An epic shawarma ( spit-roasted meat ) spot located in the Beirut suburb of Dora . Opt for lamb and ask for extra toum ( garlic paste ).

A restaurant , cooperative and stomping ground for artists and activists that sometimes turns into a live music and dance hall .

A restaurant and shop with a farmers ’ market ( Souk al Tayeb ) that takes place every Saturday . Ideal for a traditional lunch and gift shopping .

images : getty ; alamy

Sometimes it ’ s served plain ; other times , it ’ s accompanied by pomegranate molasses , or the meat is swapped for mushrooms .

I sidle up to the counter with my ayran ( salty yoghurt-based beverage ) and watch as the streamlined operation unfolds . The synchronization of the workers in front of the wood-burning oven is mesmerizing .

Satiated but not full , I wind through the back streets , shadowed by billowing flags and dangling baskets to Hovig Bakery . Here , you ’ ll find the full spectrum of Bourj Hammoud society , and the legendary Armenian pastry tahinov hatz . A swirly , sweet bread made of tahini , sugar and cinnamon , making tahinov hatz is a delicate

business and Hovig ’ s has mastered it . It ’ s best paired with a coffee with condensed milk from the dekkane ( mini market ) across the road . My next stop is Hamra in West Beirut . During the Lebanese Civil War , Beirut was bifurcated by a line of demarcation called the Green Line . It separated East Beirut , which is where Bourj Hammoud is located , from West Beirut . Such lines no longer exist , but their psychogeographical legacy does . Walking across , this dark part of the country ’ s history is inescapable . Hamra , before the 1990s , was the preeminent intellectual hub of the city . The hollowed vestiges of those former haunts remain , with new ones like the

Clockwise from top left : Aerial drone shot of Beirut skyline at sunrise ; Middle Eastern pita with chickpeas , yoghurt and pomegranate seeds ; lahm bi ajeen slice with nuts and tomato

SPRING 2023 • 27