Downtown Beirut’s Iconic Grand Cafe Closing After 17 Years

After 17 years of business, Downtown Beirut’s iconic Grand Cafe is kissing the heart of the city goodbye.

The renowned cafe-resto was the first to open after the revival of Beirut’s downtown. It joins a league of many restaurants, cafes, and businesses that have slowly closed up shop over the past few years, effectively turning the area into a ghost-town.




After having been closed for two and a half years, Grand Cafe re-opened its Nejmeh Sqaure branch on New Year’s Eve back in 2018.

This came after a governmental decision to restore pedestrian access into Nejmeh Square for the first time since 2015, when thousands of Lebanese took to the streets to protest the the ongoing waste crisis.




Having undergone the economic deterioration once before, the iconic cafe seems to be less resilient this time around.

For 17 years, Grand Cafe has been a go-to for friends and families, bringing people together over delicious Lebanese food and shisha.




As the country’s economy continues to deteriorate with no signs of redemption happening any time soon, more businesses seem to be giving in to this sad and hopeless situation.

Grand Cafe’s other branch on Raouche is still open.