Beirut Bar Guide
30+ bars across Beirut's drinking neighbourhoods, curated by editors who know the city.
Beirut bars come back stronger every year. The 2020 explosion levelled half of Mar Mikhael and Gemmayzeh. The bars rebuilt themselves block by block. Today the rooftops are loud again and the cocktail rooms run as serious as anything in the Mediterranean. The arak comes neat with mezze, and the drinks lean herbal.
Five neighbourhoods cluster the scene. Mar Mikhael is the rooftop-and-cocktail district. Gemmayzeh next to it runs the speakeasy strip. Hamra in west Beirut holds the heritage university-area bars. Ashrafieh covers the polished east-side residential bars. Badaro is the new creative-quarter district.
Cocktails run LBP equivalent to $8 to $14. Arak $3 to $5. Tip 10 to 15 percent. Most bars run to 3am, weekend bars to 5am. Reserve Anise and Junkyard on weekends.
Browse by occasion
Cocktail Bars in Beirut
World-class cocktail rooms
Rooftop Bars in Beirut
Skyline drinks
Date Night in Beirut
Romantic spots
After Work in Beirut
Apéro-hour bars
Live Music in Beirut
Bands and DJs
Craft Beer in Beirut
Microbreweries and taprooms
Hidden Gems in Beirut
Unmarked doors
Sports Bars in Beirut
Watch parties
Top Picks This Week
Anise
Beirut's most awarded cocktail bar. World's 50 Best Mediterranean regular. Speakeasy reached through an unmarked door. Levantine-ingredient-forward menu — sumac, za'atar, arak. Reserve.
Central Station
Cocktail bar inside a converted Ottoman house. Long marble counter, leather banquettes, and a tight classics-driven menu.
Kayan
Cocktail bar with a roof terrace above. Lebanese-ingredient cocktails — fig, pomegranate, orange-blossom — and a young creative crowd.
Junkyard
Open-air courtyard bar made of reclaimed metal and shipping containers. Multiple cocktail counters, food trucks, and DJs every weekend. The Beirut Friday-night centre of gravity.
Demo
Tiny cocktail room above a restaurant. Twelve seats. The bartenders rotate the menu monthly. Best on a Wednesday or Thursday.
Gouraud Street Pubs
The Gouraud Street strip — twenty bars in five blocks. Pub-crawl-friendly. Cheap drinks, loud crowds, and the most communal Beirut drinking quarter.
Neighbourhood Guide
Mar Mikhael
The rooftop-and-cocktail district north-east of the centre. Rebuilt block by block since 2020. The densest concentration of awarded bars in the eastern Mediterranean.
Gemmayzeh
Adjacent to Mar Mikhael. The speakeasy and pub-crawl strip. Gouraud Street holds twenty bars in five blocks. Loud, joyful, and quintessentially Beiruti.
Hamra
West Beirut around the American University. Heritage cafes, university-area bars, and the most diverse Lebanese drinking culture.
Ashrafieh
The polished east-side residential district. Hotel cocktail bars, dressed-up restaurants, and a quieter dressed-up evening crowd.
Badaro
The new creative-quarter district south of the centre. Bookshop-bars, design studios, and the most adventurous food in Beirut.
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A complete editorial list. Cocktail bars, rooftops, live music, craft beer, hidden gems and the spots locals actually keep on rotation.