Entertainment in Damascus
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Centre Culturel Français de Damas
All of the foreign cultural centres host performances of classical music, opera and ballet. Most notable is the Centre Culturel Français de Damas, which offers a vibrant programme of concerts and cultural events, from piano recitals to jazz (local and foreign) and mixed-media happenings with video installations. Its summer music festivals, held in atmospheric Old City locations, feature everything from Oriental jazz to the well-regarded Women's Orchestra of Oriental Music.
Check café noticeboards and the centre's website, or phone for information.
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Inhouse Coffee
This funky café with its lime-and-black décor is always busy with local hipsters smoking, chatting and checking their email on their PowerBooks. It serves excellent espresso and myriad variations of macchiato, latte and decaf coffees. Try the iced spiced chai latte or spicy espresso with cinnamon on top.
There are happy hours between 16:00 and 17:00 and between 21:00 and midnight, when you get 50% off coffee and food - ideal if you're on a budget and hanging out for good coffee. There's also complimentary wireless internet.
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Al-Nawfara
Nestled in the shadow of the Umayyad Mosque's eastern wall, 'The Fountain' is the most atmospheric of Damascus' traditional coffeehouses. This is where you can watch Abu Shady, the last of the hakawati (professional storytellers). Every evening around 19:00 (give or take an hour or two), Abu Shady takes the chair to tell his version of fables and folk tales, and while his performance is in Arabic, it's enthralling.
If you can't find a table here, head across the lane to Ash-Shams, which occupies a former hammam.
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Dar Al-Assad for Arts and Culture
This is home to the superb Opera Theatre, Drama Theatre and Multi-Purpose Hall, all venues for nearly nightly performances of world-class opera, drama, classical music, and even folk music and pop concerts. Don't miss a performance by the acclaimed National Symphony Orchestra. You can pick up a program from Dar Al-Assad, check the website, or see What's On Syria for more details. Tickets are dirt-cheap for such high-quality performances.
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Ash-Sharq al-Awsat
In Central Damascus you'll find a number of simple, old-fashioned coffeehouses, noisy with the staccato clacking of dominoes and backgammon counters. They're frequented mainly by males who sit around puffing nargileh, and women won't always feel comfortable. The rooftop coffeehouse Ash-Sharq al-Awsat, between the blue-tiled Iranian cultural centre and Shoukri al-Quwatli flyover, sees the occasional budget traveller dropping by.
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Back Door
Popular spots for DJs and live bands on weekends, and films midweek, include Back Door. Back Door's DJs spin an eclectic selection of sounds, from hip-hop to Oriental lounge, and it also hosts the occasional live performance of tarab, an intense, improvisational form of Middle East music; reserve a table for Thursday night and don't arrive before midnight.
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Umayyad Palace Restaurant
This restaurant offers a meal and floorshow package that includes a band and dervishes, but if you go on a night when there isn't a tour group, the performance is half-hearted and disinterested at best. You're better off heading to one of the many Old City restaurants and cafés that feature an oud (Arabian lute) player in the evenings.
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Bar Saloon
This endearingly dingy little liquor store-cum-bar is frequented by a motley crew of bohemian types, elderly locals, foreign Arabic students and travellers, all engaged in heated debate of some sort. Visitors might feel they've encroached on some sort of clique, but it's less exclusive than first appearances suggest and the beer's cheap.
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XO Bar
This elegant, low-lit, gentlemen's-club-style bar, with plush sofas and Orientalist paintings on the wall, is ideal for whispered conversations - of romantic couples, local politicians and businessmen, and journalists and peacekeepers just back from Iraq. Travellers head here for a cocktail before or after dinner at Al-Hallabi.
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Marmar
Tucked down a tiny passageway signed by a pink neon calligraphic squiggle, this pub is one of Damascus' best for DJs and live music. On weekends it pounds and heaves with a sweaty, young, bohemian crowd of locals and foreigners, while midweek sees the occasional film screened on its walls.
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Cinema de Cham
Home to the Damascus International Film Festival, this excellent cinema screens everything from European art house to Hollywood blockbusters and the occasional Middle East film subtitled in English. Check What's On Syria to find out what's showing or just drop by the cinema.
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Galerie Abdal
A loud and lively vibe and regular art exhibitions have made this a long-standing favourite with artists and students, and it's very female-friendly. With a similar feel and attracting a similar crowd, Moulaya next door is another arty place that's perennially popular.
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Salé Sucré
Affluent Damascenes, old and young, love this charming café-bakery. It's the place to head if you're craving good coffee and European café staples such as crusty French baguettes, quiches and German-style grain breads. The tangy citron tarts are sublime.
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Domino
A sheesha café serving light food by day and a casual bar in the early evening, Domino curtains off its windows and becomes a full-blown dance club after 23:00. It's one of the Old City's hottest night spots.
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Artists' Syndicate Bar
This al fresco garden bar-cum-restaurant in residential Salihiyya may not be the most exciting place for a drink, but it's one of the few places in this area and is mildly intriguing.
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Beit Geddi
Similar in style to Beit Jabri, and just across the lane, the fairy-lit Beit Geddi has a musician playing the oud from around 20:00 on Friday and Saturday nights.
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Piano Bar
This old-fashioned bar-restaurant is stuck in a bit of a time warp, but it's worth dropping in to check out the spectacle of Syrian karaoke.
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Tche Tche
Locals climb the stairs of this stylish sheesha café for the aromatic nargileh, long coffee menu and Middle Eastern pop music.
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Narcissus
Groups of young Damascenes head to this big old Damascene house in the evenings to smoke nargileh and snack on Arabic mezze.
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Jet Set
Damascus' swankiest bar-cum-club sees a moneyed young set heading here late for the latest hits spun by local DJs.
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Le Serail Pub
Popular spots for DJs and live bands on weekends, and films midweek, include Le Serail Pub.
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Takaya
At Takaya the oud player strums Oriental classics from around 21:00 most nights.
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