Amarres is the newest addition to The Alleyway Group, they guys behind awesome places like Couqley and The Angry Monkey. It’s located in Beirut’s hottest new area: Zaitunay Bay. Everyone has been to ZB, everyone has photos posing on the boardwalk or taking in the sun on the grass. That’s where Amarres has set up shop, in one of the biggest lots in the seaside project.

Amarres’ menu is french gourmet cuisine, with a special emphasis on seafood, given its location. Their indoor area is warm and cozy with brass finishings and intricate, hand-made floor tiles. One of the walls houses hundreds of bottle of fine wine stacked above each other like they would be in a vineyard’s cellars.

The food is divine and their steak and gratin is exactly the way I like it: brown on the outside and a beautiful pink on the inside with just the right amount of juiciness. However, my favorite dish at Amarres is the salmon tartine, which is a very light, delicious and fair-priced meal. The cream cheese and herb mix on whole-wheat bread with smoked salmon is perfect with a glass of rose while you’re wearing your sunglasses and gazing at the tops of yachts only meters away.

What I love most about it though, is that it’s similar to Couqley in that the food is amazing but the price is fair. Some other restaurants close by offer similar menus, but charge almost 5 times as much! So, be careful when you’re in ZB and scan the outdoor menus before getting a table, for several of my friends paid a lot more than what they had expected to and we wouldn’t want that to happen to you too.

Verdict: Amarres is a perfect place for a date, an important business lunch or family lunch on a Sunday.
Price: 70-100 USD should be more than enough for a complete dinner for two with wine
Atmosphere: Healthy family atmosphere, amazing terrace and views
Staff: Friendly, very helpful and good sense of humor
Location: Zaitunay Bay