Come with me to discover my favorite meat restaurants around the country for 2015:
Located in a quiet neighborhood of Beirut, Michel's reflects the real French tradition of a "Bistrot de Quartier", a neighborhood restaurant. The steak served is premium in quality and the sauce is delicious. The meat is exceptionally tender, served with a selection of sauces prepared with cream, with intense flavors, served with sublime fries sprinkled with salt and pepper. It's so finger licking good. Achrafieh 01 216772
As almost all of you know by now, Blackrock is a restaurant that has introduced a new way of grilling and eating your meat by using the lava rock. It offers a large variety of meat-based items, as well as salads and starters in a fresh, spacious interior. The Argentinian EntrecÙte Rock (Black Angus beef, 300g) is soft and tender and simply wow as is the Black Angus Tenderloin. Dbayeh 04 523101
If you think you've tasted tender meat before, think again. Burgundyís Dos de Biche - two blocks of meat, tender and soft like butter, beautifully presented on a plate ñ is a piece of art. It is mouthwatering served with green beans, potato purÈe, juice and onion confit - the plate is a marvel. The homemade potato purÈe is perfect. You can order this same purÈe with truffle oil. Youssef Akiki is the chef behind the magical plates, a man guided by passion, dedication and a love for food. Saifi 01 999820
Nothing beats the comforts of habit and having the steak et frites at Couqley is the perfect meal for any day of the week. The side salad is served with a tasty sauce. Small, thin and crunchy fries, typical of French bistros, generously garnish the plate. The meat is perfectly cooked and placed to rest amidst the famous Couqley sauce. Dbayeh 04 444876
Their steak et frites is impeccable. Soft and tender meat with perfectly cooked fries, and a delicious sauce. The Entrecote Black Angus is unique. Great meat and delicious sauce. The Wagyu cote de boeuf is tender like butter and perfectly cooked. As for the steak hachÈ, it's exquisite. Dbayeh 76 595951
La Parrilla recently underwent a series of renovations to uplift both the interior and the menu, while preserving the authenticity and sophistication of their identity. Under the concept ìMaison de Chasse Contemporaineî, welcome to La Parrilla. The restaurant boasts five themed halls characterized by traditional architecture accentuated with gilded metal. The revisited menu, already offering meat, now includes a large selection of gourmet dishes including pasta, risotto, ceviche, tartars and carpaccio. Achrafieh 01 585885
La Petite Maison (currently relocating to a stand-alone location in Downtown)
La Petite Maisonís meat is marinated, prepared in advance, removed from the fridge and left at room temperature to rest. Afterwards, it's cooked in La Petite Maisonís Josper signature charcoal oven for a few minutes, then removed again for the blood to rest and the meat to maintain its rich color, then cooked for the second time before being served. All of this results in meat that's so tender and so juicy, like no other in town. The Grilled Ribeye Steak: believe me when I say that this is one of the best pieces of meat I've tasted in Lebanon. Beirut 01 368300
LVD takes the concept of a hearty American diner and cooks up a unique twist by serving sensational high quality steak burgers and premium steaks in a casual setting, that will transport your taste buds to another world. And the secret's all in the fresh, never frozen, premium Black Angus and Wagyu beef and all the other high quality imported ingredients. The succulent low to high marbled fresh meat, crowns the menu. Most of the ingredients are imported from the U.S. and Australia to guarantee authentic flavors. The meat is truly outstanding; it is served grilled, braised and oven-baked to seal the flavors, always succulent. Dbayeh 04 403803
Nestled on a hill in an old stone house is Lola, a three leveled restaurant that boasts an amazing view, while the warm lights embrace the old wood used to decorate the space. Wagyu beef is served on a wooden board with greens on the side and fries. Red on the inside, juicy and tender, the meat needs nothing else to be enjoyed. Bikfaya 04 983440
La Table Fine is a complete experience of Mediterranean wonders under one roof. Every detail counts: the long sculpted columns, immense ceramic tiles, bamboo and wood tent shaped ceiling, fine cutlery, white table cloths, blue napkins and perfect wine glasses are a few of the fine details of the restaurant. The Filet de boeuf Angus (pomme de terre farcie, fine mousseline aux echalottes roties, sauce aux cepes, jus de viande et sauce au Poivre) is excellent and enchants the palate. Jounieh 09 919666
The Gathering brings to the table exquisite Italian dishes, hearty premium grills, and bar gastronomy bites. Composed of three turn-of-the-century old houses, located in Rue Pasteur, one of the places is ìThe Butcher Grillî offering fine quality meat and burgers. You can see the live preparations with fresh aromatic ingredients. Gemmayzeh 01 566196
The Grill Room experience is guaranteed satisfaction. At the table, every detail is mastered to perfection. Try their American USDA, a piece of medium cooked, tender, like butter and served with a kind of conical bread that tastes like an ice cream biscuit. A simple plate when combined with the cauliflower gratin or the cream spinach that will just make your mouth water. The side dishes are all creative and very tasty. The Four Seasons Hotel Beirut 01 761600
The Happy Prince has a fine selection of meat, superb burgers and some tasty drinks to enjoy. The Dry-aged T-Bone: I've rarely seen such a piece of meat in the country. A huge 1.2kg premium cut, dry-aged for 45 days and served in a pan. Red on the inside and roasted on the outside, this meat is grilled to perfection. An extremely tender piece of meat that doesn't even require chewing; soft, tender and juicy. Add a bit of sea salt and enjoy. The T-Bone is served with sautÈed mushrooms and an exquisite, signature potato puree. Mar Mikhael 01 569040
With so many places opening in the country, we often forget about the generation of eateries that started the trend. Rare is one such place. One of the first specialized meat restaurants to open, Rare serves delicious food, with a menu prepared by Chef Cynthia Bitar of Nazira Catering, who has a degree from Institut Paul Bocuse-Lyon, France. Rare offers a large selection of prime cuts guaranteed to make you drool. Now renovated and ready to welcome you in a beautiful new setup. Achrafieh 01 211122
It's a fine diner it more of an up scaled bistro where you're welcomed by a local valet and not a company to a restaurant handled by a head waiter wearing a black tie and jacket helped by waiters in their white shirts and black ties. Jean-Claude is here having a drink on the terrace and his lovely wife tours around making all guests are happy. 500 grams of enjoyment, a beautiful chunk of meat, a full flege entrecôte looking black but appetizing, shining from above, crunchy with a tender heart, salted and peppered and served with mini fries on the side. It's amazing, how tender it is and lightly crunchy on the side. No sauce is needed but some old style mustard would surely be of added value. Achrafieh 01 201190
