May 9, 2025

Tabbal Building Beirut

Traditional architecture

"The "Tabbal Building" in Beirut is one of 800 heritage sites that were damaged in the 2020 blast. It's still an ideal location for art exhibitions..."

Back in April, I attended an exhibition by the name ”everyone’s the creator of one’s own faith” and that exhibition took place in the Tabbal building on Sursock’s main street.

When I went I was mesmerized, not only by the art of course, but the architecture of the building is astonishing. It was the first time I had heard of or been inside the building but apparently it has been there for more than 100 years: the owner bought it to build a home with his beloved wife in the 1890s. Each floor of the building has a central haul corresponding to a triple arch on its facade, as well as a gorgeous vaulted ceiling and geometric tiled floors. The whole layout of the rooms on each floor screams traditional Lebanese architecture.

When you enter the building, you can feel how each room holds a story. I even found some writings on one of the bedroom doors and a wall. All these left details made me feel closer to the history of the building.

The Tabbal building was made a heritage site by the general direction of antiquities back in 1999, but sadly it is one of the 800 protected buildings that sustained damage from the blast, as most of Beirut's Ottoman architecture lies close to the port.

If you pass by this building, you should check it out, or if you get the chance to go to an exhibition there, don’t hesitate - it will be worth your while.

002-building
Art & culture

About this spot

Sursock

LBP

free

Find your way with 179 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters

Discover hidden gems and all our locals’ favourites! Get full access to our Beirut guide.

Nice place right!? There’s so much more to discover:

Discover all other hidden gems in Beirut

Gemmayze Roman Bath

In a modern building!

What you will be able to see is the bath's infrastructure, which includes fired clay or terracotta with some other mosaics that are still preserved.

002-building
Art & culture

by

Samira

Ezzo

May 21, 2025

Moon's

Coffee with Van Gogh

For your afternoon coffee or late-night chit-chat, this dreamy place is a definite go-to as it overlooks the beauty of Gemmayze's historical buildings.

020-coffee-cup-1
Coffee & tea
024-burger-1
Snacks

by

Tala

Ladki

May 21, 2025

Karma

Night Club in Gemmayze

Karma is your spot if you are in this hip part of town! Good mood and happy vibes to commercial music every night make this pub a destination not to be miss.

028-beach-bar-1
Bars
029-guitar-instrument-1
Music

by

Marie-Chantale

Sundberg

May 21, 2025

Luna's Kitchen Beirut

Condo & Kitchen

If you feel like playing some board games with friends, reading a book while sipping on your coffee, and delighting your palate with some food on the side, then Luna's kitchen is the right place for you.

020-coffee-cup-1
Coffee & tea
021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants
024-burger-1
Snacks

by

Marie-Chantale

Sundberg

May 21, 2025

Persian Cup

A Hidden Gem

Their specialty dessert, Persian love cake, is a concoction of cardamon, pistachio, and zest of lemon. It tasted as delicious as it looked.

020-coffee-cup-1
Coffee & tea
021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants
024-burger-1
Snacks

by

Marie-Chantale

Sundberg

May 21, 2025

Terghale

Coffee & Shisha

I usually stop by Terghale for fresh juice and my friends mostly order shisha or coffee, and we can spend hours here sitting and reading in silence.

020-coffee-cup-1
Coffee & tea
024-burger-1
Snacks

by

Marie-Chantale

Sundberg

May 21, 2025

L'Appartement

Bistro Bar

Make sure to try the beetroot carpaccio and the tomato bruschetta as snacks. Their signature cocktails are delicious and I also fancy their minted lemonade.

028-beach-bar-1
Bars
020-coffee-cup-1
Coffee & tea
024-burger-1
Snacks

by

Marie-Chantale

Sundberg

May 21, 2025

Emotions

Pâtisserie & Artisan Glacier

My favorite treat at Emotions is the "chausson au citron" - lemon turnover, which tastes simply yummylicious: not too lemony or sour, not too sweet, not too small.

020-coffee-cup-1
Coffee & tea
024-burger-1
Snacks

by

Marie-Chantale

Sundberg

May 21, 2025

Micelli's

Pizza

With their creative combinations and delectable thin dough, their menu is surely going to offer you an interesting array of choices. From classic options to the sweet and sour assortment.

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants

by

Marie-Chantale

Sundberg

May 21, 2025

Meet The Veganz

Vegan "Junk" Food

Make sure to try their Bitchin Friez, they are crunchy and cheesy. And the cheezy bites are scrumptious, just the way I love them. You got it, I am a cheese fan!

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants
024-burger-1
Snacks

by

Marie-Chantale

Sundberg

May 21, 2025

Karim's Training Facility

Boutique Sports Studio

Karim's Training Facility is located underground and the hanging mirrors make the space look larger than it is. The premises are regularly sanitized, and this is essential for someone like me.

017-plant-1
Relaxing

by

Marie-Chantale

Sundberg

May 21, 2025

Roselane

Delivery wellness food

I finally ordered the carrot lentil ginger soup, the wild mushrooms toast, and a small-sized Asian crunch salad. Everything smelled delicious and tasted very good.

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants
024-burger-1
Snacks

by

Marie-Chantale

Sundberg

May 21, 2025

Heading to Beirut?

179 Insider Tips from our local Spotters

Authentic Stories by Real People

Escape the Crowd & Travel Slow 🐌

... for just €9.99

0 Insider Tips from our local Spotters

179 Insider Tips

✓ Escape the Crowds

✓ Find Spots nearby

✓ Authentic Stories

... for just €9.99

App Download Download our app

City guides by those who know the city in and out!

Our Locals' Favorite Art & culture

Our team loves Beirut

Get to know our other Spotters from Beirut

As featured on:

New-York-Times
the-guardian
mashable
the-sunday-times
false
0
false
7316
Filters