Cosmopolitan Flair
Lebanon’s capital city is a vibrant, stylish metropolis, with all of the fun, fashion, and flair that a city lover could look for. All over the city, sleek, modern buildings are springing up, alongside arabesque Ottoman and French-style buildings, giving Beirut a unique style that is all its own. Perched on the shore of the blue Mediterranean Sea, Beirut has a balmy, mild climate that is perfect for year round visits. From sipping coffee at an open air café, to shopping for cutting edge fashions at a boutique shop, to exploring the treasures of the country’s National Museum, to dancing the night away at a trendy club, Beirut has something to offer for everyone.
Dining in Beirut
Cosmopolitan Beirut brims with cafes, pubs, and restaurants catering to a range of local and international tastes. Hotel breakfast buffets typically include juice, coffee, croissants, platters of fruit, yogurt, and a variety of hot and cold entrées, from omelets to cereal. If breakfast is not included in the price of your hotel room or you fancy going out, try Casper & Gambini. The stylish restaurant serves up European cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Pain au chocolate, beignets (French doughnuts), and toasted bagels with a variety of fillings are breakfast specialties (US$1 to US$5).
For lunch or dinner, there are numerous outdoor cafes in the beautifully reconstructed Solidère area that revive the weary traveler with crêpes, sandwiches, salads, etc. (US$5 to US$15). Also in the Solidère area is Al-Balad, an atmospheric restaurant with outdoor seating serving excellent Arabic food (US$15). Off the corniche (seaside road), one can find good Italian pastas, pizza and salad at Caffe Mondo (US$8 to US$20), an outdoor café in the Phoenicia Hotel that can be accessed from the street. For Chinese and Japanese food, try Chop Sticks (Chinese, US$10 to US$15) or Scoozi (Italian/Japanese, US$25) both in Solidère. If you’re on the move or on a budget, Lebanese fast food places are all over the city. Each establishment tends to specialize in a few basics, such as shwarma and kebabs or sandwiches (US$1 to US$2). Look around for places that serve melted chocolate and banana for dessert. Achrafieh is the trendy place to go for full-course Lebanese or European cuisine and a puff on the water pipe, nargileh, after dinner.
Entertainment & Nightlife in Beirut
Nightlife in Beirut merits a special note. The city is brimming with restaurants, beach clubs, centers for performing arts, music venues, movie theatres, a casino, and a number of discos, pubs, and bars. The best approach may be to get warmed up for your evening at one of Beirut’s state-of-the-art health clubs, such as Lifestyles, near the Corniche, or the Spa Intercontinental, at the Phoenicia Hotel. Then check out the performance schedules while sipping a Lebanese espresso or enjoying a cocktail at a café in trendy Solidère.
Music
If it’s live music you’re after, try the Blue Note on Makhoul Street next to AUB, or the bar, Strange Fruit, also located downtown. As its name suggests, the Blue Note specializes in jazz, and hosts a variety of local and international talent. Strange Fruit is a funky establishment serving nouveau cuisine and headlining an eclectic mix of artists, from jazz to local alternative music bands. Head to Achrafieh for atmospheric piano bars. Folkloric music and dance is the specialty of the restaurant Nahr Al-Founoun on the Pont de Nahr Al-Kalb. The Lebanese National Conservatoire performs classical pieces, as well as classical Arabic and jazz music, at the Charles Khater Theatre at St. Joseph’s University. For seasonal big ticket performances, check out the schedule at the UNESCO Palace.
Theater
Theater is making a comeback in Beirut. The city boasts a number of theaters (Al Madina, George V, Beirut Theater, Atennee) that showcase plays, music, dance, poetry and other theatrical arts. The Al Madina Theater in Clemenceau is relatively new, opened in 1994 by a well-known Lebanese actress, Nidal al-Achkar. The Beirut Theater is known for its avante garde approach, interweaving the dramatic arts with multimedia. At all the theaters, performances are in Arabic, French, or English, depending on the particular performance.
Art
Lebanon has long been the center of the contemporary art world in the Middle East, renowned for the eye and skill of its artists. Nowhere is this more aptly displayed than at the Sursock Museum in Achrafieh. The museum houses a collection of modern and contemporary Lebanese art and presents themed exhibits and international collections. If you’re interested in starting your own private collection or just browsing, be sure to take in a gallery opening or view a collection. Beirut’s galleries are too numerous to mention, but Galleries Zaman, Janine Rubeiz, and Aida Cherfan are a few of the well respected.
Nightclubs and Casino
For late night activities, try your luck at the Casino du Liban or “see and be seen” at one of Beirut’s many happening nightclubs. Rue Monot in Achrafieh is a hot spot for clubs and bars and the latest fad restaurants. Put on all your finery and dance to techno house, hip hop, or Arab Latin music until the wee hours of the night.
Shopping in Beirut
Shopping is a quintessential leisure activity in downtown Beirut. Lebanese track the European fashion trends closely in both interior design and clothing. Designer garments, jewelry, and accessories are introduced in Beirut first before they spread to the other Arab markets. Rue Hamra is a shoppers’ paradise with everything from stylish everyday wear and shoes to upscale evening wear.
Some of Beirut’s home furnishings stores rival cutting edge retailers in Europe and the United States in terms of selection and interesting items. Visit Charme d’Antan in Achrafieh, located on Elias Sarkis Avenue facing the Rizk Tower. For good bargains on old or replica furniture, visit Le hangar de Denise in Horsh Tabet or try the flea market in the old streets of Basta Tahta. Persian and caucasian carpets are also big in Beiru. Kabalan on the Salim Salam Bridge, Maktabi in Verdun, and Nalbandian in Achrafieh are big names in new and antique carpets.
Lebanon supports its own echelon of fashion and furniture designers, artists, and photographers, whose work can be seen in galleries and shops throughout the city. Try Aishti, or visit one of the many designer stores in the Solidere region, to fing the latest fashions.
The traditional crafts are also a big pull: hand-made olive oil soaps, Jezzine cutlery made from animal horns, boldly designed silver and gold jewelry, and hammered copper trays with arabesque designs are must-buys. Traditional crafts can be found at several artisan shops throughout the city. There is a large Ministry of Tourism sponsored artisan shop near the Corniche and a private artisan shop across from the American University of Beirut (AUB) campus in Hamra.
