Riviera

rooftop · Mediterranean The Riviera Rooftop, on top of the Riviera Hotel along the Corniche in Manara, runs the most fully realised sunset programme in central Beirut. The terrace faces west across the Mediterranean with no buildings in the way, the seating is built for long sits rather than crowd flow, and the cocktail programme leans into rosé and sparkling spritzes through golden hour before pivoting toward classics and arak-spiked signatures later in the evening.

The wine list is unusually deep on Lebanese producers — Chateau Musar, Ixsir, smaller Bekaa Valley estates — and the team's commitment to those producers gives the room a distinct local character that the international hotel rooftops further along the coast often miss. It ranks second because the integration of view, programme and Lebanese-producer commitment is the most considered in the city centre.

For the full ranking, see our editorial round-up of the 10 best rooftop bars in Beirut, the broader Beirut rooftop bars guide, and our category index of rooftop bars worldwide.