The 10 Best Dive Bars in Beirut

961 Beer Tap Room draws a steady local crowd in Mar Mikhael. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: Arak & lemon sour. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Anise Cocktail Bar draws a steady local crowd in Hamra. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: Arak & lemon sour. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Balthus Bar draws a steady local crowd in Mar Mikhael. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: Arak & lemon sour. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

Bar Tartine draws a steady local crowd in Mar Mikhael. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: Arak & lemon sour. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

Bardo draws a steady local crowd in Sodeco. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: Arak & lemon sour. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Bey Craft Beer draws a steady local crowd in Mar Mikhael. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: Arak & lemon sour. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Bone Marrow Bar draws a steady local crowd in Mar Mikhael. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: Arak & lemon sour. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

Bryant Park Jazz Club draws a steady local crowd in Hamra. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: Arak & lemon sour. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

Cafe Em Nazih draws a steady local crowd in Gemmayze. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: Arak & lemon sour. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Central Station draws a steady local crowd in Mar Mikhael. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: Arak & lemon sour. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.