a little like me: slightly messy, spontaneous, but somehow beautiful in all its chaos. Since we started operating ABI in Beirut, I’ve always found a way to fit in a meeting with the team or a client, usually over coffee, lunch, or drinks. I love when work and life blur a little here. The look of the day would be effortless but pulled together: a great pair of jeans, a white tank, an oversized blazer from The Frankie Shop and my usual stack of jewellery rings that I genuinely can’t leave the house without, usually from Rainbow K, Lebanese brand L’Atelier Nawbar and Tiffany & Co. Beirut, to me, is a mix of work, friends, family, and spontaneity.
For my morning coffee run, I love Malibou in Saifi Village. First things first: black coffee. They also do the best avocado toast, which is basically my everyday breakfast. Then it’s usually another round of coffee at Backburner. Another breakfast place is Kiki’s in Achrafieh. The food is super healthy and the space is beautiful.
Beirut is spoiled for choice when it comes to incredible Lebanese food, but for me, nothing beats Em Sherif for its creativity and consistency. No matter how many times I go, it still feels special, and that says a lot in a city where the bar for food is very high. The list of favourite restaurants is honestly endless, especially with so many great new openings this year. Handow and Chubby Fish are always on my rotation – I love Asian cuisine. Babbaluci is where I go when I’m craving delicious Italian, while Le Petit Gris is a forever favourite; it has that comforting food you keep going back to. And nothing beats the burger at Terrible Prince. Beirut makes it hard to keep a short restaurant list.
For anyone visiting Beirut for the first time, my biggest recommendation would be to walk the city. You understand Beirut so much better on foot, from Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael to the little streets you stumble across in between. So many beautiful heritage houses and buildings give the city its charm. Beirut has a way of changing your plans – the best night can start with a coffee and end somewhere completely unexpected.
For vintage shopping, Nouvelle Vague has the best curated pieces. Vanina is another favourite of mine; I love how much the brand celebrates local craftsmanship while still feeling playful and contemporary. If you’re into homeware and ceramics, the city has some great shops for that too; a top contender is Pik’d in Saifi Village.
Opera Gallery is a favourite of mine for modern and contemporary art. I love popping in to see what’s new. And of course, there is the Nicolas Sursock Museum; the combination of the architecture, Lebanese art and the setting makes it quintessentially Beirut.
Albergo, without hesitation, is a great place to stay. It has this old-world charm in the heart of Achrafieh that’s hard to replicate. I love everything from the interiors to the terrace and rooftop. Arthaus is another favourite. It’s a beautiful old family home that the owners transformed into a very intimate boutique hotel. It has so much heritage and soul, with beautiful art pieces. I also recently discovered Maison Dada and loved it. The apartments are beautifully done, with incredible furniture and interiors. It feels more like stepping into someone’s impeccably designed Beirut home, and they also have an amazing restaurant and rooftop.
My favourite beauty spot is my dermatologist. I love doing skin boosters every now and then, and Beirut has some of the best dermatologists. I particularly love Dr Nour Gerbeka at Gerbaka Clinics in Downtown Beirut. For the past year, I’ve also become a regular at FaceFit in Saifi. I describe it as a gym for your face. Their treatments are amazing for depuffing and sculpting, and you leave looking fresh and lifted without any injections or intervention. It’s become one of my favourite little rituals.
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I’m slightly Lagree-obsessed, and Origin Circle has some of the best classes. For reformer, I love Beam Studio. The instructors are excellent, but I also love the space itself: it’s beautifully designed, filled with amazing art, and it just makes you happy to be there. That matters to me. I like my workout spaces like I like most things in life: aesthetically beautiful and with good energy.
I’d describe the city in three words as magnetic, soulful and unfiltered. If I could, I wouldn’t miss Beirut at any time of the year, but Christmas and the winter holidays are non-negotiable for me. The city has a completely different energy; everyone comes home, restaurants are full, the streets and shops are buzzing and people are getting ready for the holidays. There’s a special warmth to Beirut at Christmas that’s difficult to explain until you experience it. Being there with my family and close friends is something I wouldn’t trade for anywhere else. We’re only just into fall and I’m already counting down to the holiday season in Beirut.
For beach and pool days it really depends on the mood. Sporting Club is perfect for that old-school Beirut feeling. It’s an institution, and there’s something so nostalgic about spending the day there. If I’m in Beirut during the summer, Sporting is definitely my go-to. I spend most of my summers in northern Lebanon, which has some of the most beautiful beaches and scenery in the country.
Where to next? Honestly, the whole world is on my bucket list, including most of the places I’ve already been to! But what’s really on my mind right now is a proper longevity retreat. I promised myself I’d do one before the end of the year: a few days to completely switch off, reset and focus on myself. Q4 is already looking insanely busy, so I’m still trying to find the right place and, more importantly, the right time, but I’m determined not to let the year end without doing it. SHA Wellness in Spain is currently top of my list.
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