Beirut's answer to Harvey Nichols or Barney's; Aishti is your one stop, for anything Chloe, Pucci, Marni et al.The Downtown store also boasts a great spa and cafe restaurant on the building's roof. Delicious food. For those who want more, Aishti has a sea side emporium, in Dbayeh off the main northern highway leading into the capital. Again, a great cafe and restaurant await you for post shopping comfort food. The restaurant "People" is built by star architect Bernard Khoury in an intriguing "black box"; looking onto the sea.

The mega luxury store also has a very nice day spa, with all the best products (Carita, Dr. Sebbagh...)

One of the best Italian restaurants in town, located in the Albergo hotel. Beautiful venue

Al Dente is one of Beirut's best Italian restaurants. Italian chef, great decor and food you will find hard to criticize.

Bought by Circle management, the group which owns Sky Bar and Crystal, Al Mijana is one of the best Lebanese restaurants in town. Beautiful deco with Warholesque images of famous Arabs. Nice terrace in the summer.Just make sure not to eat too much.

Image: courtesy of Time Out Beirut

Beirut's only Relais et Chateaux and the only "boutique" hotel in town. Tucked in Ahrafieh, it remains one of the best hotels in towns. Beautiful "orientalist" deco, with a lot of foreign correspondants and ambassadors having drinks on the roof.

A truly original venue in Beirut's bar scene. The Art Loung has managed to stay upbeat over the year through art shows, concerts and Sunday flea market. Worth checking out

The Balcon is a delight to walk into.  Randa Messir and Aline Haddad have gathered the best of local designers under one roof. Needless to say, it's a great idea. Designers include lingerie queen Lala Rose, vintage princess Mamie, ballerina empress Emme and so many more...

One of the best French cusinie restaurant in town.

Offering visitors total relaxation at DESS spa, Jacques Dessange and gourmet Mediterranean cuisine at the Da Giovanni restaurant, Bamboo Bay has it all.

Very cute nail spa

One of the city's most interesting architectural icons built by star architect Bernard Khoury. BO18 is the after hour's club par excellence. Don't show up before 2am!

 

B018 is the epicenter of Beirut's after hour nightlife. The iconic club designed by Bernard Khoury is well worth a visit.

B018 Classic is definitely more mellow than the original and now iconic after hour club in La Quarantaine. Fun deco, and good atmosphere although these days, it seems to have lost a bit of its appeal.

Bonita Bay is a welcoming family-run, “Beach - Bar – Restaurant”; right on the beach in Batroun. A very authentic place, with good food and good taste. Beirut's bohemian crowd likes to hangout here.

The organic restaurant in the heart of Gemmayzeh. Fresh fish every day. Delicious food

Cactus is to Gemmayzeh, what Crystal is to Monot, that is, a great bar with a bit of attitude, not that that stops us from going...

One of Beirut's classics restaurant. Created by designer Johnny Farah. Nesteled in a beautiful Lebanese house overlooking the sea.  Best days to go: Friday night for people watching and Sunday brunch.

One of the city's best restaurants for French cuisine, with a very trendy bar on top. The restaurant was built by Bernard Khoury, so you' re also in for a great architectural experience.

Cloud 9 is the sister bar to Gauche Caviar. Distinctive Sally K paintings of sexy Lebanese women decorate the walls.

Comme des Garçons Guerrilla Store opened in the summer 2007 with a life-span of 12 months; selling current and vintage CDG collection items. You can great CDG accessories and perfumes for half the price. The store is also beautiful in itself, well worth checking out.

For more info, read our Dia Daily story

Opened recently in the trendy Saifi area, home to Plum, Milia M and IF, to name a few, Cream definitely wants to leave a mark in the area. And so, they commissioned one of the shining stars of interior decoration – the same man who decorated the Sky Bar on top of BIEL – to give the boutique a special edge. Up came the Victorian wallpaper, the sexy paintings and of course, the huge majestic chandelier, which everybody seems to be talking about.

