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A Lebanese Blog

Month: June 2010

  • Amethyste Lounge – Phoenicia Intercontinental Beirut

    One of the most fascinating places I have ever been to lately, that’s seriously without any exaggeration the newly opened Amethyste Lounge in Phoenicia Hotel.

    Amethyste Phoenicia Intercontinental Beirut 8

    To those of you who still don’t know about it, Amethyste is a new outdoor bar and lounge that was launched on May 13th with a fabulous opening that started at noon and lasted till midnight.

    Amethyste Phoenicia Intercontinental Beirut

    So I got the opportunity to go there with a group of friends two weeks ago and had a blast! I honestly don’t know how to describe the place, and I hope the photos I included do justice to it, Amethyste is just unique and different than any place of the same category.

    Amethyste Phoenicia Intercontinental Beirut 1

    Your world will be painted purple the minute you step in, even the pool water turns purple when it’s dark (due to the lightning of course), and the color is guaranteed to make up your mood if your going there after after a long day! Just the way a real lounge should be. And to complement that, chill out music is played all the time.

    Amethyste Phoenicia Intercontinental Beirut 2

    The food is good, nothing tasted new to me, but the presentation is EPIC! Some plates are served in a theatrical way, for example the salad we ordered was brought in a jar, to which the waiter added the sauce and shook it like a cocktail, then put it into our plates. On the other hand, grilled meat comes to your table on a small barbecue! (yes with coals and everything)

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    Cocktails are… you guessed it right, good as well! I think I can easily write another post about their cocktails because they have a wide variety to choose from, they actually have a separate menu for these.

    Amethyste Phoenicia Intercontinental Beirut 7

    The staff is very friendly, our waiter was very helpful explaining to us about the items in their menus. What is really remarkable though is that they are cooperating to make podcasts and publish them on their blog! And I hope they continue doing it, the first episode featured Grant Collins and a guy named Haytham showing how to prepare the poolside Margarita.

    Amethyste Phoenicia Intercontinental Beirut 9

    Surprisingly, and believe it or not, Amethyste is NOT overpriced. Their menus along with the pricing are available online for you to check, The Pool Menu, The Cocktail Menu, and The Main Menu.

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  • Lebanese blogosphere weekly link roundup (2010/06/06)

    Between the elections, the freedom flotilla, and the world cup 2010, the Lebanese blogosphere had a lot to talk about! And so I’ve got you 16 links for this week’s roundup (overdose?).

    See you next week!

  • The new Beirut Waterfront

    On May 16th, Solidere announced opening of the new Beirut Waterfront to the public as the first bicycle lane in the city. According to The Daily Star, the lane would start at the Beirut Souks on Tripoli Street and pass through Patriarch Howayek Street in the direction of Beirut’s new maritime front, through Allenby Street, and back to the starting point.

    Before getting too excited about it, access to the waterfront will be granted on Sundays only from 10 AM to 8PM! And that’s why I’m having mixed feelings about it, I’m glad we finally have a public space away from the pollution that we got used to, but opening it on Sundays only is sort of disappointing, why can’t they keep it open everyday?

    Soliders is acting like someone who invites you over to his house, but then tell you beforehand that he will be kicking you out at 8PM.

    Anyway, hoping we get a permanent access to the waterfront, I leave you with this cool video of the place made by Rawad El Hoyek.

    New Beirut Waterfront from Rawad EL HOYEK on Vimeo.

  • Overdoing the World Cup 2010 – IV

    Remember the World Cup manakish? One of my friends sent me the following pictures he found on Facebook of the bakery that is making those manakish. It is located in Haret Hreik.

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    World cup 2010 flags

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    World cup 2010 flags 2

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    Now I know where to get a dozen of Germany manakish from as soon as Brazil loses and gets out of the race! 😛