Tripoli Restaurant Tips by RblWthACoz

Rafaat Hallab & Sons: The oh so famous sweets of Tripoli

Tripoli is very well known for it's sweets and Rafaat Hallab & Sons is the best place to experience them. With multiple locations - the one nearest Tell Square the easiest to find - you'd be selling yourself short if you did not try it out. Grab some coffee or tea and pick something.

Menus are in English and Arabic.

Favorite Dish: something, something Tripolitian...didn't write the name down :-P

Address: Tell Street

Comparison: about average

Directions: very near Tell Square

Phone: (+961)6 44 44 11

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 5

Theme: Dessert

Hooters Cafe: All I had was juice, but the name sucked me in.

I only had orange juice here. The name of the place made me laugh because of the Hooters restaurants in the United States. This one of course is in no way similar to the American version.

The chef was very talkative with me. He read the whole menu to me in order to practice his English.

Comparison: about average

Directions: on the way to Al-Mina..forgot to write the exact address down

Phone: 06 222270

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 3

Theme: Middle Eastern

Cafe Fahim: The purest example of a Middle East coffee shop

In Tripoli, you will find no better example of a local spot than this as far as the cafes go. Fillds with mostly old men playing cards and smoking nargilleh, its rustic nature reassures you of the fact that you are where you are - far away from home. The gritty interior will go perfectly with your coffee or tea. Inexpensive and untainted, it's definitely worth the LL1,500 for a tea, just to be able to sit and soak it all in.

Just be aware though...this is pretty much a mens only joint. There were no women inside and I am not sure exactly what the reaction would be if any foreign ones wandered in. Might as well give it a shot though...but who knows...be prepared for staring to occur.

Address: Tell Street

Comparison: least expensive

Directions: across the street from Tell Square

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 5

Theme: Coffeehouse

Al Amina - Baladi: As local a joint as you will find I'd say...

If you want a local joint, my guess is this is as good a one to check out as any other. The menu is ONLY in Arabic. So I just pointed to a picture for my lunch and pointed to some script for my drink. The food was very good as was the fresh juice.

When taking the bus in from Beirut, it is the very vibrantly colorful restaurant with large glass windows on the left side of the street. Goodyear Tires are on the other side of the street.

Comparison: about average

Directions: When taking the bus in from Beirut, it is the very vibrantly colorful restaurant with large glass windows on the left side of the street. Goodyear Tires are on the other side of the street.

Phone: 06-424433

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Middle Eastern

Silver Shores: Seafood in Al-Mina

Touted as the best seafood in town, it certainly better be at these prices. One fish alone will clip you nearly $40 if it is the right one. When I asked for a recommendation, the waiter actually took me to the kitchen and showed me the fish available. I picked one, they weighed it to show me it's size, and then it was prepared whole. Overall it was a bit stuffier than I'd usually go for. But the setup was decent and the service was excellent. It seems more a place for an older crowd and the monied.

Comparison: most expensive

Directions: in Al-Mina by the ocean

Price: US$41 and up

Rating: 3

Theme: Seafood

Abdul Ralman Hallab & Sons: Oh God...more sweets...

Compared to Rafaat Hallab & Sons, this place is a little bit swankier with just as good a selection. The interior is cleaner than the Tell Square location for Rafaat, more thought out, and simply more attractive.

Comparison: about average

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Dessert