New Italian restaurant in Kantari

A new Italian restaurant is set to be launched in Kantari facing the Future TV building. Villagio Piccolo, Italian for small village, will open by early November.

The restaurant is owned and developed by local restaurant management firm, Kazami, owners of Osaka Sushi Lounge, Chenbao, and Patrick’s Irish Pub in Uruguay street. Kazami is owned by Mounir Zaatari and Jihad Mikati.

Villagio Piccolo features a large garden with lemon, jasmine, and olive trees, and a glass cottage in the middle with a coffee shop on the side. Melissa Bakhos, a senior manager at Kazami said the venue can hold some 300 guests at a time.

The eatery's total land area measures 1,200 square meters, including 150 square meters of indoor space, and a 40 square meters coffee shop.

According to Bakhos, residents of Beirut need more outdoor diner concepts. She said the restaurant is intended to be a family venue, but that its location will make it a destination for business lunches as well.

The restaurant’s top chef is Tarek Hamadeh, a specialist in South Italian cuisine. The average bill at Villagio Piccolo is around $40 per person. The project’s architect is Serge Aoun, and the contractor is local engineering firm SNH. The landscaping is provided by Concepts.


Reported by Rana Freifer