Any Lebanese foodie will tell you that Tawlet Ammiq, the Bekaa Valley branch of Souk El Tayeb, a Beirut-based outfit that runs a farmers market highlighting rural produce as well as a hugely popular restaurant where a constantly changing cast of cooks from across the country showcase their regional culinary traditions, is their top choice for a weekend culinary adventure. This is one of the best restaurants in Lebanon that you should try once in your life.

Tawlet Ammiq, located in the fertile Western Bekaa Valley, borders the Ammiq Wetlands, which are part of the Shouf Biosphere Reserve, and allows local farmers to demonstrate their traditions, crops, and expertise. It also serves as a test kitchen, where local chefs rediscover and improve ancient recipes and practices.

Weekend meals are leisurely affairs here, with customers selecting from a variety of specialties. Those in the know arrive in the middle of the morning to sample fresh manakeesh (baked flatbread with toppings like cheese and minced meat) cooked on a saj (metal dome over embers) in the garden, then head over to adjacent Chateau Kefraya for a wine tasting before returning for lunch. When it's warm outdoors, there's seating outside, and when it's cold inside, there's seating around a pot-belly stove.

The restaurant structure is a sustainable design type with panoramic views of the valley. There is no public transportation available, so you'll need a car to get here. It's located 28 kilometers southwest of Chtaura.

Rate: 4.5/5.0, 435 Google reviews

Location: Tawlet, Lebanon

Website: http://www.soukeltayeb.com/

Mezyan originally opened in 2011 in Estral Center, at the start of Hamra. Before tapas (which aren't only Lebanese mezze) were fashionable, there was a tapas / mezze restaurant and bar with a brick pizza oven and a cozy and beautifully high-design ambiance. Mezyan was an instant hit, becoming the go-to hangout for Beirut's young (and not-so-young) intellectuals, artists, musicians, and designers.

Mezyan is a Hamra establishment. Over the years, this restaurant-bar has moved about, serving tiny dishes of Lebanese, Syrian, and Armenian mezze to a lefty clientele. The latest incarnation, in an alley close to a bureau de change on Hamra St, is known for its exuberance on Friday nights. Make a reservation and be ready to dance your hips to Arabic pop music.

The menu still includes a combination of Lebanese mezze and Tapas inspired by Spanish and North African cuisine. Salads are always fresh and generously portioned. Main courses are also available and change daily depending on the chef's ideas; a plat du jour and other starter specialties are also served most days. If you want something sweet with your coffee, there's also a dessert of the day, which alternates between gooey Arabic sweets and exquisite cakes.

Indoor smoking is theoretically prohibited in Lebanon, yet revelers gladly break the law on weekend nights. Mezyan should be avoided on Friday and Saturday nights if you have a sensitivity to it. You must enter the Rasamany Building doorway and travel to the end of the hall because there is no notice on the street.

Rate: 4.4/5.0, 991 Google reviews

Address: Rasamny building, Street, Hamra, Lebanon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MezyanPub/

In Beirut, there are many excellent restaurants, but only one commands the admiration of every farmer, chef, and eater in the country: Tawlet. This stylish eatery serves a daily lunch buffet (described online) served by a visiting chef, showcasing farm-fresh (often organic) products and providing a place where traditional cuisine can be tested and enjoyed.

Instead of a menu, the concept is an all-you-can-eat, self-service lunch buffet, with daily-changing cooks – many of whom are village women – on hand to explain the meals and provide background. Chunky wooden communal tables stimulate conversation, which is usually about the food. On the side, there are cooking classes.

Follow Rue Armenia east to find it. On the northern side of the road, Tawlet is at the end of the lane behind the Anthurium flower shop. They also offer cooking workshops and a variety of other food-related activities; visit their website for more information.

Rate: 4.5/5.0, 375 Google reviews

Location: Armenia, Beirut, Lebanon

Website: https://www.soukeltayeb.com/

In the Mediterranean, there's a golden rule: eateries near archaeological sites are terrible. Feniqia, on the other hand, is a magnificent exception. It serves quality Lebanese meals presented with true flare in a tastefully furnished rustic semi-open pavilion. Delicious, elegantly adorned plates that transport you to authentic Lebanese cuisine with a modern touch. Free appetisers include dark tahini with toast-your-own-pita, and meat platters are arranged on real machinery. The owner's personality always creates a lively atmosphere.

Most evenings, it's packed, but there's also counter seating, so they'll get you a table soon enough. Feniqia is a pleasant restaurant in Byblos' Old Souk. It serves a wide range of delectable meals with excellent presentation and service. The above have made this place one of the best restaurants in Lebanon.

Rate: 4.6/5.0, 1420 Google reviews

Address: 4JCW+89R, Byblos, Lebanon

Chef Wael Lazkani prepares guests' dinners right in front of their eyes at Jai, a take-out restaurant with an open kitchen. The atmosphere is laid-back and intimate, making it ideal for friendly banter across the bar. Chicken, shrimp rolls, fish cakes, noodle soups, and curry are among the menu's highlights. Jai is the ideal location for all aficionados of Asian cuisine, with an appealing blend of spicy Indian, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisines. All of the cuisine can be carried home and savored while wandering through Beirut's Kantari district.

Jai, Beirut's first pan-Asian restaurant, is still going strong. The restaurant is tiny, with only enough space for the kitchen and one eight-person table, but the staff set up tables on the sidewalk and street outside for dinner (blocked off by a military checkpoint). Although the food is hit-or-miss, the green curry, nasi goreng, and spinach salad with peanut sauce are standouts.