 

For more, read our Dia Daily story on Cream here 

Opened recently in the trendy Saifi area, home to Plum, Milia M and IF, to name a few, Cream definitely wants to leave a mark in the area. And so, they commissioned one of the shining stars of interior decoration – the same man who decorated the Sky Bar on top of BIEL – to give the boutique a special edge. Up came the Victorian wallpaper, the sexy paintings and of course, the huge majestic chandelier, which everybody seems to be talking about.

Crystal is probably one of Beirut's most famous nightclubs. Foreigners love to tell the story of the 5000 USD Magnum Champagne. Guys, were not the only ones...

That said, Crystal can be a lot of fun and a bit of a sociological outing.

De Prague is THE cafe in Hamra. In fact, it's also a bar. If you're looking for bobo AUB students playing around with their Mac's, this is the place to be. The snacks are also excellent.

Dragon Fly is owned by the same people as Pacifico and Joe Peñas so expect a lot of good taste and some great cocktails. One of Gemmayze most authentic places.

Eddé Sands is possibly the most lavish of all the beach resorts in Lebanon

Opened in spring 08, Gardel is an Argintenean themed pub in Gemmayze, with 1930s pictures of tango dancers taken by Argentinean photographer Aldo Sessa. Waiters are dressed as if they were about to dance a tango. Special drinks were created to fit with the pub's theme. Thursday nights are...you guessed, tango nights, the rest of the week, latino music is played.

As Dragonfly, Godot is one of Gemmayze's classic hangouts. A great atmosphere, with a fun and non pretencious crowd. Great mini sandwiches for those who don't only want to drink

The brainchild of Johnny Farah, one of Lebanon's leading fashion figure, IF is his trademark store, selling leather goods and a lot of Comme des Garçons, Narcisso Rodriguez and generally, the more "minimalist/intellectual"; international designers.

Roughly the same size as the Albergo, le Vendome is a good alternative with a stunning view on the sea. Funnily enough, they market themselves as a boutique hotel though they are part of the Intercontinental family.

Owned by the same peole as Pacifico and Dragonfly, Joe Peñas is as Cuban/Mexcican as you could want. Great deco and atmosphere. As for the food, stop eating those nachos...

A mix of Italian and French cuisine in a warm decor.

The cutest cafe in the heart of Gemmayze. Cupcakes and pancakes at all times of the day. Very nice fashion boutique on the side selling the trendiest brands. For more info, read Time Out Beirut's article.

It seems Lebanese are asking for more Argentine steak houses! After La Parrilla which opened last fall, here comes La Estancia. Trust us, the owners know what they' re talking about, and might be the best experts on Argentinean cuisine and culture around.

La Estancia was decorated to look like the exact replica of traditional steakhouses, with the Umbu tree  motif, the Gaucho and photos taken by Argentinean photographer Also Sessa.  The waiters also fit the bill,  with the fajas belt, the burracho trousers and the sombrero. The head waiter who happens to be Argentinean, must have helped a bit...

Now to important matters. The menu is composed by Jose C. Alfaro, the only Argentine chef in
Lebanon, who was chosen out of 21 in Buenos Aires. The menu is divided into two sections:
the regular minutas (regular menu) and the 'de nuestra parrilla' (from our grill). All the meat is flown in from Argentina and served  with 'Chimichurri' and  'Criolla', two popular sauces.
For starters, La Estancia serves  'Empanadas' those delicious mini pies. And for desert, get ready for the only real Dulce de Leche around.  

To top it all off, the music is pure Argentinean, so if you' re looking for a bit of South America in Gemmayze, don't look any further!

Beirut's first Argentinean restaurant. Fresh meet flown in from Argentina. The restaurant even got reviewed by CNN Traveler magazine.

The South of France has La Voile Rouge, so Lebanon had to have La Voile Bleue. Not as chic as its French counterpart, it's become a more sporty and young hangout, where DJs come quite often. That said, it's still fairly chic.

Let's just say, Lazy B is the anti-thesis of Riviera or Orchid. No music, no stilettos, it's become a heaven for Beirut's bobos. A beautiful beach (with people actually sitting on the sand), a natural swimming pool in the sea, and a beautiful lounging area.

