Words by Allegra Salvadori
Beirut is a city of resilience and reinvention — a place where chaos and tenderness coexist, where every corner carries memory yet pushes toward renewal. For illustrator Yasmina Keyrouz (@aphroditeismysister), it is not just a backdrop but her lifelong muse. “Beirut is and will always be my main source of inspiration,” she says. “Being Lebanese is who I am, so my work naturally reflects this identity.”
Her Beirut design guide begins at the Sursock Museum, a landmark she has often sketched. Severely damaged by the 2020 blast and now meticulously restored, it mirrors the city’s capacity to rise again. “Like Beirut itself, it carries a story of resilience, and today it’s more beautiful than ever,” Yasmina explains. At the National Museum, in The Nuhad Es-Said Pavilion for Culture, the exhibition Impressions of Paradise from the Philippe Jabre Art Collection strikes a different chord: vintage travel and cinema posters from Lebanon’s golden years. “These posters have always been a huge source of inspiration in my work — they’re just so beautifully made.”
For her, the spirit of Beirut is most alive at the table. At Tawlet Mar Mikhael, women from villages across Lebanon prepare a daily buffet, each dish tied to a region. On Saturdays, the energy spills into Souk El Tayeb, a farmers’ market of flavors and stories. “It’s one of the most wholesome experiences in Beirut,” Yasmina says. Drinks take her to Good Thing, a bar across from her grandparents’ old home, where the vibes are always “a perfect 10/10.” And for a quiet matcha or tea, Base Coffee in Saifi wins her heart: “One of the few spots where the quality of the product speaks for the place itself.”
Hospitality, too, is layered with meaning. Yasmina returns often to the Albergo Hotel, a 1930s building filled with character. “There’s no place like it — it screams elegance and charm.”
Dining in Beirut is inseparable from design. At Liza, set inside a traditional house with a lush garden, she finds serenity in the middle of the city. “There’s nothing better than eating in the garden of a Lebanese home right in the center of Beirut.” At Baron, she joins the buzz of one of the Middle East’s most acclaimed restaurants: “My ultimate favorite dinner spot — it never disappoints.”
For shopping, Yasmina seeks out spaces where craft and memory meet. At Aboudi Bou Jaoudeh in Hamra, she finds vintage posters, vinyl, and prints — “like stepping into a time capsule.” At Sarah’s Bag, traditional craft transforms into bold, modern statements. “Every piece tells a story and feels so connected to our Lebanese identity.” And at Vanina, she discovers design that is personal and timeless, blending heritage with contemporary edge.
Her Beirut, however, is not just about places — it’s about rhythm. In Gemmayzeh, she revisits childhood memories in soft morning light. “I love strolling there before the city wakes up. Everything feels just like it was when I walked with my grandmother 20 years ago.”
Her secret, though, lies just outside the city: Musée Henry BB in the north, a home constructed from the remains of 100 demolished houses in Beirut. “It’s the most magical place I’ve ever been,” she says. Designed and restored by Henry Loussian, it is both museum and residence, a living archive of Beirut’s lost architecture.
Yasmina’s Beirut is not polished, nor is it easy. It is resilient, soulful, and unapologetically alive — a city that breathes creativity in every detail. As she puts it: “The Beirut creative scene doesn’t follow trends. It blends tradition with modernity in such a fresh way.”
