It’s unclear whether Abbey Road is supposed to be following a London theme or a Beatles theme or both (or, indeed, neither). Beyond the street sign hanging outside, little in the neutral decor suggests the Swinging Sixties, though you'll often hear John and Paul issuing out of the sound system. In any case, it's one of the most popular joints in Mar Mikhael – in no small part due to the epic Happy Hour, which runs for five hours. The bar is a bit cramped, verging on divey, but the atmosphere is always convivial and the young crowds routinely spill out onto the pavement outside. Highly recommended.
The city’s pulsating beach resorts and glitzy rooftop clubs may draw the jet-setting crowd in the summer, but its real nightlife can be found year-round at street level. Bars in Beirut range from grungy dives to swish cocktail joints; as venues replace each other and the hipster hotspots shift around with dizzying frequency, trying to keep a tab on the scene is a fool’s game (though running a tab at the bar is alarmingly easy). But whether you’re hopping between trendy watering holes in Mar Mikhael, checking out Hamra’s legendary leftist taverns or grabbing a pint at a Charlie Chaplin-themed speakeasy, one thing remains constant: a night on the town in Beirut is never boring.