Lebanese cuisine
Mankoushé:
A lebanese pizza, or at least that's what it looks like, the mankoushã© is a baked pizza-shaped dough with either a mixture of local cheeses or thyme or a mixture of both on top, can be bought from all bakeries as well as special forn mankhoushã© which specialize in this type of food, usually had for breakfast. cost between 1.000l.l and 3.000l.l .
Ka'ek:
A different version of the classic bagel, only about a foot in diameter and hollow, normally filled with thyme but you can ask for cheese spread as well. the most common place to buy these are from the local street vendors that ride bicycles or motorized scooters and honk a manual horn, but you can also find it at major bakeries. although not of lebanese origins, they're quite popular and are always found near rawcheh area, they're worth a try. cost about 1.000l.l .
Roastery Nuts:
Roasted nuts are certainly the local favorite appetizers particularly with the older people. local brands have dedicated roasteries where customers walk in and order fresh, they produce some of the best nuts in the region, and certainly the most varied. pecans, cashews, macadamias, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, peanuts its all there. ask for krikri in thyme, spice, or cheese flavor.
Sweets:
Every religious or national event sees stalls set up on sidewalks outside churches and in public squares, where traditional lebanese sweets are sold such as: maamoul, ktaef, halawet el jibn, halawet el riz,and ashta. if you're lucky enough to come across those be sure to give them all a try, otherwise visit any pã¥tisserie where the same sweets can be purchased but of course lacking the same authenticity!.
fast food
If you're on a tight budget, or if you simply miss the food that you can get back at home, fast food is your best option. All major international fast food restaurants have opened chains in Beirut KFC, McDonald's, Burger King, Hardee's, TGI Fridays, Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut, Dunkin' Donuts, Subway etc..., but many local fast food restaurants have sprung up to compete with the major franchisers.
international cuisine
Beirut's different cultures brought different tastes for food, and restaurants of all different origins have opened all around the city. Restaurants have different price ranges, depending of course on the quality of the ingredients used; check the different districts for the listings.