The iconic Downtown Beirut restaurant Balthus located in a historic 1950s building recently announced that it is shutting down after 20 years in the business.
Balthus opened in 2000 and managed to maintain itself through ups and downs throughout the years, serving premium luxurious dining experience to its clients.
“The depth and severity of the current situation left us with no choice but to permanently close our establishment,” said the message on their social media.
The restaurant was almost always booked for years since its opening but had seen fewer visitors in recent times.
Many fans were sad to see their favorite restaurant go. It is “the end of an era,” as commenter Zeina Raphael put it.
The restaurant’s Chef Fady Bitar commented, “Proud to be Balthus’ Executive Chef. Serving customers with excellence was my pleasure. Watching Balthus grow during the past 20 years was one of my greatest achievements.”
“We would like to thank each and every member of our team, as well as our loyal customers who made Balthus a landmark and one of the most popular restaurants in town. We wish our country a quick recovery and a return to its more prosperous days,” concluded the message.
It is another great loss following that of the Bristol Hotel and other iconic Beirut institutions.
