Bringing Damascus to Beirut

For the past two years, more restaurants highlighting Syrian culture, both in their cuisine and interior decor, have been popping up in Beirut, mainly in Verdun and Hamra.  Some of these restaurants, such as Sit El Sham in Verdun, are owned by Syrians while others are owned by Lebanese but play up the Syrian concept. One such venue is Verdun’s Ward El Sham, named after a traditional Syrian dessert, which opened a year ago and is owned by Achour Development. Jean Habis, Ward El Sham’s manager on duty, says the concept was chosen because the owners wanted to “try out the new trend of Syrian cuisine” as a change from Lebanese style restaurants. Though Ward El Sham has modeled its interior after an old Damascene home, Habis believes what distinguishes them from other Syrian themed venues is their traditional Syrian cuisine rather than the decor. While the Lebanese and Syrian