A city like Beirut is almost impossible to define. Over its 5,000-year history, it has bucked such attempts by locals and foreigners alike, consistently upending their predictions, hopes and condemnations. But here’s my best attempt at a portrait of Lebanon’s capital, a place that has eluded both real stability and real change.
I moved to Beirut in 2013, fresh out of university and curious to explore a city I had never spent much time in as a Lebanese child raised in the United States. Our yearly summer trips to my parents’ homeland had been strictly dedicated to family time in an idyllic mountainside town, where the urban chaos of the capital appeared as a polluted smudge on a faraway coastline.
Since then, I have covered the successive blows that Beirut has endured, most recently atReuters as the bureau chief for Lebanon, Syria and Jordan: the spillover of Syria’s devastating war, endless cycles of internal political turmoil, a financial crisis that impoverished most Lebanese, the cataclysmic Beirut port blast of 2020, and last year’s war with Israel that left much of the city’s southern suburbs destroyed. But what can never fit into a headline is precisely what makes Beirut timeless — and constantly deserving of our curiosity.
Here is how to spend time in the Lebanese capital and its environs, the local way:
First round: In a city like Beirut, you’ll be eating from dawn to dusk and back again. Start with a major source of national pride: the man’oushe, a type of morning pizzette with an endless variety of toppings. You’ll find them all over the city — but no one makes them like Abou Shadi. His hole-in-the-wall in the neighbourhood of Ras Beirut is particularly famous for his spinach-and-cheese concoction, but the traditional “man’oushet zaatar” with toppings of thyme, sesame seeds and olive oil is also a must. Eat in the street, then walk over to Kalei Coffee Co, order a take-away coffee and roll downhill to the corniche for a seaside stroll — you’ll need the wake-up and the walk.
Hitch a ride: I do not recommend navigating Beirut’s maddening and lawless traffic on your own. Instead, grab a shared taxi or van to get around the city — it’s less predictable than a metro system for getting anywhere on time, but you are much more likely to get into a good conversation with a stranger. Wave down a car with a red license plate and let the driver know where you’re headed — if it’s on his way, he’ll flick his head for you to climb in. At a fare of just 200,000 Lebanese pounds (just over $2), there’s a chance you’ll get dropped off a few minutes’ walk away from where you actually need to be, but you’ll have either made friends with the other riders or learned something particularly egregious that a politician has recently done. Fact-checks recommended.
Get cultured: The National Museum — sitting on what was the main front line in Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war — is a powerful reminder of what this country has survived. It features artifacts from prehistory through to the Ottoman era, including sarcophagi and floor-to-ceiling mosaics. Its new annex wing opened in 2024, despite the ongoing war, and boasts both an exhibit of ancient Lebanese doors and a view of the Roman hippodrome, where horses still race on Sunday mornings. The nearby Mineral Museum, a private gem collection housed at St. Joseph University, and the Sursock Museum in Achrafieh, a gorgeous modern art museum, are also both worth a stop. For a movie night, Metropolis Cinema is your go-to for thought-provoking Lebanese and foreign films.
Lunch time: If you’re already at the NationalMuseum, walk over to Mum&I for an array of home-cooked Lebanese dishes in a cozy bistro. Otherwise, grab another shared taxi and head to Burj Hammoud on the edges of Beirut, a neighbourhood that is home to Lebanon’s Armenian community, many of whom are descendants of those who fled the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Dine at either Badguer, an Armenian cultural house and restaurant that will leave you feeling like you were just invited to family lunch in someone’s home, or Ghazar, a restaurant and bakery. Cherry kabab at both will leave you smacking your lips.
Make your escape: As beautiful as Beirut can be, it’s good to escape the constant buzz of traffic and private generators that supplement the sub-par state grid. Outside the city, many roads lead to a vineyard. Rent a car and head north for a hike in the Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve, followed by a wine-tasting and lunch at Sept Winery. Or head east to the awe-inspiring Imperial Roman ruins at Baalbek, and stop on the way home for a tipple and a view of the sunset at Iris Domain.
What’s for dinner? The Mar Mikhael neighbourhood is a perfect example of Beirut’s constant reinvention, fuelled by a mix of gentrification and disaster. Many of the restaurants and bars in the area were destroyed in the 2020 Beirut port blast, but a good number have reopened — including Aleb, a restaurant and bar serving up twists on traditional Lebanese cuisine and an assortment of Lebanese natural wines.
After hours: Possibly what Beirut does best. Down an exquisitely crafted cocktail to live jazz at Salon Beyrouth or to rich conversation at Ferdinand — or both. To explore the regional music scene, check out Metro al-Madina or KED; you’ll find everything from Lebanese rock bands and rap artists to Syrian and Palestinian DJs and groovy vinyl nights.
DATA POINTS
Population: 2.5 million
Price of a cup of coffee: 240,000 Lebanese pounds ($2.70) for an espresso from Kalei Coffee Co in Ras Beirut – but if you’re feeling adventurous, go for the espresso lemonade, priced at 480,000 Lebanese pounds ($5.40).
Price of a bottle of water: 50,000 Lebanese pounds (roughly 60 cents) on average for a one-litre bottle of bottled water, available across the city – and required for the wellbeing of your tummy!
Great place to see a sunset: Falamanki cafe’s branch at Raouche. It’s a little cliche, but if you get there early enough there’s a perfect alcove that you can lay claim to with an unparalleled view of the famed Pigeon Rocks bathed in hazy sunset hues.
Largest university: American University of Beirut, 8,188 students – with a gorgeous campus to walk through and plenty of lectures open to the public. (Reuters)
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