Rate: 4.6/5.0, 506 Google reviews

Location: Beirut, Lebanon

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jaikitchen

Baron is a pleasant, friendly neighborhood restaurant in Beirut's popular Mar Mikael quarter with a reputation for superb cooking. The popular dinner place is well-loved by locals, even if it will leave your wallet a bit lighter. Serving fashionable and sophisticated cuisine mixing a range of flavors, the popular dinner spot is well-loved by locals, even if it will leave your wallet a little lighter.

Athanasios Kargatzidis, the restaurant's owner and chef, has a passion for fusion cuisine and over 25 years of experience. His imaginative, cosmopolitan food, which focuses on flavor and texture and is prepared in an open kitchen in the centre of the venue, is a feast for the senses.

Because each plate is meant to be shared, anticipate to choose a few things as a group rather than separately. An exciting – and tasty – dining experience is guaranteed, whether it's grilled meats, fresh fish, or some of Baron's excellent veggie concoctions. The slow-cooked overnight lamb shank coated with mint and mustard seeds and served with farro wheat is a show-stopper. Their baked peach with pink peppercorns, paired with sour cream ice cream and dukkah crumble, is a delicious way to finish your dinner.

Rate: 4.4/5.0, 320 Google reviews

Address: Pharaon Street Building 125، Lebanon

Website: http://www.eatdrinkbaron.com/

Liza, which is housed in an Ottoman-era castle in the heart of Achrafieh, is the ideal spot for a quiet weekend brunch or a special event. This is one of the best restaurants in Lebanon. Maria Ousseimi's magnificent decor makes the most of the light-filled rooms with triple arch windows by combining neutral tones with gold accents, geometric patterns, and arabesque partitioning.

Liza delivers expertly prepared nouvelle Lebanese food in surroundings that have graced the pages of several international design magazines, epitomizing Beiruti flair. Prices are surprisingly low for the quality – especially at lunch, when the daily plat du jour with salad only LL28,500 – and there's a well-curated wine list available by the glass and bottle.

Simply wonderful. Their menu combines traditional Lebanese cuisine with high-end techniques, including a range of mezze and major courses such citrus marinated roast chicken on smoked green wheat. Light dishes like grilled halloumi with sweet tomato jam are delightful, and their creamy ossmaliyeh or spiced meghli pudding is sure to satisfy those with a sweet craving.

While Liza is on the more expensive end of the Beirut restaurant spectrum, the excellent food, stunning setting, and sophisticated ambiance make it well worth the money.

Rate: 4.4/5.0, 589 Google reviews

Address: VGQ6+JXV, Beirut, Lebanon

Website: http://lizabeirut.com/

Em Sherif is a well-known name among both locals and tourists as the embodiment of hearty, authentic Levantine cuisine. It's a quiet and beautiful venue to meet up with friends for lunch or supper, with a variety of mezze selections that are excellent for sharing. Tarab music is frequently played at the restaurant, creating a nostalgic and pleasant atmosphere.

With a seasonal menu, they use the freshest local ingredients to create delectable dishes like pumpkin kibbeh packed with Swiss chard, summac, and walnuts. The grilled shish tawook or kafta skewers, served with tangy hummus or a crisp fatoush salad, are audience favorites. From kibbeh tartar for meat lovers to roasted cauliflower with mint yoghurt dressing for vegetarians or anyone looking for a lighter supper, the menus frequently have something for everyone.

Rate: 4.5/5.0, 972 Advisor reviews

Address: Rue Victor Hugo Ashrafieh, Beirut Lebanon

Website: http://www.emsherif.com/

Clap is a rooftop restaurant serving high-end Japanese dining with a spectacular view of Beirut's skyline and the Mediterranean Sea beyond. Visitors may enjoy a terrific range of Asian-inspired meals as well as a stunning panoramic view all at the same time, especially at sunset, thanks to the lovely open terrace.

Clap offers exquisite sushi, Wagyu steaks, sumptuous desserts, and a superb choice of classic and creative cocktails, making it ideal for a fun night out. Daytime drop-ins are also a tempting choice, thanks to their bar nibbles and a comprehensive business lunch menu.

Some dishes, like their surf and turf maki roll with king crab, Wagyu steak, avocado, and yuzu kosho, are costly, but well worth it. However, more budget-friendly options are available, such as black fish in a sweet citrus miso sauce. Their matcha cheesecake is a perfectly balanced sweet dessert for any occasion, and it complements the main menu's vivid Asian flavors.

Rate: 4.4/5.0, 231 Google reviews

Address: Martyr’s Square, Annahar Bldg, 8th Floor، Beirut, Lebanon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClapBeirut/

Mayrig, tucked away in Beirut's Gemayzeh neighborhood, is a protector of Armenian culinary tradition, not just replicating recipes but also honoring Armenian hospitality. Mayrig gives you a sense of coming home, a lovely spot where you can relive old memories while sharing the magnificent selection of handcrafted delights that are a feast for all the senses in good company. It ranks as one of the best restaurants in Lebanon.

When Armenians in Beirut want to celebrate a special event, they go to this exquisite restaurant in Gemmayzeh, and once you've eaten there, you'll understand why. The food is some of the best in town, and it's a wonderful contrast from the typical Levantine fare. The sour-cherry kebab is quite tasty.

Pastries, kibbeh (meat-filled cracked-wheat croquettes), soujouk (Armenian sausage), and mante are also available (dumplings). It is strongly advised to make a reservation.

Rate: 4.4/5.0, 917 Google reviews
Address: 282 Pasteur Street, Mansour Building, Lebanon
Website: http://www.mayrigbeirut.com/