I’ve talked about the Alleyway in Gemmayzeh several times, and as promised, here is the first of a series of reviews about this shining example of preserving Beirut’s heritage and making it a truly enjoyable and profitable venture.
The Alleyway includes Cloud 9, Gauche Caviar, The Tanning Salon, The Union and Couqley. Couqley is a delightful French Restaurant and Bistro nestled deep within the Alleyway,
Couqley was converted from an artisan’s workshop and now features a traditional hand-cut mosaic stone floor, zinc bar and a charming outdoor seating area. The outdoor seating area is where we sat, and I must say, when you’re in Couqley, you experience what Gemmayzeh once was: a street full of cafe-trottoirs and cozy gourmet restaurants.
Apart from Chef Alexis Couquelet’s brilliant taste and talent, what is also special about Couqley are the prices. Often, when we go out to gourmet French restaurants, we expect an absurd bill well over the 100$ mark, and that’s with below-average wine. The guys at Couqley though, are not ashamed of selling their wide selection of wines at retail price, with bottles as red and white wine for as little as 26,000 LBP.
Yes, a classy, upscale, gourmet restaurant with acceptable prices seems hard to believe, but I’ve taken the liberty of attaching the food and wine menus at the end of this post.
I had the Filet de Boeuf Prime, medium-well. I found it delicious, with the meat just the way I like, nice and dark on the outside, and a beautiful pinkish-red on the inside. But what really won me over was the heavenly Potato Gratin, the supple and creamy portion melts in your mouth with a mesh of several strong flavors that’ll get your taste buds tingling.
All in all, Couqley is a perfect place for a nice, cozy dinner, or a quick business lunch if you work in the Ashrafieh-DownTown area. If you’re a coffee fan, the bistro offers lots of coffee types as well, all throughout the day. It is living proof that Gemmayzeh isn’t just a nocturnal area, but a vibrant day-time destination with all the amenities of 5-star establishments, at a fair affordable price.
The Verdict: The perfect cozy dinner before clubbing or ideal lunchbreak destination while at work
Price: 70USD will be enough for appetizers, main course and a bottle of wine for two
Atmosphere: Cozy, warm
Staff: Very courteous and knowledgeable
Food: Fine gourmet French cuisine
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