Beirut Sxm
The island's original Lebanese kitchen, still rolling grape leaves and firing kebabs on Airport Road after two decades.
Why Go
A hookah-scented Lebanese hideout on the Simpson Bay strip where a complimentary bowl of lentil soup lands before you've even decided between the mixed grill and the meze spread.
The Experience
Tucked into a low, lantern-lit building at 29 Airport Road, Beirut Sxm has been Simpson Bay's Levantine anchor since 2005, when it opened as the first Lebanese restaurant on Sint Maarten. Step off the lagoon-side strip and the noise of scooters and jet engines fades into a softer soundtrack of Arabic pop, clinking arak glasses and the low bubble of shisha pipes on the patio. Inside, cushioned banquettes and warm-toned lamps set a lounge-y mood; out back, a covered garden patio catches the trade winds and lets the smoke drift. Service can lean relaxed - this is a place to graze slowly over meze rather than to eat and run - and by mid-evening the room fills with a mix of resort guests, local regulars from the Lebanese diaspora, and yacht crews on shore leave from the marinas just across the lagoon.
What to Try
Order like a Beiruti and build a table of meze first: baba ghanoush (reviewers single out its smoky char and citrus lift), hummus, tabbouleh, and warm falafel or stuffed grape leaves for the vegetarians. Then split the mixed grill - lamb kofta, shish taouk chicken and lamb kebab over rice with hand-cut fries. Don't wave off the little bowl of lentil soup that arrives unbidden; it's the house welcome. Finish with baklava or homemade Lebanese sweets, a cardamom coffee, and one of the fruit-and-mint shisha flavors on the patio.
Insider Tip
The kitchen genuinely handles vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free requests without drama - a rarity on this stretch of the strip - so bring the mixed group you've been struggling to seat elsewhere. Come after 9pm if you want the hookah-lounge vibe with a younger local crowd; come at 11:30am for a quieter lunch and quicker service.
The Practical Stuff
Address: 29 Airport Road, Simpson Bay, Dutch side. Open daily roughly 11:00 to midnight. Price: $$ - mains land around US$14-20, expect roughly US$35-40 per person with a drink, more if you go deep on meze and shisha. USD accepted (this is the Dutch side). Reservations are wise on weekend nights and during high season; takeout and catering available. Parking on Airport Road is tight - a quick taxi from any Simpson Bay or Maho hotel is easier than hunting a spot.
Pair It With
- Maho Beach plane-spotting — Ten minutes west along the same road: catch the sunset landings over the runway before circling back to Beirut Sxm for a late meze-and-shisha dinner.
- Simpson Bay Lagoon sunset stroll — Walk the lagoon-side boardwalk near the marinas before dinner, then let the covered patio and hookah smoke wind the evening down.
- Front Street duty-free shopping in Philipsburg — After a day of browsing Front Street's jewellery and liquor shops, the drive back toward Maho makes Airport Road a natural dinner stop.
