BEIRUT: It’s happened again. You open your eyes. Bleary. A distant drum takes up residence in your head; a residual low-level buzz fills your ears. Many people believe this tragic circumstance has no cure. Perhaps they are right. But there is one sure fire way to embrace what is left of the day when you feel this way – possibly the closest thing to a hangover cure that humankind has yet reached.
Brunch. We salute you.
The Daily Star has put together a list of some of the best spots around Beirut to enjoy brunch.
Name: Fatso’s Diner
Location: Hamra
This absolute gem sandwiched between Bliss and Hamra Street is a kitsch lover’s paradise. Red booths, black-and-white checkered floor tiles, just the right side of grungy, with vintage-style posters all over the walls – this is the place you come to pre-empt your hangover at 4 a.m. and it delivers. Diners have been known to be paralyzed with indecision at the sight of the menu, and its motto – “come hungry” – stacks up as high as the pancakes. This place has everything you’d want from a diner: tasty food with generous portion sizes, that best of all won’t break the bank.
On the menu: One of Fatso’s highlights is its LL15,000 all-you-can-eat pancakes option – the current “pancake queen” holds her title after consuming nine plates. If you want to nab that prestigious honor then come prepared with an iron will and some loose pants.
Open: 24/7 at the weekends and 9 a.m. to midnight on weekdays.Name: Coop d’Etat
Location: Saifi
Another firm favorite to ease a raging hangover is the weekend brunch menu at the rooftop bar Coop d’Etat. Yes, it is a bit like returning to the scene of the crime, but luckily the officers in charge are accommodating. The brunch menu – available Saturdays and Sundays in summer, Sundays in winter – doesn’t start till 12 p.m., ensuring that those most in need of a good brunch have a better chance of actually making it. There is even a small pool on the roof each Sunday – for those who want that beach feel without the hassle, time or energy it takes to actually head north or south to get their feet wet. Prices are reasonable, and in an example of great catering to the customer’s needs, Coop offers LL9,000 bloody marys and daiquiris – for those who subscribe to a little hair of the dog.
On the menu: Somewhat charmingly named “powdered sweet egg toast” – a rare sign of pushback against Lebanon’s former colonial masters perhaps – the French toast at Coop, with fresh strawberries, honey and syrup is a great brunch option for those with a sweet tooth.
Open: Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.Name: Bar Tartine
Location: Mar Mikhael
Tucked off the main road in Mar Mikhael is Bar Tartine. This is brunch for those who like the classics; sitting outside, enjoying some sun with a refillable bread basket and jam to go with it. Bar Tartine is for those who think a mild headache is a hangover and some fresh air is nature’s best cure. Its menu also caters to the most divisive split of modern times: savory or sweet? For the first camp there is a selection of egg dishes along with some Lebanese classics: labneh and zaatar. For the sweet toothed: brochettes, butter and jam. Bar Tartine even caters to those crazy enough to enjoy both with its set breakfasts.
On the menu: If you fancy the slightly spicier things in life, there is a delicious Mexican omelet on the menu: eggs cooked with onions and chorizo sausage that comes with a side salad and aioli and avocado dipping sauces.
Open: Open Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Name: Bistro Bar Live
Location: Hamra
Tucked onto the tail end of the Alleyway in Hamra is Bistro Bar Live. It’s the place for you if your idea of hangover cure is hanging out with friends in a packed venue with live music and a livelier atmosphere. The waiters are a friendly bunch and very proud of their brunch menu: a full-on affair packed with American style breakfasts, no less than eight different options for eggs and even a helpful “Too hungover to choose” basket sections, where those of you zombied into indecision can get an assortment to try.
On the menu: right in the bottom corner of the brunch menu is the “Sinners’ corner” a tempting selection of five cocktails to reinvigorate you for the day ahead.
Open: Brunch is Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.Name: Couqley
Location: Gemmayzeh
Wander into The Alleyway on Gemmayzeh, distracted by the sight of so many colored umbrellas hanging above you, and you will find Couqley, a French-styled bistro and cafe. Couqley has its very own brunch menu that boasts “The Big Breakfast Formula;” a choice of eggs, hash browns, sausage or bacon, pancakes or waffles and every coffee lover’s dream, “bottomless filtered coffee.”
But a word of warning, this is not the place to cure your hangover. Yes it might seem like a pleasant place to recover, charmingly decorated in the style of an upscale French cafe – it even draws you in with its offer of “hangover cures” to go with brunch. But for those of you acutely feeling the effects of the night prior, the food here is just too rich to be consumed in a weakened state. And with the Big Breakfast Formula coming in at LL38,000, you’ll want to make sure you are in the right frame of mind and body to enjoy it.
On the menu: There is a reason why many so many of Couqley’s customers pretend to read the menu before opting for what the cafe has become famous for – its steak frites. The crispy thin french fries served with a juicy steak cooked to your taste and smothered in their secret house sauce are beyond delicious.
Open: Couqley’s brunch menu is served Saturdays from 11. a.m to 4 p.m. Name: Le Bristol
Location: Ashrafieh
Last on our list is the Sunday brunch buffet hosted by Le Bristol Hotel at the beautiful Villa Linda Sursock. This is absolutely not an appropriate place to recover in. The buffet comes in at $66 per person – excluding coffee and alcohol – so for many, this in itself will be considered an outing. The location, a traditional villa in Sursock, is well worth a visit and plays host to many of Le Bristol’s catered events. The buffet is a dizzying array of food – salads, starters, Lebanese, American steaks, seafood, hot dishes and desserts.
On the menu: It’s easy to get distracted at a buffet, but make sure you leave some room for dessert. Le Bristol has its own patisserie and its selection is available to peruse at the buffet, including a rather impressive tower of profiteroles.
Open: Sundays from 1 p.m. till 4 p.m.
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