The survivors

ENAR

There was Horse Shoe, most notable for being Ghassan Tueni, Raymond Edde and Charles Helou’s favorite watering hole in Hamra. And Dolce Vita, the sidewalk brasserie that was the hangout for exiled political figures from Iraq and Syria. And Bliss Street’s Faysal’s, the restaurant where the leftists — many of whom became ministers in their countries — used to meet. Today, however, they have been replaced by a Costa Coffee, a Pizza Hut and an anonymous apartment building, remaining only in memory. Though these places had their fair share of the limelight and stayed in operation for more than 20 years, many other food and beverage venues rise to fame only to shut down some years later. Over time, this scenario has intensified, and lifespans have shortened as Lebanon trundles through its various political situations. Every time the country stabilizes for a couple of years and the tourists roll in,