Lakkis Farm Baalbek

Mouhib Lakkis started Lakkis Farm in 2000 on a modest plot in the Bekaa Valley, producing dairy and raising sheep in a region known for both. The operation has since grown into one of Lebanon's most respected artisanal food brands — a 2,000m² central kitchen, branches in Baalbek, Zahle, Chtoura, Beirut, Jal Dib, and Batroun, and a loyal clientele across the Levant. The Baalbek branch, renovated in 2021, sits on the original farmland on the edge of town and functions as both a farm-shop and a sit-down restaurant.

The signature is sfiha baalbakiyeh — the spiced lamb flatbread that is the Bekaa's gift to Levantine cuisine. Lakkis's version uses farm-raised lamb from the property, hand-pinched dough baked in a tannour oven built into the centre of the dining room, and a spice blend (cumin, allspice, black pepper, sumac, pomegranate molasses) the family has used since opening. Beyond sfiha: grilled lamb from the farm flocks, a labneh bar featuring six variations of the farm dairy, kibbeh nayyeh (raw lamb tartare) prepared at the table, and a seasonal salad section that changes with the farm's vegetable harvest.

The dining room is built for groups — long communal tables on a covered terrace with views onto the sheep enclosures and the Anti-Lebanon mountains beyond. Families stay for hours; children wander between the farm shop and the playground. The retail shop at the entrance sells the full Lakkis product range — labneh, halloumi, jibneh baladiyeh, akkawi, house-aged yoghurt, shanklish, and the farm-made arak.

Allocate 2 hours minimum. The Baalbek branch is a 10-minute drive from the temple complex. Reservations are recommended on weekends; weekday lunch is usually walk-in.

Lakkis Farm is the Baalbek team-dinner room. The farm setting, the long communal tables, the in-room tannour oven, the sheer generosity of the mezze spread — every element tilts toward a group meal. Book the outer terrace tables for the sheep-enclosure view. The kitchen will pre-set a sharing menu at about $22 per head if you call ahead. For birthdays, the staff bring an almond-semolina harissa cake with candles. For first dates, the farm atmosphere is unexpectedly romantic at dusk — book table 8 or 9 on the quieter corner of the terrace.