Things to do during Ramadan

The holy month of Ramadan is all about fasting, family and festivities and there are plenty of things you can do in and around Beirut during the entire month.

Some of the most delicious meals of the year are served during Ramadan at many fancy restaurants, Hotel eateries and cafes in the city. Ramadan is a great time to get together with family and friends to enjoy a delicious Iftar or Souhour, and Beirut has plenty of offers on the table this year. If you’re into a traditional Iftar, many restaurants are serving customary Lebanese foods. Some other eateries are making it possible for you to have a more exotic meal to break your fast.

One must-try for Ramadan is the new tent set up at the Marina Marquee in Beirut’s Movenpick Hotel. It features mouthwatering Lebanese delicacies from the renowned restaurant Burj Al Hamam, as well as live Oud tunes and is open for sunset iftars and moonlight Souhours.

At the Phoenicia Hotel there are plenty of options for great Iftars. Mosaic, Wok W.O.K. and the lovely outdoor Amethyste are offering an amazing selection of international and Lebanese food plus Ramadan juices, and the beautiful sounds of Oud played live during your dinner.

After the Iftar meal, it’s great to hang out with friends and enjoy each others’ company late into the night with a lovely Souhour. Riviera has set up a special tent just for Souhour. The Layalina Ramadan Tent for Souhour is open from 10 pm till 12 am every night, and a live radio show is broadcast from the tent, hosting celebrities, singers and public figures, as well as screening Ramadan TV series on AlJadeed on a giant TV screen. The menu is a la carte and there’s even a live saj station with arguileh available.

Le Gray is offering a special Iftar with a full oriental table set menu and a massive dessert buffet at Indigo on the Roof.

Momo at the Souks is offering a different kind of menu with the best of Mediterranean cuisine, right in Beirut Souks.

Kahwet Leila in Gemmayzeh has a couple of menus for you to choose from and every Thursday and Saturday you’ll be treated to a live performance of the Oud.

Enab in Mar Mikhale is also hosting Iftar dinners that include a wide selection of food and sweets for a great price.

At the Safir Heliopolitan Hotel Beirut there’s a great offer on an Iftar buffet, and some Souhour specialities as well.

The Four Poings by Sheraton is offering a buffet Iftar at Bistro, as well as Sohour in Blue Patio, which also features a live band every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The great Al Falamanki and Abdel Wahab restaurants in Sodeco have delicious set menus, as does the fancy Em Sherif, the newly opened Studio 43 in Mar Mikhael and the well known Karam Beirut, Babel and Al Balad.

Many places are offering a very wallet-friendly Iftar, including Brisk in Hamra, and Dardachat.

Ramadan is also the time for delicious sweets and Cavalli Caffe is offering a special assorted chocolates box for the holy month, making a great gift for the holiday season.

Aside from all the great food, there’s also lots of Ramadan shows, and especially some exciting drama series that are lighting up the TVs. From Cyrine Abdel Nour’s “Death Game” on LBC about a woman who’s trying to escape her husband’s cruelty, to “Sa Naoud Baada Qaleel” (We Will Return Soon) which is a humanitarian story about a Syrian family that takes refuge in Lebanon, to the Syrian “Ya Mal al-Sham”, and other series like “Jouzour” (Roots), and Turkish series “Hikayat Samar” (Samar’s Story).

Entertainment options outside the house include the Babel Ramadan Nights 2013, with plenty of musical performances, concerts, and theatrical plays taking place all month long at the Babel Theatre in Hamra.

For the kids, there’s amazing activities at the Antami Ramadan Tent in Zaitunay Bay, with crafts, stories, face-painting and treats for the little visitors. It’s open from Wednesday till Saturday from 8:30-10:30 pm.

Don’t forget that Ramadan is also a time to give back to the needy and disadvantaged, so we encourage you to be charitable during this time, whatever the cause. We at Beirutnightlife.com wish you a blessed season and we’ll make sure to keep you updated on all events in Beirut during and after Ramadan.