Pepe Fishing Club, the favourite restaurant of celebrities from the '60s and '70s. A place where history was written.
Byblos. The ancient city on the Mediterranean coast was a replica of the Middle East at Saint Tropez. Celebrities of the '60s and '70s, from Marlon Brando to Brigitte Bardot, came here frequently. Everyone stopped for lunch or dinner at Pepe Fishing Club, which belonged to Pepe Abed, a famous explorer. Admiral for some, pirate for others, Pepe was a jeweller in love with the depths of the sea, beautiful women and life. Once in Byblos, I couldn't miss it.
As we climbed the stairs, we were struck by the lame writing: PePe Museum. So I went in. Then came Roger Abed, Pepe's son, a jeweller and honorary Mexican consul in Lebanon. He took over the business in 2007 after his father's death. We travelled through time among valuable Phoenician, Roman and Greek exhibits found by Pépé during his diving expeditions. Phoenician objects, Roman amphorae, ancient ornaments and statuettes fascinated us. The objects are included in the UNESCO World Heritage. I did not take a Lebanese pound out of my pocket because the entrance was free.
In Byblos, the international celebrities of the 1960s and 1970s met with the sea, as I was telling you. They came to the Byblos Fishing Club for exceptional food and "joie de vivre". The place itself is spectacular and extraordinary: the restaurant is located on the seafront. It overlooks the medieval tower in the small harbour.
We spent a good few minutes with Roger Abed as if we knew our lives. The story of Pepe, the admiral of whom Lebanon never left his soul, captivated us, and the troubled history of Lebanon, told with emotion in his voice, deeply impressed us.
The yellowed photographs on the walls alternately took on the narrative thread, ostentatiously illustrating the atmosphere of Lebanon's glory days. Pepe Abed and Roger Abed appear alongside the essential personalities of the world: Brigitte Bardot, Frank Sinatra, Geraldine Chaplin, Marlon Brando, Charles Aznavour, Aristotle Onassis, Jacqueline de Ribes, and Mireille Darc. Vaclav Havel, Jacques Chirac, Kennedy, Aldo Moro. In one of the photos, I recognized Jean Constantin. Our joy was exceptional.
The restaurant looks more like a Greek tavern, the atmosphere is special and the Lebanese dishes are delicious. The menu includes traditional local dishes, classic Lebanese or Mediterranean mezze and salads, fresh seafood, kebab, shish tawouk (chicken shish kebab), chicken and kofta. Let me tell you a few prices: fattouche: 112,000 T ($ 4), lahm meshwi: 308,000 T ($ 11), shish taouk: 224,000 T ($ 8), perrier: 63,000 T ($ 2), almaza: 70 000 T ($ 3), fresh lemonade / orange juice: 56000 T ($ 2), mint lemonade: 61600 T ($ 2)
Address: Pepe Abed Street, Byblos Harbor, Jbeil, Byblos, Lebanon
A few meters away is the Hacienda De Pepe. We liked the location but didn't eat here. Next time.
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