Da'an Al Pesaiteen Coffee Shop
Jebel Akhdar
This tiny coffee shop – one of a series of government-built outlets all over Jebel Akhdar, located in pretty picnic spots – offers tea, coffee, soft…
Must-see nightlife in Middle East
Tel Aviv
It’s all about the sound at Beit Maariv, one of the best clubs in the city’s underground dance scene. A total astral experience with lasers and huge…
Beirut
It can be argued that Radio Beirut launched Mar Mikhaël as a Beirut nightlife destination. Dozens of bars have sprung up around it, but to this day, cool…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
You'd half expect Bogie or at least Don Draper to belly up to the bar of this old-school but timeless lounge with its dark-wood flooring and cream…
Tel Aviv
A hip gay bar, Shpagat attracts big crowds most nights thanks to a vibrant, all-are-welcome vibe and stadium step-style seating that acts as the perfect…
Tel Aviv
It’s always Mardi Gras at this funky New Orleans–inspired bar whose name is a paraphrase of ‘The Big Easy’. Known for its unlimited refill bracelets that…
Beirut
This wine bar adjacent to Sassine Sq has ingeniously gamified drinking: purchase a card, load it with money and then buy a taste or a full glass of wine…
Jerusalem
Mood lighting, comfortable seating and talented mixologists make this a great choice for a nightcap or pick-up spot. The long bar with its backlit…
Tel Aviv
The folks behind pharmacy-inspired Spicehaus bring swanky spirits to Tel Aviv’s north with a space that's a cocktail supply shop by day and a chic-but…
Beirut
The long line of barstools and forest of small tables makes this a good spot at the beginning of the strip to start the night off with a quiet one or…
Doha
This traditional coffeehouse on the eastern (sea-facing) edge of Souq Waqif has patterned tapestry seats and is decorated with portraits of sheikhs. Basic…
Ramallah
A veteran Ramallah hang-out, Sangria's beer garden is the place to be on Thursday and Saturday nights. The Mexican and international menu is ambitious,…
Amman
Also known as Al Sharq, this spit-and-sawdust (and testosterone) bar in downtown, off Al Amir Mohammed St, serves a range of beers, spirits and the local…
Tel Aviv
Nestled next to the Carmel Market and Yemenite Quarter, Salon Berlin's happy hour runs seven days a week until 10pm, where you get two drinks for the…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
On the 8th floor of the Radisson, this is a fab spot for kicking off a long night of partying with sundowners against the backdrop of the forest of…
Tel Aviv
Beit Kandinof is both an art education centre and happening bar. Set in an old Ottoman-era building, its painting and drawing classes (in English) run…
Iran
Stylised cityscape silhouettes are the only decorative quirks of this understated, female-friendly coffeeshop (coffees IR70,000 to IR100,000), which also…
Eastern Province
Vitamin Palace is your one-stop shop for fresh fruit juices, mocktails and shakes. More than 200 kinds of juices are sold by the litre or the cup. Try the…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
With its cocoa, cognac and cream colour scheme, this lounge for grown-ups is as smooth and retro as a brandy Alexander. Stake out some turf at the…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
Reclining on beaded cushions and thick carpets and puffing on a shisha will make you feel as if you're in the majlis (reception room) of a local home,…
Tel Aviv
Locals and tourists love HaMaoz, which has three main areas – an outdoor garden deck, an indoor bar and a back room that deliberately looks like someone's…
Downtown Dubai
A laid-back poolside vibe combines with urban sophistication and stellar views of the Burj Khalifa at this al fresco restaurant and terrace lounge. A DJ…
Beirut
Grab a cold beer and watch the sun go down at this cafe spectacularly situated overlooking Pigeon Rocks – or wiggle with the belly dancers who usually…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
This massive club has something for everyone: a huge dance floor, a cabana-lined terrace for shisha and chilling, and a lounge for restoring energies with…
Beirut
Spicy chicken wings with ice-cold beer is the combo of choice for the AUB students and staff who congregate here. The music won't be to all tastes ('70s…
Amman
Try to ignore the filthy staircase on your way up to this utterly basic smoking den. If you can land one of the two balcony tables overlooking the street,…
Wadi Musa
If you’re climbing the hill between Petra Visitor Centre and Shaheed roundabout, you might like to stop at the Al Qaysar Restaurant, a halfway house with…
Tel Aviv
Unlike many other bars that try too hard to impress, Peacock is a simple pub that remains popular with locals because of its good range of beers and…
Shiraz
This tiny upstairs teahouse, next to the Karim Khan Hotel, is a good place to meet locals, as the Tetris-like shuffling of cushion stools and tables in…
Doha
A dressy nightclub where guests dance to DJs playing everything from house to R&B and hip-hop in a dark venue illuminated by coloured lights and lasers…
Beirut
A younger, alternative bunch predominate at this typically diminutive Mar Mikhaël boozer. Graffiti-daubed walls and tall pint glasses set the tone for a…
Amman
This gritty Jordanian spot is popular with local men idling away the hours with a thick black coffee. You’ll have to make your way through the tobacco…
North Coast
This convivial cafe serves hot drinks (the coffee could be better) and light snacks, plus there’s outdoor seating in a shady garden prowled by cats. A…
Israel
A pub that boasts no fewer than 55 beers on tap (hence the name), it's located next to the massive Yes Planet cinema complex, overlooking a man-made lake…
Iran
One of the best tea house experiences in Sari is on the top-floor restaurant-teahouse of the Hotel Asram, with qalyan and tea (for one/two people IR150…
Amman
A glass of mint tea here comes with perhaps the best view of the Citadel on offer downtown. It’s an unpretentious place, despite the decorative well in…
Deira
Illuminated blue flooring, black-leather sofas and sleek chrome finishing lend an edgy look to this sports-and-martini bar. If you’re not into sports – or…
Beirut
This unpretentious hole-in-the-wall, one of a string of Hamra bars on this street, is known for its herb-infused, fresh-fruit cocktails and generous free…
Haifa
This loosely Irish-themed pub-restaurant pulls Staropramen and Guinness for an expat-heavy crowd, and serves satisfying pub food – chicken wings, hot dogs…
Iran
Signed with a luminous strawberry, this small, bright-white cube of a coffeeshop is a good place to meet young Kordkuy locals over fresh juice, an…
