Anthony Bourdain

"Best meal in Lebanon? A little neighborhood place called Le Chef. Typical Lebanese staples, hummus, kibbe, stewed lamb and arak."

Anthony Bourdain

"We'd had a sensational early lunch of hummus, kibbe, stewed lamb and yogurt at Le Chef, a local, family-style joint in a charming neighborhood."

Seth Sherwood

"Rice pudding, often a lackluster bowl of white slop, was firm here, substantial and infused with accents of rose water and orange-flower water. The combination lent an exotic Middle Eastern blossomy flavor."

Rami Fayoumi

"The food is just great, it tastes like real homemade food. They serve nothing very fancy, but rather traditional plates such as sayyadiyeh."

Gemma Cagnacci

"Some standout meals were at Le Chef (most amazing hummus ever – get the pine nut one)."

Joan Torres

"All the time frequented by each native staff and businessmen, the restaurant Le Chef serves a big number of native home-made dishes that change every single day. If obtainable, you could attempt syadye, a rice-based dish with fish and almonds."

Katie Beck

"I loved the rice pudding flavored with rose syrup."

Stylist Magazine

"It would be churlish not to spend time in Beirut. At Le Chef, eat like you would in a Lebanese home, dunking bread into mujadara (lentils with rice)."

On the Grid

"One of our favorite go-to places for lunch, Le Chef has been around forever. They serve home-made dishes and specialize in Lebanese home cuisine. Ask for the 'Sayadieh''."

A Handful of Rocket

"We sampled vegetarian Kibbeh in ‘Le Chef’, a long standing traditional café in Gammayze, Beirut. Owner was very keen we try them and they were lovely, definitely something to be tried at home."