“My city is like an old prostitute—and I really don’t mean that in some cheap or pejorative way,” Fadi Moghabghab says as he shows me around his gallery in an Art Nouveau building not far from the bars and restaurants of Gemmayze. “She has all this history, all those stories, thousands of years of experience, and yet she’s so full of life and energy that she can still wear the most energetic teenager out. Imagine spending the night with someone like that. Wouldn’t it be the most wonderful night of your life? It’s a city where you feel alive all the time.”
Visibly different from month to month, Beirut, one of the world’s oldest cities, is all about eternal rebirth. Effervescent, intoxicating, warm, welcoming, chaotic, crazy, and—why not—even a little surreal, the Lebanese capital is reclad and ready to go and all she needs is your affection and admiration. So bring her your prejudices, your preconceptions, and your apprehensions. Bring them, but come ready to have them all blown away—because Beirut is everything you never expected and more. Oh, and don’t forget to tell her how fabulous she looks.
THE DETAILS:
Beirut
Getting There
Qatar Airways (qatarairways.com) operates daily flights to Beirut via Doha from both Singapore and Hong Kong.
When to Go
Thanks to its Mediterranean climate, Beirut has hot summers and rainy winters, though it never gets too cold. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant times of the year; visit in April, and you can ski at Faraya Mzaar (less than 50 kilometers from the capital) and sunbathe on the beach on the same day.
Where to Stay
Beirut’s most glamorous roost these days is Le Gray (Martyrs’ Square, Solidere; 961-1/971-111; legray.com; doubles from US$395), with 87 smart, supremely functional rooms and a rooftop pool terrace, restaurant, and bar, ThreeSixty, that has become a fixture on the local nightlife circuit. Upping the style quotient is a collection of more than 500 works of original modern art. The opulent Four Seasons Hotel Beirut (1418 Prof. Wafic Sinno Ave., Minet El Hosn; 961-1/761-000; fourseasons.com; doubles from US$375) occupies a new 26-story glass tower on the Corniche. Alternatively, the quirky Hotel Albergo (137 Abdel Wahad El Inglizi St.; 961-1/339-797; albergobeirut.com; doubles from US$280) near Monot comes stuffed with antiques and Lebanese art.
Where to Eat
For a taste of the countryside, head to Tawlet (12 Naher St., Souk el Tayeb, Mar Mikhael; 961-1/448-129), where guest cooks employ farm-fresh produce in traditional village recipes. Elsewhere, the city’s top two regional cuisines—Lebanese and Armenian—are served up in style at Al Mayass (Wadih Naim St., Ashrafieh; 961-1/215-046); the grilled lamb kebab in cherry sauce is a highlight.
Enjoy classic French cuisine in old-world surrounds at La Table d’Alfred (360 Sursock St., Ashrafieh; 961-1/ 203-036), or try the lighter Gallic fare at Balima (Ghalghoul St., Saifi Village; 961-1/985-295), a modish café in a pretty residential area. The international menu at Le Gray’s Indigo on the Roof is one of the city’s best. And if you’re in town on a Saturday, be sure to visit the weekly farmers’ market at Souk el Tayeb (12 Naher St., Mar Mikhael; 961-1/442-664; soukeltayeb.com), where, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., stalls sell organic produce and savory snacks like manouche.
Where to Shop
The homewares at Nada Debs (Bldg. E-1064, Moukhalsieh St., Saifi Village; 961-1/999-002; nadadebs.com) stand out for their deft blend of Arab and Japanese aesthetics, in items like oak candleholders inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Fusion also awaits at nearby Bokja (Bldg. 332, Moukhalsieh St.; 961-1/975-576; bokjadesign.com), where design duo Maria Hibri and Hoda Baroudi reupholster vintage chairs and sofas in vibrant fabrics from Central Asia and beyond. Also worth a visit is Orient 499 (499 Omar Daouk St., Mina el Hosn; 961-1/369-499; orient499.com), for designer-created handicrafts and antiques from across the Middle East.
Where to Party
Downtown Beirut’s most exclusive clubs are White (8/F, An Nahar Bldg., Martyrs’ Square; 961-3/060-090) and the rooftop SkyBar (BIEL Center; 961-3/939-191), where summertime revelry takes place under the stars. In Gemmayze, Dragonfly (Rue Goraud; 961-1/561-112) is as convivial a place for a drink as any.
Originally appeared in the August/September 2010 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Brave New Beirut”)
