Beirut
Eat
- The Lebanese kitchen is world-famous, and Beirut is where it is all happening. Famous dishes include hummus (squashed chickpeas with oil and lemon), fattoush (salad with crunchy bread), tabbouleh (buckwheat and parsley salad), fatteh (warm chickpeas served with yogurt), fatteh (grilled minced meat with nuts and herbs included), shawarma (grilled sliced meat), kebab (grilled chunks of meat), and falafel (fried chickpea balls).
- Lots of food can be found in the Gemmayzah area, such as at Kahwat Leila (an old-style café with good food) and the restaurant next to Sud Restaurant (it seems impossible to find out the name of this, so if anyone knows, please let me know).
- Good cafes include Urbanista (Gemmayzah) and Café Younes (just off Al Hamra, in Nehme Yafet).
Sleep
- As far as I am aware, only one hostel exists in Beirut (Hostel Beirut), and the prices for a dorm are hardly cheap (around USD 20). At similar prices, you could find small apartments on Airbnb. Any official hotels are expensive.
- The best areas to stay in are anything close to either Al Hamra Street or Gemmayzah.
Transport
- In town:
The main areas of Al Hamra, the old center, Gemmayzeh, and Mar Mikhael can easily be walked. Some sights are further away and require a taxi (typically about LBP 5,000–LBP 12,000 or USD 3–USD 8). Shared taxis are available (typically LBP 2,000–LBP 4,000 or USD 1.30–USD 2.60), as is Uber (typically half the price of normal taxis).
- Airport:
Taxis are generally available at Beirut airport. Expect a trip to the city center to cost around LBP 30,000 (around USD 20). Uber works from the airport and is only slightly cheaper.
No buses run from the airport. The only alternatives to taxis are renting a car or having a local acquaintance pick you up from there.
- Out of town:
Other than region- and time-specific safety concerns, the lack of functioning public transport is one of the main limiting factors in visiting the many sights around Beirut (such as Byblos, the Bekka Valley, Beit Ed Dine, Deir Al Qamar, and Saida). Shared taxis are the best budget option (around LBP 3,000/USD 2 for each hour's worth of trip), but you may struggle to find shared taxis to some of the smaller places (such as Beit Ed Dine, Deir Al Qamar).
Southbound shared taxis can be found near the Cola Intersection. Northbound shared taxis typically leave from Achrafieh. Shared taxis to the Bekaa Valley leave from Mar Mikhael Maronite Church. Departure places for shared taxis may change from time to time, so do ask around where shared taxis can be found to your destination of choice.
You may consider organized tours, although they can easily quote as much as LBP 150,000 (USD 100) for a day trip. Going directly to tour guides may get you a better deal. Alternatively, if you are willing to risk the famous Lebanese traffic, you can rent a car (prices generally around LBP 100,000/USD 66 a day).
- Warning: Some robberies have been reported on shared taxis. Although it is difficult to determine how common such robberies are, it is probably best to take precautions and avoid taking shared taxis solo when filled with men, especially at night.