Middle East - Anthony Ham [359]
Al-Raouda (Map; 743 348; Corniche, Manara; grills LL8500; 7.30am-midnight summer, 8am-8pm winter; ) A waterfront favourite with local families, stop in for a hit of strong coffee (LL1000) or a languid nargileh. It’s a little tricky to find: walk down the lane right next to the Luna Park entrance, then look for the misspelt ‘El Rawda’ sign.
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ENTERTAINMENT
Beirut’s nightlife, along with Tel Aviv’s in Israel, is justifiably considered among the best in the Middle East. Things don’t usually get going until well after midnight (not surprising, considering the habitual dining hour is some time around 11pm) and continue on till dawn and long beyond.
Nightclubs
Acid (off Map; 03-714 678; Sin el-Fil; women free, men around US$20 incl open bar; 9pm-6am Fri & Sat) With pounding techno and a gay-friendly scene, Acid is massive, brash and loud, loud, loud. Frequent after-parties keep the energy going well into the weekend. It’s a few kilometres out of town, south of the Sin el-Fil roundabout, beside the Futuroscope Exhibition Hall.
B 018 (Map; 03-800 018; Lot 317, La Quarantine; 9pm-7am) Easily the most famous club in town, this equally gay-friendly underground place, a couple of kilometres east of Downtown, is known for its mock-horror interior and sliding roof, which always opens at some point during the night. To get here, ask a cab driver to take you to the Forum de Beyrouth and follow the clubbers from there.
Crystal (Map; 332 523; Rue Monot, Achrafiye; admission free; 10pm-4am) Beirut’s glitziest, glammest, camped-up club is where you go if you’ve got US$3000 to spend on a bottle of champagne, or a fistful of bling that just needs to be seen. Get here early or book a table in advance for ultimate dance-floor people-watching.
Cassino (Map; 656 777; cnr Sodeco Sq & Rue de Damas; admission free; 9pm-5am Sun-Thu) If you’re tired of techno, head on over to chic Cassino for Arabic pop, champagne and cigars galore, but remember to dress the part if you want to make it past the choosy doormen.
Cinemas
There are several centrally located cinemas screening mainstream international movies. Try Empire ABC (Map; 209 298; ABC Mall, Achrafiye), Empire Dunes (Map; 792 123; Dunes Centre, Verdun) and Empire Sofil Centre (Map; 328 806; Sofil Centre, Ave Charles Malek, Achrafiye).
Theatre
Monnot Theatre (Map; 320 762/4; next to St Joseph’s Church, Rue St Joseph University, Achrafiye) The Monnot Theatre hosts a regular program of French-language theatre, as well as live music performances.
Théâtre de Beyrouth (Map; 366 085; Rue Graham, Ain al-Mreisse) A small theatre offering cutting-edge performances from Lebanon and beyond, in Arabic, French and English.
Sport
Hippodrome (Map; 632 515; Ave Abdallah Yafi; admission LL5000-15,000; 11am-4pm Sun) This racing venue, just behind the National Museum of Beirut, is one of the few places in the Middle East where you can legally place a bet. Though its future is threatened due to land development, it remains, for now, wildly popular and lots of fun.
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GETTING THERE & AWAY
For information on transport between Syria and Beirut, Click here.
Buses, minibuses and service taxis to destinations north of Beirut leave from Gemmayzeh’s Charles Helou bus station (Map) and the Dawra transport hub (Dora; off Map), 7km northeast of town. To the south and southeast they leave from the Cola transport hub (Map) about 2km south of Beirut Central District. Click here and the relevant town and city sections for further details.
For information on car hire, see opposite.
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GETTING AROUND
To/From the Airport
Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (off Map; 628 000; www.beirutairport.gov.lb) is approximately 5km south of Beirut city centre. Though it’s possible to take a bus from here to town, they’re not exactly making it easy for you: the bus stop is a 1km walk from the terminal, at the airport roundabout, a hot walk in summer and a windy