The cafe by the sea

ENAR

Executive profiled a collection of beloved Beirut venues which have been in operation for more than 35 years and evoke strong feelings of nostalgia among the city’s residents. The aim was to discover more about their history and learn the secrets of their success, nostalgia aside.   The first documented picture of Cafe Rawda is from 1935, though some say it had existed even before that. With a beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea, Cafe Rawda is said to be the preferred venue of inspiration for writers and poets, listing the likes of Nizar Qabbani and Rafic Ali Ahmad.  Mohamed Chatila, the current owner of the venue, says it has been in the family for generations. “The fact that it has remained within our family is what has kept us going for so long. This continuity, with the older generation handing over their experience to the younger but still somehow