Lebanon’s First Farmers Market EXPOSED: What’s Really Inside? | Souk El Tayeb & Tawlet Mar Mikhael
Lebanon, where food tells the story of the land. From farm to table and from heart to plate. I’m at Sab and Tole restaurant where every meal tells a story. In the heart of Beirut’s Madam Kay district is a place where Lebanon feeds both body and soul. Where farmers, cooks and artisans gather to share what they grow, make and love. This is SUV, a farm-to-market movement built on community, culture, and the flavors of the land. More than just a market, Suv is a living archive of Lebanese tradition. From fresh fruits and vegetables to herbs, flowers and freshlysqueezed juices, there are handmade pastries, pickles and morning, artisan soaps and cosmetics, natural skin care, locally grown produce, books, preserves, and even a butcher handmaking kibina sandwiches on the spot. We met a man from Rasho with shelves of Mona and grape molasses. I picked up a bottle and it tasted like autumn in a jar. There was an award-winning marmalade maker with rows of glowing citrus jars. I do marmalades. They are not in sugar. My sugar is unrefined cane sugar in small quantities. I do marmalade and I cook with marmalade. All my products are vegan, low sugar. I use the same sugar all through. And my recipes are my recipes. I invent them very and I do seasonal cakes according to what season we have. Today I have apple cake, carrot cake, chocolate and orange. Would you like the taste? Taste. Yeah, let’s taste. And an Armenian Lebanese home cook sharing the flavors of her family kitchen. Vegetarian Armenian is spinach. Spinach. Yes. Okay. Yes. Okay. Okay. Pizza. A vendor named Cookie selling crunchy golden cookies. Cookie homemade cookies. Very yummy cookies. Healthy sauce brownies. Healthy. Okay. With no sugar, no butter, no flowers, no dairies. Fresh, the yummiest bash and the cinnamon chocolates, the yummiest ones. Okay. Okay. Simply delicious by cookie cookie. Thank you. And a beautifully curated table of local cosmetics and soaps made naturally in Lebanon. oil after shaving. Wow. Wow. And the S isn’t only in Madame K. You can also visit every Wednesday at ABC Ashra and every Tuesday at Club. It’s not just shopping, it’s story sharing. You walk through the stalls and you don’t just feel your bag, you fill your heart. Just above the market in Mar is Tawi Sab’s open kitchen and shared table. It’s open Tuesday to Saturday and every day the menu tells a different story from the south, the north, the Pekka or Beirut itself. The day we visited the theme was Beirut and Lebanon’s best and that’s exactly what it felt like. We tried two styles of kibi a soft northern style version which I’m used to eating in my family and the southern version with crushed pistachios on top. There was also a full messa bread spread with all our favorites, fat, tabul, vine leaves and chicken with a fragrant rice. The highlight was the kibbe arnab, a bay classic with kibbe shimmered in a citrusy tahini sauce. It’s rich, nostalgic, and tastes like a quiet sundae in a family home. We ended with fruit and traditional sweets, but the true sweetness was in the experience itself. The kind of lunch that lingers even after it’s over. Before leaving, we stopped by Tata’s freezer where the same cooks who prepared your meal also package it for home. We picked up frozen vine leaves and kibby so we could recreate a little of this magic in our own kitchen later in the week. Sabb and are more than a market and a restaurant. They’re a promise that Lebanon’s food, people, and heritage still have a place to grow, still have a table to share, and still have a future to feed.
Take a walk with me through Souk El Tayeb, Lebanon’s first and most iconic farmers market, located in the heart of Mar Mikhael, Beirut. From fresh produce and artisanal mouneh to handmade cosmetics, pastries, pickles, books, and even a butcher preparing fresh kibbeh nayyeh sandwiches — this market is a true celebration of Lebanese heritage and slow food culture.
We meet incredible local vendors, including:
• A mouneh producer from Rashaya with grape molasses
• An award-winning marmalade maker
• An Armenian-Lebanese home cook
• The creators behind Cookie – a boutique cookie brand
• A local cosmetics and soap brand made in Lebanon
Then we head upstairs to Tawlet, Souk El Tayeb’s open kitchen restaurant, where the menu changes daily to showcase a different region of Lebanon. Our theme?
“Beirut & Lebanon’s Best” — featuring:
• Two types of kibbeh (Northern & Southern)
• Shawarma
• Vine leaves
• Tabbouleh & fattoush
• Chicken with rice
• And the Beiruti specialty: Kebbeh Arnabiyeh
We end the day with dessert and a visit to Teta’s Freezer, where you can buy frozen versions of these traditional meals to enjoy at home.
📍 Souk El Tayeb Locations:
• Mar Mikhael – Every Saturday
• ABC Ashrafieh – Every Wednesday
• IRAP Rabweh – Every Tuesday
🥘 Tawlet Mar Mikhael is open Tuesday to Saturday.
👇 Watch the full video to experience the flavours of Lebanon, meet the vendors, and discover the stories behind each dish.
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