Hands down one of our favorite meals while in Beirut for 72 hours. My grandmother is Lebanese and I can attest that these dishes represent Lebanese cuisine proudly. The hummus and the Meghli (dessert) were the highlights. The taboulleh's flavor was spot on and reminded me of my grandmothers, although they didn't use any wheat which was unique for me but still delicious. The grape leaves were probably the least impressive of the dishes, but the flavor was excellent and lemony and happy they served them warm when asked. But the consistency was a bit mushy, perhaps because I don't think they used any meat. All in all, I would happily return to Le Chef when I visit again. Has a local and old-fashioned vibe to it, and everyone treated us with much kindness and friendliness.

Love this place. "Wilcome wilcome" is shouted to you upon entering. Your table is filled before you're seated. Orders are shouted to the kitchen. Fantastic prices on great Lebanese food. Changing daily specials. Absolutely a must visit. Just don't be put off by the whole team watching and ready to pounce should you want anything!

Amazing !!! If you wanna try real Lebanese food, at affordable price, this is the place !! Fast service, helpful and friendly staff !! Totally recommend it !!

A very interesting old school establishment which serves good food. It opens at 8am in the morning and we went there we were told they only serve the lighter dishes for breakfast and the rest for lunch. So with the help of my driver we ordered a few local dishes to try. I might have forgotten some of the names of the dishes but have to say it was a hearty breakfast and I loved all the dishes. I remembered the 2 fried eggs, labneh, hummus with minced meat and the stuff vine leaves in oil. The food were very well executed and felt like eating some home cooked food like you were invited to the house of a local Lebanese. A truly authentic experience to try. Food was good and the bill was reasonable. Recommended.

If you really want to enjoy a lebanese cuisine . This is the spot . From the moment you step in you will see only locals. Great and huge portions (you can ask for half portions of you are solo travel). Best restaurant in Beirut so far . Affordable prices, local , tasty .

I used to have lunch at Le Chef once-twice a week when I lived in Beirut in 1995-1996. The place has not changed. Charbel now has white hair, but he still remembers my name. The food is typical Lebanese food: the one that mothers prepare at home. It is very good and it is very very reasonably priced. Everytime I come back to Lebanon, I come to Le Chef. It is an institution. ALL restaurants at Beirut are trendy. They are new and successful one day, they disappear the day after. Le Chef is the only one that has been around for almost 70 years !

Hands down the best Lebanese food to ever exist. No debate. Mr Charbel is the king of Beirut.

Delicious local dishes in affordable prices. Staffs were very kind and friendly. Additionally you do not have to wait hours. They are well organized and fast. You can see kitchen part. Generally crowded but always clean.

I regret not visiting this place the moment i heard about long time ago , my first visit was yesterday, what an amazing destination , i can write book a full book about it , an amazing Lebanese restaurant, Prime location , staff super welcoming and helpful, you feel the Lebanese warmth , food is excellent, many choices of delicious daily and well made food, prices are crazy low compared to other restaurants, i had two main dishes plus hummus with meat ,plus fries and two drinks , for the price of one single Burger else where. You Must Try as soon as possible.

This is a very unassuming place where locals eat. We went for lunch. The quality of the food is very good. The hummus and tabouleh were amazing! The serve you very fast and the staff is nice and efficient.

Good homas balila great variety of Lebanese plat du jour Very affordable prices Cozy and modest place

Very nice & Local place with wonderful food

Me and my friend were walking around and suddenly a friendly man say “hola” with a very kind smiling face. We stayed in Beirut for one week and we ate dinner 5 days there. The food, the owner and the prices are absolutely amazing.

Was recommended this by my Lebanese host. The food was great and reasonable price (for Beirut where a coffee cost $5!). I would be hard-pressed to see some of the descriptions in previous reviews (warm, nostalgic, etc.), but I really enjoyed the food so would pass the recommendation to you. Personally I found the waiter a little rude, but I guess that's part of the charm.

Came here after my aunt recommended it and I'd happily return the recommendation to anyone reading this. The usual selection of Lebanese mezzes with some specials and has a helpful waiter (speaking English and advising on dishes). Good taste all around, especially loved the humus. Very reasonably priced food.

It is a clean and modest restaurant. Not expensive. Almost everything you can have is affordable. In addition, their taste were nice. So it is good value for its charge. We also loved their fries that is handmade not ready-to- eat.

