Cafe Younes in Hamra

Cafe Younes in Hamra. Providing the Lebanese public

with quality coffee since 1935

Charles and I performed one of our Saturday morning rituals; we popped into Cafe Younes to get some ground coffee and also enjoy drinking a coffee while watching the world go by. We bought 3 packets of 200 grams of coffee - House Blend - and two filter coffees to sip slowly in the spring sunshine. All that and we paid the same as we would have for 2 coffees and a piece of cake in a well-known international coffee place decked out in green just a 5 minute walk away. To anyone who knows Cafe Younes, we sat outside on the rickety stools being careful not to lean on the bar tables, which would have certainly resulted in our coffee ending up in our laps!

Saturday morning was warm and sunny. The Khamsine wind had been blowing in the night making the temperatures rise accordingly. For the first time this year I was out with a long-sleeved t-shirt but no jumper. It was such a peaceful scene. We could hear the beeping of the cars and taxis on the nearby Hamra Street in the background. However, our part of Hamra was calm, the most noise coming from the other coffee drinkers as they discussed "things" - mostly politics and the "situation." Conversations were going on in Arabic, French and English; frequently in a mixture of all three. That's Lebanon.

The new Younes - more upmarket but keeping the tradition alive

As I glanced across I could see the "new" Cafe Younes. Finally, in 2008, they have branched out. Not too far, mind you. They have bought the shop just down from their original place and made it into a posh version of the Younes we know and love. No more tottering on shaky bar stools while balancing your coffee on a table that seems intent on not performing the duty it was made for. Oh no! The new Younes has real tables and chairs. There are even sun shades ready for the inevitable summer heat.

Congratulations Younes! Let's hope you're here for many year to come.