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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.

  • Restaurants
  • Mediterranean
  • Achrafieh
  • price 3 of 4

SUD is a restaurant moulded in the image of its area, the irrepressibly trendy Mar Mikhael. Before you settle down in the restaurant, head up to the stylish rooftop bar and enjoy one of the yuppie-friendly speciality cocktails as you watch the sun dip behind the skyline. Once adequately sated, head back downstairs to the restaurant, which comprises a smart indoor area centred on an open kitchen and a neat little flagstoned terrace. The cuisine is delectable Mediterranean fusion fare, with grills, tapas and pizzas all on the menu, and all served up with flair. The bar handily extends downstairs, saving you the stairs and the risk of incurring a stitch if you're after a post-prandial cocktail.

  • 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.

  • 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
  • Indian
  • Dora (roundabout bus station)
  • price 1 of 4

New Indo-Lanka is the one of the hidden gems of Dora. Housed above a Sri Lankan supermarket of the same name just off Dora roundabout, it's essentially a kitchen serving traditional Sri Lankan grub to a mixed clientele of migrant workers and intrepid tourists.There's a variety of dishes on offer. If your knowledge of Sri Lankan cooking is limited, the best course of action is to order some chicken and vegetable rice (which come with tangy masala sauces), then name a meat that you enjoy. The friendly waiters will take care of the rest. We've never been disappointed, though our most memorable meal here was centred on a portion of deep-fried chicken so crispy that we were fleetingly worried it would puncture our tongues.The venue can generously be described as casual – we're talking minimal decor and plastic crockery – but the atmosphere is infectiously fun. New Indo-Lanka's strengths lie in the food and the company, and it knows it. But far from capitalising on its rep for lip-smacking Sri Lankan cuisine, the restaurant is one of the most reasonably priced in the city. That feast you just ate, with drinks, won't set you back more than LL20,000 per person.

  • 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
  • Cocktail bars
  • Mar Mikhael

A relatively new addition to the ever-fluctuating Mar Mikhael bar scene, The Bohemian doesn't quite follow up on the implications of its name: it’s a magnet for classy cosmopolitan types thirsting for a cocktail and some lounge music, and who are willing to book ahead for the privilege (essential on weekends). The menu is so extensive that the best course of action is to name your spirit and let the mixologists do the rest – a particularly appealing game during happy hour. Or you can take our word for it and order the sublime Gin Basil. The usual booze-inspired range of salads, burgers and appetisers are available, but the food plays second fiddle to the drinks, and we suggest you line your stomach beforehand. During the winter, the bar is kept nice and toasty by a heater of industrial proportions; but it comes into its own in the summer, when the façade opens out and lets in a cool breeze to match the chilled vibes.

Al Falamanki
  • Restaurants
  • Sodeco
  • price 2 of 4

Al Falamanki is Lebanese dining. It serves every type of mezze you could ever think of and more, as well as grills and oven-baked dishes. But it’s not just a spot for food: there are always plenty of people enjoying nargileh with friends and a few coffees or drinks.The venue is capacious, but the best spot is the terrace. The beautiful garden surroundings are a blessing in a city where you can walk for miles without seeing a single tree. On a warm summer evening, dinner among the trees is a blissfully peaceful experience, even when the restaurant is packed — which it generally is. What's more, it's open 24hrs a day; so next time you wake up at 2am craving some kafta with tahina, this should be your first port of call.

Metropole
  • Restaurants
  • French
  • Minet El Hosn
  • price 3 of 4

Metropole is one of the many upmarket restaurants that you’ll find in the swanky Downtown district. It's the sort of place where discerning locals with means and homesick French expats come for a lazy lunch over a bottle of wine – we mean that as a compliment. The restaurant does a very good impression of a traditional Parisian brasserie, complete with succulent steaks, salads bigger than you could shake a fourchette at, and somewhat erratic service (the only real bum note). The sole giveaway sign that you're abroad is the modest addition of a few "international" dishes: risotto, sundaes, that sort of thing (but prepared with no less attention to detail than the rest of the menu). Thumbs up.