Brilliant experience, I was food foraging for local eateries in Beirut and I found this place. Food taste is from Heavens. I tried the okra and the cauliflower dishes, and they were splendid. The owner is friendly and took the time to describe to me the menu items. If you are looking for a portion of the spectrum of Lebanese cuisine, this place is good for you. Lebanese cuisine is very rich and diverse and it needs several restaurants to cover it.

Amazing delicious food for such reasonable prices. The staff there are very welcoming. I would 100% visit again the next time I’m in Beirut!

Amazing traditional lebanese place. The service is friendly and very fast. The food is delicious and extremly authentic. You feel at home. If you are not lebaneese you must try it, it is how the food tastes at home in lebanon. Plus the prices are unbeleivably low. the most expensive platter is 5usd and it is very generous. so an overall amazing experience

Cute little place. Nice food. Homely atmosphere. Ask for bread to be warmed if eating hummus it’s better. Great pricing too. Didn’t love the chicken dish but overall it was still a 5 star review for overall happiness.

One of the oldest surviving gems in Ashrafieh, and very affordable prices for their daily plates. Some of their plates are on the really small portions (koussa & wara2 3inab) and not yum at all, and their service is fast but a bit messy so you have to keep following up.

Simple yet amazing! Tasty and authentic mezza classics, delicious ‘plat du jour’s, mouthwatering main dishes and syrupy deserts, all in a restful and cosy smoke-free atmosphere, with swift service staff, you’ll leave with a happy palate and a satisfied tummy! A must try for every Lebanese cuisine lover!

One of the best chicken and duck experiences in Beirut if not the best. I love this place.

What happened guys! Last week I ordered a take away of 1 plate moughrabieh, 1 plate samke harra, 1 fattouch, 1 hendbe in oil. Upon opening the whole thing to eat at home, the nasty surprise! 1st the portions were barely enough for toddlers! 2nd the chicken in the moughrabieh was stinking! 3rd the fattouch was just a regular salad, As for the samke harra there was probably no more than 20 grams of some kind of spongy unknown fish. Really sad to see the degrading quality and quantity of one of my favourite lebanese home made food eatery! Le chef please get back to your well known generosity and delicious recipes we're used to have. I'm writing this out of constructive criticism, I've heard the same comments from others too. In the same time, I have noticed the same in other food outlets! Is this a pattern we will be seeing due to the fall of our currency? Or is it greed!

Delicious and low budget !

Must visit traditional lebanese food.

We came here for lunch, ordered a few things. After the first one, sent it back and cancelled the rest. The food is absolutely disgusting. I have no idea how anybody could mess up “moussaka” and “stuffed vine leaves”!! And Molokheya was horrid! It came with plain rice and awful looking meat and chicken. Even the smell was insanely bad.. Most of the people that were there were foreigners, I feel legit bad for them for not having a good taste of the local cuisine (middle eastern).

great local food and extremely affordable prices! returned after 3 years still nothing change... Consistent

The best food we tried in Beirut, fatteh for breakfast and chicken for dinner are must to try! Very nice friendly staff, fast service, low prices. Highly recommend!

Inexpensive traditional specialty Lebanese food and in the heart of beautiful Gemmayzeh. This is the no frills restaurant to go to if you want to have fabulously tasty dishes with good portions. The staff are incredibly friendly and speak French, English, and Arabic. Service is very quick and expect the place to be rather full. If you have to wait, just wait because it’s 100% worth it.

Delicious local food about prices not expensive

Have been coming here for years. Very special place in Beirut. Charbel the head waiter is a Beirut legend.

Authentic Lebanese food in the best way , my dad used to bring me here and I’m bringing my kids now . It is the place to build memories 😉❤️ I just love the place . The food portions are enough to fill any stomach 👌👌

I think we tried almost everything on the menu, and they were all on point. Great food , the chef is a great character this place is a institution to be visited by all foodies when in Beirut.

I would recommend this place not because its high quality food, but because you can feel the authenticity of the place upon entering. Excellent location. Style that feels like home and family. Welcoming staff.. food can be much better. Still would want to try it for lunch.

I went to this place based on the reviews,, its not that good to be honest its an average restaurant at best , i felt like i was eating home cooked home , or in other words food that i could easily do my self. The tabbouleh wad amazing though.