One of the best steak houses. Smart

One of the best hotels in town, with a gorgeous view on the sea (insist on a room facing the sea) and a great spa.

The Essential Spa and Health Club is the perfect treat for mind, body and soul. A beautiful pool and an airy gym. One of Beirut's best.

One of the trendiest restaurants around. Very Frenchy atmosphere inside with great food and great music.

In the wake of global village replicas, a select few places can still leave you gasping for air. The re-open Oceana Damour asserts itself as one of those.

Orchid is aimed specifically at a high-society clientèle, with individual private huts with private Jacuzzis. The atmosphere is excellent for couples

For anyone who likes design, Over the Counter is a dream come true, especially in Beirut, where design stores are pretty scare. Owner Rania Abillama, a graduate of Milan's Domus Academy , travels the globe to source her products. So expect cutting edge home furnishings coming mostly from Europe and the US.  Price wise, Abillama makes sure there's something for everyone, so no need to fret. You will notice Over the Counter also stocks great wine, as it was originally opened as a wine shop, by Abillama's husband. There's no doubt, you will want to linger in this beautiful space, overlooked by its welcoming store manager Maria.

Everyone likes Pace and Luce! Good service all the time.

Beirut's savviest boutique and style power house, featuring cutting-edge labels unavailable elsewhere_ think Marc Jacobs, Pierre Hardy etc.

For more info, see our story in Dia Daily

Sure Verdun has a Starbucks and  a Mango, but when it comes to cute independent boutiques, the choice is practically non existent. Tucked on a side street, just behind Verdun's main commercial boulevard, Ribbon & Lace stocks cool London designers as well as the great Lebanese handbag brand Mojo (available at Boom and Mellow in Dubai). If you' re lucky, you can also find some pieces by Gardem.

 

Need we introduce Sarah's Bag? The iconic Lebanese handbag brand with a conscience- bags are made by women in prison or in poor areas in the country, has left a mark on the retail market in the region. Over the years, Sarah Beydoun and her partner Sarah Nahouli have become the Anya Hindmarches of this part of the world. The pretty evening clutches have been spotted on Queen Rania of Jordan as well as Catherine Deneuve. Yes, not bad at all!

Check out Sarah's Bag line in our Global Souk

Who: The chic crowd of middle aged French speaking Achrafiye women, some less chic TV personalities and a bunch of 20 something fashionistas. Note that time flys when you're waiting for highlights to set in as the people watching here is on a league of its own.

How: The usual highlight method however they use cotton instead of foil or paper which apparently enables your hair to 'breathe' hence causing a healthier and glossier result. They also use the best products such as L'oreal which is greatly appreciated by your hair during the more humid days of summer.

Why: Besides the gorgeous guys who cuts your hair and who happens to be Simon's son! …For the exceptional service and most importantly the hightlights! (Try Mia –I call her the "highlight Queen" )

Modelled on Ian Schrager's Sky Bar at the Mondrian in Miami, Beirut's (new) mega version, on the rooftop of Biel is a monument to Beirut partying. Personally, we preferred the more intimate version on the Palm Beach rooftop, but hey...

One of the best sushi places in town. Great decor and friendly staff

A good option for those wishing to stay in Hamra or who don't want to spend too much money.

Monroe might not be the glitziest hotel in Beirut, but that's actually not such a bad thing, if you can't bare the sight of another Louis XIV style couch, like in the nearby Vendome or Phoenicia hotels. The Monroe has a great location, looking over the marina and is walking distance from the Corniche, the Saint Geores and downtown's shopping area. Prices are also very reasonable.

One of the best places to get a pedi and mani. Owned by three Lebanese-Australian sisters who know what they are doing and keep up with the trends.

The Phoenicia InterContinental's spa is a great place to drop at for a manicure, wax, massage or a quick gym session. 

Torino was Gemmayze's first bar and has become over the years, the meeting point for the city's art scene and local djs.