Monot street originally developed around Saint Joseph University and Collège des Jésuites. The street emerged from its scars after the war into a bustling nightlife neighborhood. The buzz has since moved to other areas and Monot is now looking for its identity. Walking down the street you will find dilapidated but charming traditional houses and buildings along some renovations and new constructions. Few restaurants and bars have remained from the 90s and some new exciting concepts are now emerging.

Vide-Posh – The treasure hunt starts here. Vide-Posh holds coveted items for home décor; teacups, lamps, vases, clocks, hangers, tableware, jars. The owner Pascale Sloukgi selects each item with taste and also offers home décor advice. In two adjacent rooms, the bucolic themed with pastel shaded flowers, rustic woods and patina aged white furniture, and the other with more trendy touches of concrete or copper and to-do list boards, finishing touches for a dream kitchen, bedroom, living room or terrace can be found in this boutique.

Filigrane – Customized house linen; embroidered tablecloth, hemstitched American sets, or printed cushions designed by a graffiti artist, crafted in workshops across Lebanon make up the store selection. In the 1980s, Josette Dahdah, who lived in Paris, decided to bring her contribution to a torn Lebanon. She designed house linen and partnered with women back home for sewing and embroidery, providing them with a source of income. Her daughter Youmna joined in 2009 and Filigrane is now a concept store, sharing the space with Eat Sunshine, a healthy and tasty eatery, and the events staffing company Diffa.

Timi Hayek – The multi-talented designer featured in a previous article on the blog. In her upstairs atelier, she designs her collections then works on her machine to make each outfit come to shape after carefully selecting the fabrics. Shift dresses printed with Timi’s illustrations, long flowing dresses, wave cropped tops paired with matching pink plissé skirts or linen sprinkled with summery embroidery make up her poetic spring summer collection.

Dodo les bobos – In a soothing pastel ambiance with a modern factory feel introduced by steel fixtures, Dodo les bobos proposes a wide selection of European branded furniture for babies and children. Cradles, shelves, table sets, lamps , bed sheets and wallpaper are displayed in authentic settings to give parents decoration ideas for their children’s bedrooms.

La Rose de Sim – La Rose de Sim revisits Middle Eastern heritage into unique clutches and colorful jewelry. Nestled in the second floor of a beautiful old building, La Rose de Sim takes a nostalgic, and sometimes humorous look at our cultural heritage turning a characteristic ceramic floor tile, a Gebran quote or a family story into vibrant prints for the playful leather handbags.

Oh! Bakehouse – In this mouthwatering pastry shop, the cakes and breads are gluten-free and lactose-free. The owner Rena Dagher came up with the idea after a family history of gluten intolerance, she wanted to demonstrate that eating gluten free does not necessarily mean sacrifice. With the delicious fruit pies, carrot, almond and chocolate cakes, and salty treats, the mission is now accomplished and she will soon add sandwiches to the menu.

Le Domaine des Tourelles – Founded in Chtaura in 1868 by Frenchman François-Eugène Brun, Le Domaine des Tourelles is a pioneer in Lebanon’s winemaking industry. The winery is now owned by a pair composed of a winemaker and an entrepreneur dedicated to safeguarding the domain’s heritage. In the wine cellar named ‘La Boutique” where you can find the classic Red, White or Rosé, Marquis des Beys and the Arak Brun, a bar has been designed to host group tastings and events.

Barjis by Janan B. – The designer Janan works with traditional fabrics and styles revisiting them in a funky modern way. She adds bright touches of colour to a Abaya, or sherwal, transforms the traditional keffia into a hoodie style gilet and complements her collection with lace or crochet tops and dresses. Most of the designs are handmade and the store also offers a line of jewelry and shoes with multicolored pompons, pearls and feathers.

Beit Beirut – The iconic house was a residential building before it turned into a sniper landmark, located on the demarcation line during the civil war. Beit Beirut, previously owned by the Barakat family, will be turned into a museum on the memory of the war.