Bars and Cafes in Beirut

Travelers can look forward to a wide variety of Beirut Bars and Cafés, some contemporary and some traditional, but all well-loved by locals. Beirut has become a prominent tourist destination in the Middle East, a trend that is reflected by the sheers numbers of foreigners found meandering among its bars and cafes. Some of the most contemporary bars are found in the Centrale district, which has a high ratio of tourists to locals. Some of the most popular Beirut bars include:

Bubbles

This exclusive Beirut bar offers an exotic view to go with its lengthy menu of cocktails. Watching the sun set here, cocktail in hand, is simply irresistible. This place is known to attract the trendiest of Beirut locals.

Address: Palm Beach Hotel, Ain El Mreiseh
Hours: Mon-Sun, 9 a.m. to a few hours past midnight

Buddha Bar

The Downtown part of Beirut is regarded as the most culturally progressive part of the city; visitors can easily recognize a global theme among eateries and other commercial ventures in this area. Buddha Bar, which is distinctly Japanese in character, is both a cocktail bar and a sushi bar. The food and drinks are both fusion in nature, and the prices are reasonable

Location: Asseily Building, Downtown Beirut, within Riad El Solh Square premises

Blue Note Café

This is one of the few café/bars in Beirut that offer a jazz-centric ambience: the crowd at Blue Note Café is relaxed, and visitors can be seen lounging there in casual clothing. Popular local bands often take the stage, keeping with the blues theme. The overall aura of the place is unpretentious, yet the walls are decorated with images of international stars who have performed here.

Location: Makhoul Street, near AUB, Ras Beirut
Hours: Mon-Sat, 11 a.m. to past midnight

Beirut Cafés

The Gemmayze district of Beirut offers a plethora of cafés, each one presenting a different theme that renders it worth visiting, at least once. The main street corner of Gemmayze houses the very French Paul Café, along the Gouraud Street bend that welcomes its visitors with a rustically embellished ambience and  French garden. The more native Gemmayze Café, also called the Ahwet L’zeiz, can be understood as a traditional Beirut café, wherein locals are the predominate clientele. Other popular cafés in Beirut include:

• Manara Place Café at Manara, Corniche
• One Stop Café at Gemayzeh, Gouraud Street
• Bread at Gemayzeh, Gouraud Street
• Tribeca, Achrafieh, Abdel Wahab
• Grand Café, Downtown Beirut, Saad Zarghoul Street
• Henry's at Achrafieh, Damascus Road