Internazionale

Internazionale defines hip in Beirut. It’s hipper than waxed moustaches, craft beer and catalogues of Nordic typography. With its dark wood furnishings and wall-mounted photos of sharp-suited fashionistas, the sister bar of Gemmayzeh's Torino Express exudes a suave 1950s American chic at odds with the football associations of the name. The crowd is correspondingly cool: Internazionale attracts the higher end of the Mar Mikhael scenesters, and there's always a crowd of snappily dressed thirtysomethings thronging the street outside, where limited seating is also available. Food is limited to a few salads and sandwiches – nothing to write home about.