Byblos Lebanese Restaurant at the Radisson Blu Resort Fiji on Denarau Island has officially reopened after being closed since December following an incident on Christmas Day that forced temporary closure and refurbishment, general manager Charles Homsy confirmed.
Opened in May 2020, Byblos serves Lebanese and Mediterranean dishes to both international visitors and locals on Denarau, Nadi’s main resort island. Homsy said the venue is unique in Fiji for offering a full Lebanese dining experience to the resort’s diverse clientele. “We are so proud of it,” he said, adding that the cuisine’s blend of vegetarian and Mediterranean options has wide appeal among Fijians and tourists alike.
The closure late last year gave the resort an opportunity to refurbish and expand the restaurant. Homsy said the restaurant was upgraded and its seating capacity increased, although he did not disclose exact numbers. The reopened Byblos is operating on a trial-and-error basis as staff and management assess demand and fine-tune service ahead of a fuller relaunch.
Homsy highlighted the venue’s resilience and popularity, noting that Byblos maintained strong patronage even during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have seen it in the past, even when we were in the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant used to be packed with guests,” he said, arguing that Lebanese cuisine provides a distinct alternative to more common resort offerings such as burgers, pizzas and Italian dishes.
The reopening forms part of a broader strategy by the Radisson Blu Resort Fiji to diversify its dining options. Homsy said the resort expects to offer a total of five specialty cuisines across its outlets, with Byblos contributing the Lebanese and Mediterranean element to that lineup. The move aims to broaden the culinary appeal for international visitors who transit through Nadi International Airport and for locals seeking varied dining experiences on Denarau.
Management’s phased approach — reopening on a limited or experimental basis before scaling up — suggests the resort is balancing guest expectations with operational caution following the Christmas Day incident. Homsy described the return as a welcome step: “We are so happy to reopen it again for guests. I think it has a lot of attraction, a lot of people love it, including the local population and tourists.”
Byblos' reopening will be watched closely by other Denarau operators as the tourism sector continues its recovery. The restaurant, launched in the thick of pandemic-era travel uncertainty in 2020, will be important both as a dining draw for the Radisson Blu and as an example of niche cuisine gaining traction in Fiji’s hospitality market.
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