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The 20 best things to do in Beirut
  • Things to do

Beirut exudes an air of organised chaos: high-octane, full of contradictions, a head-on collision of the senses. Sights change, bars pop up and restaurants reinvent themselves on a weekly basis, but one certainty is that you’ll never be wanting for things to do in Beirut.No matter where you are in Lebanon’s capital, you’ll feel like you’ve been dropped smack-bang in the centre of the action – whether that be in the glamorous environs of Saudi-funded Downtown, the bustling streets of Hamra or the oh-so-hip bars of Mar Mikhael. Whatever it is that you’re looking for, rest safe in the knowledge that the city’s got your back: it’s a place that caters to all appetites, serving up everything from remnants of prehistoric settlements to all-night parties. History, hedonism, and a whole lot of hummus: Beirut’s got a treat in store for you. Done something on this list and loved it? Share it with the hashtag #TimeOutDoList and tag @TimeOutEverywhere. You can also find out more about how Time Out selects the very best things to do all over the world, or take a look at our list of the 50 best things to do in the world right now.

  • Restaurants

The country that holds the world record for the largest ever serving of hummus takes its food seriously indeed – and nowhere is this more evident than in Beirut. Restaurants across the capital serve up everything from classy French dishes to dizzying platters of mezze, via Italian, Sri Lankan and Japanese cuisines. And in a city where fast food is a culinary art in its own right, it would be a crime not drop in for a late-night kafta at Al Falamanki or a dripping sujuk sandwich at Tabliyit Massaad. To simplify your life, we’ve singled out the 20 best restaurants in Beirut, ensuring that the full breadth of its astonishing dining scene is represented. Happy feasting.

  • Bars and pubs

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.

  • Bars and pubs

As the tide of gentrification pushes inexorably eastward, the vanguard of trendy lounges and hipster cafés has finally reached the formerly shabby industrial district of Mar Mikhael. The bars in Mar Mikhael, most of which line the busy thoroughfare of Armenia Street, now rank among the city’s most fashionable: this is where the city’s creative types and hip young things come to quaff cocktails to the strains of Nicolas Jaar on the sound system. From the deliberately old-school Americana decor of Internazionale to the classic rock vibes at Woodstock, retro cool pervades the air in Mar Mikhael – so don your most ostentatious shutter shades and come breathe it in.

  • Restaurants
  • Lebanese

Lebanon’s sprawling diaspora may have introduced the delights of fattoush and kibbe to the four corners of the world, but it’s no surprise that the motherland remains the best place to sample this most varied of Levantine cuisines. Lebanese restaurants in Beirut run the gamut of expense and fashion, from the elegant mezze platters at the voguish Enab to Frida’s curious hybrid of local and Mexican cuisines. Whether you want to degust local delicacies in high style or chow down on some glorified street food, the Beirut restaurant scene has you covered. Just go easy on the arak.

  • Bars and pubs
  • Manara

If you're sick of being eyed up by smirking fashionistas in oh-so-trendy cocktail bars, why not try a place where all punters are all equal? It’s not entirely clear whether Abu Elie is a communist-themed bar or a bar run by communists who happen to proudly display their political inclinations, but it's a fact that the venue has hosted many of Lebanon’s reddest activists over the years.Its nondescript entrance means that it isn't the easiest place to find, but once inside it sure is eye-catching: the decor is a cacophony of red paints and portraits of Che Guevara and Lenin. The ambience is riotous, and despite the plethora of trinkets hanging from the walls it never seems gimmicky or tacky. Given the bar's impeccable communist credentials, you might expect that all drinks are the same price. Sadly, they're not, but they're still reasonably enough priced as to be affordable for any comra… er, customer. A classic of the Hamra scene.

  • Bars and pubs
  • Hamra

If you’re looking for a bar in which to show off your nice new shoes, Captain's Cabin is the wrong place. The dial here is set firmly on 'dive', with all the grungy charm that that entails – and in any case, the low lighting ensures that your feet are all but invisible. Reputed as one of the few bars that stayed open throughout the civil war, it is indelibly associated with Andre, its determined proprietor of many decades. He curates the classic rock/blues soundtrack, and the opening hours are often extended at his whim. The cavernous venue boasts ample seating, but leaves plenty of space for milling about and extending your cues at the pool table. A Beirut institution, Captain's Cabin is an essential stop for those who like their bars low-key.

  • Restaurants
  • Lebanese
  • Mar Mikhael
  • price 2 of 4

Stop eating. Keep it that way for the next 24hrs. Are you on the verge of collapsing? Now go to Tawlet. Originally a part of Souk el Tayeb, an organisation that promotes Lebanon's independent farmers and producers, Tawlet has evolved into a restaurant in in itself. The concept is in the same spirit as the Souk. There is no menu: just a daily smorgasbord of traditional Lebanese dishes prepared by farmers from all over the country, who rotate throughout the week. There's only one option: an all-you-can-eat buffet, which comes in at LL40,000 per diner.Community is the watchword. There's no intimate dining experience here: you help yourself to the food then plonk yourself down at one of the large communal tables. The sheer variety of lovingly prepared dishes is enough to fire up the most sated stomach, but our advice is to take it easy, and attack the buffet a few small portions at a time. The cooks are on hand to give some context: the genesis of the recipe where the ingredients are sourced, which markets to head to if you want more. The mission is as much pedagogical as gastronomic, and it's no surprise that Tawlet offers cooking classes on the side.

  • Things to do

What’s the deal with Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhaël? On Wednesdays at Riwaq, a cozy backstreet cafe in Beirut’s Mar Mikhaël neighborhood, locals and expats gather around a small stage for the city’s first and only weekly open mic. An Almaza beer or arak in hand, they encounter a diverse array of talent — from traditional oud players to young slam poets to storytellers in their 60s, performing in Arabic, English, and French. The scene embodies the spirit of Mar Mikhaël and the adjacent area of Gemmayzeh. Extending along Armenia Street and Rue Gouraud through northeast Beirut, the corridor is lined with bars, cafes, restaurants, and galleries, and has become a locus of art, youth culture, and nightlife in Lebanon’s vibrant capital. Its streets dotted with low-slung Art Deco buildings, it offers a glimpse of a bygone Beirut. At the same time, the area’s trendy eateries and galleries highlight the capital’s contemporary creatives. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the 50 coolest neighbourhoods in the world If you only do one thing… Sun or rain, take a self-guided tour of the local arts scene. Start at galleries like Artlab, Art on 56th, and 392rmeil393, which showcase various media by Middle Eastern artists. Then check out Plan BEY and Papercup for their prints, posters, zines, and crafty souvenirs. Soak up the sun Enjoy a coffee or cocktail and an argileh (Arabic for “hookah”) on one of the stairways connecting the area with Beirut’s higher neighborhoods. Don’t miss the St. Nicholas Stairs,

  • Restaurants
  • Italian
  • Minet El Hosn
  • price 4 of 4

Downtown is where Beirutis come to do their fine dining – so leave your shawarma fantasies at the door. This neighbourhood is all about multiple sets of cutlery, pristine tablecloths and obsequious table service. Cucina is a perfect examplar of this swanky culinary scene: it's as modern and stylish as any of its neighbours, though in contrast to their mostly international orientation its cuisine is strictly Italian. The menu is packed with hearty home recipes such as the gamberi con quinoa rossa (shrimp and red quinoa to you or me) and the scaloppine alla Milanese. Alongside these you’ll find the usual variety of pastas, risottos, salads and pizzas. Oh, and do let the classy setting fool you: Cucina's prices match the service.