by daily star.com.lb Beirut has been ranked among the world’s best cities to eat in, according to a New York-based travel magazine. The magazine listed Beirut as their top choice in a recent article about international cuisine. The Mediterranean city came out at number 1 in a readers-chosen survey conducted by Travel and Leisure, making Beirut the only Arab or Middle Eastern city to make the list this year. Other cities making the list included Bordeaux and Paris in France, Barcelona and San Sebastian in Spain, Chiang Mai in Thailand, San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, Rome, Bologna and Florence in Italy.

"Lebanon’s capital city, Beirut, is having a bit of a cultural renaissance—and it’s not just new museums like the striking Aïshti Foundation that have attracted international attention," the magazine said. It added that "there’s arguably no better way to sense the friendliness and enthusiasm of Beiruties than by enjoying a fresh meal at Tawlet, a fantastic Lebanese restaurant in the hip Mar Mikhael neighborhood (order goat tartare and the unusual mountain specialty, h’risset ‘akkub: a lamb porridge with wild thistle)." It also said that the famous Al Soussi restaurant in the Aicha Bakkar neighborhood was known for its fatteh. This is not the first time Beirut has been acknowledged as a top tourist destination. Last year, the Lebanese capital was ranked among the world’s best cities. It has also made it to the CNTraveler Readers’ Choice Awards Top 50 and was ranked 20th in the world’s best cities according to Condé Nast Traveler’s 2013 Readers’ Choice Awards.