Bonavida, smack in the middle of the Mar Mikhael nightlife bar scene, has emerged with a delicious “tapas” menu to satisfy our late night pre- and post-drinking cravings in Beirut, Lebanon.
The “tapas” offered at Bonavida aren’t actually the traditional Spanish tapas from Spain – they’re more like fusion “appetizers” that go REALLY well with a drink, especially their signature Sangria.
We arrived at around 9pm on Sunday evening, so it wasn’t too crowded.
The air conditioning made it rather cold inside. We opted for seats closer to the street, which was fine since Bonavida is partly open-air.
Dinner with Drinks at Bonavida Mar Mikhael
The menu on Zomato at the moment isn’t updated, so here’s the food menu as of June 18, 2017.
Nachos and homemade salsa landed on our table before our drinks even arrived – thank you, Bonavida! I asked for some guacamole to go with it. The tomato salsa is delicious and super addictive.
T and I had Sangria and Chateau Kefraya Blanc de Blancs from their white wine selection.
I loved the little chunks of mango in the Sangria – I believe they were out of apples?
we ordered:
The “tapas” we chose happened to come in servings of 5. However, others offered at Bonavida come in 4s, 6s, and 9s.
We started with the Chicken Mushroom Tapas (14,500 LBP) – 5 cooked fresh mushrooms topped with grilled chicken, tomato sauce, and a generous amount of mixed cheese. It was delicious!
The Mexican Chicken Tacos (15,500 LBP) were our favourite – 10/10. Bonavida drifted a little from the “tapas” theme with this one. The 5 mini taco shells were generously filled with grilled chicken, bell peppers, and onions, and topped with (lots of) mixed cheese. The taco shells were so easy to eat since they weren’t super crunchy; they had just a slight crispiness with a smooth bite from its softer-in-texture ingredients. The tacos are served with guacamole and sour cream.
The Beef Tapas (15,500 LBP) were layered as follows: baguette slice, dijon mustard, caramelized onions, bell peppers, beef slices, mixed cheese. The caramelized onions were a bit too generous, albeit tasty. The bread was a little tough; however, the beef and accompanying ingredients were soft enough to allow us to get 2 bites out of the tapa (3 smaller bites in my case). The cheese was generous to say the least. I would say that these tasted like our beloved Lebanese “Philadelphia” and “Fajita” hybrid sandwich. Try them out!
Smoked Salmon Tapas (16,500 LBP) were the simplest of all – smoked salmon, cream cheese, lemon, fresh dill herbs and capers. The only comment I have is regarding the bread which I also mentioned for the Beef Tapas: it’s a little tough to eat.
It took a while for the food to get to our table; however, the dishes arrived hot and we really enjoyed them.
So Bonavida, if this is what you’re offering, please do take your time! Definitely worth the wait 😉
No Dessert?
Unfortunately, Bonavida doesn’t currently offer dessert.
Our waiter, Mohamed, informed me that they’re coming up with some new sweet treats for us soon! We will definitely be back to try them once they’re available!
Final Verdict?
Our evening spent at Bonavida was the first time in a while that T and I both really enjoy the entire experience when it comes to Mar Mikhael nightlife.
The staff members are very friendly and helpful.
I would recommend all the food we ordered to anyone who decides to give Bonavida a try! Guys, this is a first for me to not exclude any menu items from my recommendations, so yes, they were really that good.
Other perks include free wifi and happy hour from 4-8pm.
I would come back to Bonavida in Mar Mikhael Beirut for their delicious food, refreshing drinks, laid-back ambiance, and great music. T agrees. Highly recommended!
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Bonavida Mar Mikhael Beirut
Address: Armenia Street, Mar Mikhael, Beirut District
Contact: +961-3-086222
For opening hours, check out the Bonavida Facebook page or 
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