Batrouniyat
Taste of Batroun
Lemons, mouneh and the sea.
The town that turned its lemons into a legend, its harvest into a pantry, and its catch into a record. Come hungry.
Batroun tastes of citrus and salt. Fresh lemonade pressed on the main street, a pantry of preserves the region has kept for generations, and a harbour that still lands the day's fish a few metres from the tables.
Pressed on the main street
Citrus groves have ringed Batroun for over a century, and the town turned them into an institution. Hilmi's has poured fresh lemonade from the same family recipe since 1888, now a whole House of Lemonade and a museum. In 2012 Batroun set the Guinness record for the largest cup of lemonade, over five thousand litres.
The pantry the region keeps
Mouneh is the Lebanese art of preserving, and it is Batrouniyat's beating heart: makdous and pickles, fig jam and molasses, za'atar and preserved leaves. Dozens of varieties, including the rare ones, safeguarded and sold so the knowledge does not disappear.
The day's catch
The port the earthquake gave the town still feeds it. At Chez Maguy, a shack on a rock over the sea, the catch is caught that morning and sea urchins are cut open in front of you. Batroun even laid out a record seafood display, over two and a half tonnes, in 2016.
Lebanese cooking, out loud
From the kitchens of the old town to Batrouniyat's own Al Batrouni, this is generous, distinctive Lebanese food that pulls visitors in and keeps the local economy turning. Long tables, mezze that does not stop, and a view of the water.
On the table
Citrus, catch and mezze.
Get in
One gate for everything Batrouniyat hosts.
Tickets are now fully in-house. Starting with Batroun Foot City, this is the only place to get in. Secure, encrypted checkout; price re-checked at payment.