On our last night in Miami, we decided to head out to Wynwood. It was my first time in the arts district, but I soon saw why people were comparing it to Bushwick. It’s certainly reminiscent of Bushwick and East Williamsburg and Maspeth circa 2010 with plenty of empty lots, rehabbed warehouses, and new luxury apartment buildings.

Perhaps though what it really reminds me more of is downtown Jersey City in the early aughts. Lots that appeared empty on my map were covered in new luxury apartment buildings, but there were big gaps of surface parking lots surrounded by chain link fences. We were the only people walking on the street for most of the trip.

Lira sits at the southern end of the Wynwood nightlife strip, and this sign proclaims the beginning of the neighborhood.

We wandered around a couple of derelict blocks. I assume by next year, some new tower will have sprouted from the concrete. We arrived at the “Wynwood Starts Here” sign in front of the restaurant. My wife chose Lira Beirut Eatery, a well-regarded Lebanese restaurant.

Lira was founded by Lebanese expats Giovanna Mansi “Gigi,” and Farid Lutfi. The restaurant takes its name from Lebanese currency, and celebrates the golden age of Beirut in the mid-20th century. The city had been termed the “Paris of the Middle East,” before it was torn apart by a quarter century-long civil war.

Farid Lufti grew up in a family restaurant business before coming to Miami. He attended École hôtelière de Lausanne where he met Gigi and was the managing partner of catering and events in Miami before opening Lira. The idea for Lira was inspired by the economic downturn in 2020 when the partners behind the project grew nostalgic for Beirut’s heyday.

Lira opened in the spring of 2023 focusing on authentic, shareable Lebanese dishes. Miami’s food trends tend toward Latin and fusion cuisine, and focusing on Lebanese dishes has surely helped them stand out.

We had arrived a few minutes early for our reservation, the staff seemingly not expecting anyone would arrive on time. There was some kind of board game night happening in the front garden of the restaurant which had filled every table there.

We had taken the city’s people mover as far north as it goes and then walked the last few blocks. Normally if we were showing up that early for a reservation we probably would have grabbed a drink at a nearby bar beforehand, but Lira is on the southern edge of Wynnwood and we didn’t pass any bars on our walk.

The indoor tables were empty, but the all the patio tables were full

Just to the north, as it turned out, were plenty of bars and shops, but we would only learn this after eating. We headed to Lira’s small bar for a glass of wine, but before we could even order, the host found a spot on the patio for us.

The restaurant had a two-person special, a prix fixe menu for sharing. This simplified ordering, and provided a nice sharable selection of dishes

The first dish of the night was Muhammara, Hummus, and Mouttabal, with soft and crispy pita

We started with Muhammara, Beirut Hummus, and Mouttabal. Muhammara was also the name of a gentle kitten who was bouncing around in the courtyard of the restaurant.

I’m always a fan of Muhammara, and this recipe had a sweet pomegranate molasses drizzled on top, adding a bit of dimension to the dip.

The mouttabal was a balance of freshness and sweetness from pomegranate seeds. The Mouttabal (or Mutabal), is similar to baba ghanoush, but typically includes labneh, and is creamier and smoother.

The beirut hummus was creamy and smooth with a hint of spice from serrano pepper. It was tahini heavy.

One criticism here is that the pita did not taste as though it was made on site, but half the pita was sliced and toasted into chips, and the other half was soft creating a nice variation in texture. The crispy chips were particularly good with the hummus.

The Fattoush salad was a typical Mediterranean green salad with cucumbers and tomatoes topped with toasted pita. The sweet pomegranate dressing had a nice acidity to it, and the toast chips were crisp and added texture.

The shrimp provençal arrived in this delicious savory sauce. It was light and fresh. The shrimp was cooked in their shells, which I know is a turn off for some people. Specifically, my brother finds this offensive. I think it’s fine, and will go as far as to say I’ve come around to simply eating shells.

The sauce was some kind of tomato base with a lot of acid.

The meat plate arrived with chicken and kafta. There was a delicious garlic sauce that enhanced the both. These were good, but ultimately I wanted more of that shrimp sauce.

The rice was a surprisingly flavorful side dish with a hint of vanilla. It was easy to overlook the rice though, as we were filled with meat and shrimp and salads.

The meal finished up with three scoops of ice cream. The pistachio was absolutely delicious, nutty and unlike any green-colored pistachio I’d ever had. The chocolate was rich like fudge. But the lemon was a wild ride, citrus with a hint of fresh mint, tart and sweet. It was ultimately a satisfying conclusion to a very good meal.

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