Review: Hanna Mitri ★★★★★
Located in a quaint residential neighborhood in the middle of Beirut, locals swear by this hole in the wall, family-run ice cream parlor. It is revered with reason; it’s one of a kind. For 67 years Hanna Mitri has been dishing out their secret family recipe to hungry customers.
Most people would end up passing right by the unassuming house Hanna Mitri occupies if it weren’t for the line of hungry patrons waiting outside. Even with the throngs of people snaking around the corner, it’s still hard to pinpoint.
What I heard from local friends before I visited was that the owner is quite cantankerous. My local friends cautioned me not to call his milk flavored ice cream vanilla, as this would raise his ire. While it is true that the owner tends to be curt as he scoops his icy delights, I think this is more a symptom of the long line of customers anxiously waiting for their turn. That being said, I approached with a ‘kill with kindness’ mentality and that seemed to work. Certainly he smiled more the second, third, and forth time I visited. He remembered me, I’m sure, as he did perk up a bit when I gushed over the quality of his product.
What to Try
The first time I visited I opted for a scope of chocolate and a scope of strawberry in their oddly square housing. It’s like a hybrid cone and ice cream sandwich. Strawberry is not one of my go to flavors. I tend to avoid it because it usually has a very unnatural, chemical taste to it. I was immediately impressed with how much I liked the strawberry flavor here. Hands down, both the strawberry and chocolate were the best I’ve ever had.
I enjoyed the ice cream so much that I jumped on line again to buy another. For my second ice cream sandwich I had a scoop of the apricot and one of the milk. The owner even threw a little lemon sorbet on top as a bonus. While these flavors were all really tasty and well made, they weren’t as good as the chocolate and strawberry. Once you’ve been to the pinnacle of flavor mountain, nothing else will compare. The milk flavor had pine nuts mixed in, which did add some nice flavor notes to it.
I am so endeared to Hanna Mitri, that I place it in my top 3 ice cream parlors in the world.
What makes this place do great? Everything is freshly made. The first bite is a testament to the whole fruits that have been used to create the sorbets. The milk based ice creams are creatmy and smooth. Truly, you have not eaten chocolate until you have had it here. Clearly, all the ice creams and sorbets are done with care and love. The prices are also very fair, with 2 scoops costing under $3. It’s a steal!
Hanna Mitri Can Be Hard To Find
Hanna Mitri is sometimes written as Hannah Mitri Ice Cream, Al Salam Ice Cream, or some combination of both on Google. Beware of copycats. They have taken advantage of the confusion.
As mentioned, it’s a tiny place that doesn’t have clear signage. Easy to miss is an understatement. If you’re in the area, look closely for people with ice cream and just follow the trail.
Like most things in Lebanon, it’s cash only. Also, don’t expect a place to sit. It’s takeaway only. Be prepared to stand on a street corner eating ice cream, which adds to the charm.
While you’re here, why not check out some of other REVIEWS or TRAVEL WRITE UPS from around the world.
Contact & General Information
Price: Cheap
Hours: 7:30am to just after Sunset
Website: None
Location: Google
