Dining
For the Lebanese-food novice, mouth-watering delight awaits. Traditional Lebanese meals are a multi-course affair. Hot and cold mezzes (Lebanese hors d'oeuvres) served with pita bread are just a colorful and savory beginning. Roasted meats are typical main dishes, followed by platters of fresh fruit and a tray of sweets for dessert.

A full, multi-course Lebanese meal can be pricey, but it's worth it to splurge at least once. In Beirut, the Achrafiyé area is a good bet for fashionable restaurants serving delicious Lebanese cuisine. A wide range of excellent and innovative restaurants serving international cuisine (ranging from European to Chinese to Indian) is also available in and around Beirut.

If you have a smaller appetite, head for a takeaway, delivery, or dine-in snackshop selling shawarma or falafel sandwiches, yogurts, and salads (US$2 to US$5). Both the traditional Lebanese meal and the snackshop variety can be found all over Lebanon, with some regional differences and flair.

Lebanon's café scene rivals that of any major European city. You can spend a leisurely afternoon reading, people-watching, or enjoying the fresh air at countless sidewalk cafes in cities around the country. Be sure to sample the delicious fresh-squeezed juices or a cup of the strong traditional Lebanese coffee. In the evenings, the cafés in the recently restored Beirut Central District (“Solidère”) are buzzing with activity, with families and children relaxing, socializing, and enjoying coffee, sweets, and ice cream.

It is customary to tip 10-15 percent in restaurants in addition to any service charge incorporated in the bill.

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