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Beirut’s heritage houses and dining scene have long been its claim to fame, but one venue on Sursock Street is using its restored heritage home to offer affordable dining and artisanal crafts, while also supporting those battling poverty. Beit Kanz is the brainchild of NGO Beit El Baraka, which initially helped elderly citizens save money on groceries, but developed into an emergency relief centre as economic crisis worsened. After the Beirut port explosion in 2020, Beit El Baraka assembled a team of 372 builders and tradespeople to restore 3,000 apartments and nearly 700 small businesses, schools and heritage buildings, including the one that became Beit Kanz. The venue serves a menu of affordable traditional Lebanese dishes sourced from Beit El Baraka’s own farms and made by young hospitality and catering students, while the adjacent artisanal boutique offers traditional crafts produced by local artisans using ancestral techniques invented by the Phoenicians, providing sustainable employment for craftspeople and employing over 1,000 women in more than 50 rural villages. The circular economy within Beit Kanz means any food that stays on the plate is used as compost on their land. Future plans include a programme of social events, positioning Beit Kanz as a hub for both small businesses and accessible fine-dining.
