Russell Crowe has donated thousands of dollars to a Beirut restaurant destroyed in the city’s blast as a tribute to the late chef and travel documentarian, Anthony Bourdain.

Crowe pledged $5,000 (£3,949) to Le Chef, a 53-year-old eatery that was a favourite of Bourdain’s upon visiting the Lebanese capital.

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In response to a tweet questioning whether the donation had indeed come from the Oscar-winning actor of the same name, Crowe clarified yesterday (August 13) that it was, and made so “on behalf of Anthony Bourdain”.

“I thought that he would have probably done so if he was still around,” Crowe tweeted. “I wish you and Le Chef the best and hope things can be put back together soon.” Bourdain, who died in 2018, was known to have dined at Le Chef on at least two separate visits to Lebanon.

A GoFundMe page was set up for Le Chef in the wake of the August 4 port explosion, which claimed more than 200 lives and left thousands injured.

A description posted on the fundraiser page says that it has survived “war and economic crises” since its 1967 opening, but the “port explosion left it in shambles” and in need of replacement electrical equipment, windows, a refrigerator, a gas stove, and other essentials that were damaged in the blast.

To date the page has surpassed its $15,000 target, with more than $17,800 raised.

Meanwhile, Crowe opened up recently about feeling guilty for winning the Best Actor Academy Award for his role as Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator (2000).