FOUR SEASONS, BEIRUT
AND ABOUT TIME, TOO
WORDS BY Sam Bayoumi
Alexandria, Amman, Damascus, Doha and Riyadh each have one. Cairo and Istanbul have two apiece. Now Beirut joins the list of Middle Eastern cities to boast its own Four Seasons (actress Julia Roberts’ favourite hotel chain, apparently).
It’s been a long time coming – the foundation stone was laid by then-President General Émile Lahoud back in May 2004 – but last month the Four Seasons Beirut welcomed its first paying guests
This latest addition to the luxe B&B chain, which these days is owned by Bill Gates and Saudi Prince AlWalid bin Talal, is a 25-storey glass-and-steel landmark tower rising above the Corniche.
All 230 rooms have balconies with views of the city, mountains and/or sea, and there is the full array of five-star amenities, including a full spa and health centre. The restaurant has terrace seating so diners can enjoy the breeze as they order from a Mediterranean-inspired steak and seafood menu.
www.fourseasons.com
PAGES CAFÉ, DAMASCUS
HOT COFFEE AND COOL READS AT A NEW VENTURE IN THE SYRIAN CAPITAL
WORDS BY Sakhr Al-Makhadhi
PICTURE BY Carole Al-Farah
It’s a bit different from the usual Syrian coffee house. No TV, no sheesha, no blaring pop – Pages Café is far more refined. UK-born Syrian Rima Semmakie Hadaya found it less easy than she expected to get people into her bookshops (the three-strong Ex-Libris chain), so she is taking the books to the people.
“In Syria, reading is still associated with academia. People still don’t get that you can pick up a book and a coffee and relax,” says Hadaya. “Pages is changing that.”
Her plan is to have people flicking through the café’s 600-strong book collection as they sip on yoghurt smoothies and listen to jazz.
“I have customers saying they’ve been waiting for such a place for a long time,” says Hadaya. To her delight, teenagers have been taking over the tables at Pages, organising their own weekly book clubs.
The idea has proved such a hit that Hadaya has just opened a second branch in nearby Shaalan district.
Abdul Malik Bin Marwan St, tel +963 11 331 1622
WILD PEETA, DUBAI
THE HUMBLE SHAWARMA GOES GOURMET
WORDS BY Lara Dunston
PICTURE BY Terence Carter
After eight years of research and development (read: lots of cooking and eating), made possible with support from the Shaikh Mohammed Establishment for Young Business Leaders, brothers Peyman and Mohammed Younes Parham AlAwadhi (pictured, from left) have reinvented the shawarma.
At their new diner, Wild Peeta, customers are offered a menu of “fusion shawarmas” that includes a Thai-inspired sataydoused shawarma and a tangy Arabian shawarma with a tahini-based dressing. There’s also a DIY option where customers choose their meat, salad, veg and sauce. Vegetarian and vegan shawarmas are available too, which, the brothers believe, is a first for the region.
Wild Peeta is about “good food served fast”, say the Awadhis – “You needn’t compromise on nutrition just because you’re pressed for time,” Peyman asserts. You can find Wild Peeta at Dubai’s Healthcare City.
www.wildpeeta.com
THE PICTUREHOUSE, DUBAI
ARTHOUSE CINEMA COOL COMES TO THE EMIRATES
WORDS BY James Brennan
Something exciting is happening to cinema in the UAE. The recently opened Picturehouse at Reel Cinemas in Dubai is the first of its kind in the country, a movie theatre dedicated to screening independent films rather than the usual Hollywood blockbuster fare.
According to general manager Gordon Kirk, the place is already creating a buzz among local film buffs. “There’s been a lot of interest,” he says. “It depends on the movie, of course – some are more popular than others – but business is building up nicely.”
Although the single-screen cinema only seats 100 people, each movie gets a two-week run, giving celluloid junkies ample opportunity to catch each feature.
The Picturehouse opened for business with the romantic comedy Paper Heart, and has since screened political satire In The Loop and metaphysical comedy Cold Souls. “We will be featuring Arab movies as well,” says Kirk.
Recently the Picture-house has agreed a collaboration with the Dubai International Film Festival. “Now people will be able to come and see the festival’s films throughout the year rather than having to waiting for an annual fix,” Kirk adds.
www.reelcinemas.ae
CHOCOLATE LOUNGE, BEIRUT
WHY SAVE THE CHOCOLATE UNTIL DESSERT?
WORDS BY Patrick Galey
PICTURE BY Tanya Traboulsi
Some flavours were made for each other: lemon and chilli, garlic and rosemary, and – if you believe the menu at Beirut’s new shrine to the sweet tooth – chocolate and absolutely anything.
Everything about The Chocolate Lounge pays homage to the humble cocoa bean. From the colour of the leather chairs to the key ingredient in the cocktails, it’s all about chocolate.
As for the food, the cocoa-laced “savouries” on offer include fillet of salmon with white chocolate, dark chocolate-stuffed chicken breast and the Chocolate Lounge Burger, a sweet and savoury mélange of beef, foie gras and mango jam, all served in a chocolate-chip bun.
Dessert is where you would expect a chococentric restaurant to shine, and The Chocolate Lounge certainly does, with a tantalising array of verrines, each teasingly layered with unctuous mousse, fresh fruit and – you guessed it – chocolate. Diners who don’t mind getting their hands dirty should over-indulge with the chocolate fondue.
Beirutis will never be stuck for a Valentine’s night venue again.
748 Sodeco, Achrafieh, tel +961 1 614 414
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