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Bookmark & shareA Top Day in Beirut
My top day might start a little late due to the lure of Beirut's nightlife - but more of that later! To cure the ills of the night before I usually leave the laptop back at the hotel, skip the wi-fi enabled cafes and head straight to Ristretto for their excellent spicy eggs. Here I'll check out the Daily Star supplement in the International Herald Tribune to see if there are any exhibitions or performances worth taking in that night.
If I have first-time visitors, we'll negotiate a taxi to check out the small but beautifully renovated National Museum of Beirut, which took a pounding during the civil war. Heading back to the city centre, we'll visit the sombre memorial to assassinated former prime minister Rafiq Hariri next to Martyrs Square. Then we'll check out the progress of the excavations of Roman ruins adjacent to my favourite Italian eatery in Lebanon, La Posta, in the Downtown. We'll stop here for lunch unless my guests want to eat some excellent Lebanese food instead, in which case we'll head to the ever-popular Al Balad just down the street.
If it's good weather, we'll head to Bay Rock Café with its excellent view of Pigeon Rocks for some sunset sheesha . If the clubs of Rue Monot are on the night's agenda, it's probably a good time for a quick nap before our dinner reservation at L'o on Rue Gouraud at .
After a satisfying meal, we'll check out the buzzy little bars on the street such as Dragonfly or Torino Express, or for something quieter, wrangle a table at atmospheric Gemmayzeh Café for wonderful oud (Arabic lute) playing and soulful singing. By this time (about midnight) we're ready to check out the scene at Rue Monot, where the names of the bars change with frightening frequency, but the vibe remains the same. If it's a really big night, then we'll take a taxi to the granddaddy of Beirut's clubbing scene, B018, with its brilliant decor and decadent vibe. By the time we're finished there, Ristretto will probably just be opening…
Author: Terry Carter
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