# Beirut, Lebanon **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 18, 2008, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098 "2008-02-18T14:18:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/1 "2008-02-18T14:18:11Z")
I need to burn a couple of vacation days and I thought I would step out for a beer. Anyone have a favorite place in Beirut? Elsewise I will end up at the Hilton and not see anything of the place. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/2 "2008-02-18T14:57:38Z")
I stayed at the Marble Tower in West Beirut. It’s about two blocks up from American University of Beirut. Decent, inexpensive place in a superb location. I haven’t been back in a number of years, but would stay there again… I need to get out of Europe for a bit so might pop over there too. Dubai has gotten soooo expensive that I am looking for other places for a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/3 "2008-02-18T16:02:15Z")
I would recommend the Commodore Hotel. It is in Hamra, several blocks south of the American University of Beirut. It is very nice, but not too expensive. They also have a decent sushi buffet in the evenings. Downtown is dead now, and Hamra has picked up a lot of the slack. IIRC, the Commodore is 2 blocks south of Hamra Street, so good location. I miss Beirut. ☹ I am considering a job in Doha that would allow me to spend my summers in Beirut. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/4 "2008-02-18T17:15:05Z")
[Lebanon-hotels.com](http://Lebanon-hotels.com) has pages for both hotels: [http://www.lebanon-hotels.com/hotel/marble-tower/](http://www.lebanon-hotels.com/hotel/marble-tower/) [http://www.lebanon-hotels.com/hotel/meridien-commodore/](http://www.lebanon-hotels.com/hotel/meridien-commodore/) My wife and I are spoiled, but through hard experience we have become convinced that it is a mistake to stay at a 3-star hotel in the Middle East. Each time we have done so, we have regretted it. If you are not such a stickler for things being nice, then it won’t be such a problem for you. But I’m just saying. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/5 "2008-02-19T02:28:02Z")
I am still kicking the idea around. The Hard ROck Cafe is in the Bayview. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/6 "2008-02-19T02:37:32Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] I am still kicking the idea around. The Hard ROck Cafe is in the Bayview. [/QUOTE] That’s true. And you can walk around the corner and see where the Blessed Martyr Hariri ascended into Heaven. Besides, the HRC has good onion rings. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/7 "2008-02-19T03:49:37Z")
Does “vacation in Lebanon” not bring P.J. O’Rourke to mind for anyone else? He recommends waterskiing- “Most of the snipers use automatic weapons and those aren’t very accurate”. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/8 "2008-02-19T10:45:28Z")
I just finished reading Agents of Innocence by David Ignatius. A well done, but kinda depressing spy thriller - think John Le Carre - set in Lebanon in the 60’s and 70’s. He describes a lot about Beirut - of course it is hugely dated at this point, but you get a sense for where the city has been and what it is like as well as the people. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/9 "2008-02-19T11:02:55Z")
Looks like the price difference is $40. If it is short stay, it is probably worth the $40. That said, the Marble Tower was recently renovated so it just depends what you like. Both seem to be good locations, but I tend to prefer 3 star places as all the 5 star places end up being a could-be-anywhere experience. Do keep in mind that Saudi recently advised its citizens to avoid Lebanon… the situation there is always a bit, um… changeable. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/10 "2008-02-19T12:05:48Z")
Yeah, the Colonel told I ought not to go. Further, I have friends in Bahrain. I may split the difference and check myself into a clinic for one of those 24-hour heart monitor things. Or Bahrain. Or something else. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/11 "2008-02-19T12:41:24Z")
**Paul** , buy the [Lonely Planet guide](http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/Primary/Product/Destination_Guides/Country/Africa_and_the_Middle_East/PRD_PRD_2556/Syria++Lebanon+Travel+Guide.jsp;ODLPSID=H6TH6SHk90dJdDf0D9sk22TT34QjCLTSWcvHV8J9J5ZvhhzwK7fx!-2071657915!251047250?ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181057&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302026128&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441760535&bmUID=1203424776083) to Lebanon - lots of good recommendations for watering holes there. Also ask in the [Lebanon forum](http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forum.jspa?forumID=18&keywordid=77) on their site for recommendations. ---
**Author:** ![Dottygumdrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Dottygumdrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dottygumdrop)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/12 "2008-02-19T15:52:50Z")
If Beirut doesn’t work out, you could come to Bahrain and we could have a mini-Dopefest! Where’s **Testy** at these days??? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/13 "2008-02-20T01:48:33Z")
Might be worth doing. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/14 "2008-02-20T02:37:24Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] Might be worth doing. [/QUOTE] It would have to be more fun than the 24-hour heart monitor, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Dottygumdrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Dottygumdrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dottygumdrop)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/15 "2008-02-20T08:50:46Z")
That wouldn’t be hard! ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/16 "2008-02-20T23:34:20Z")
Am I the only one finding irony in getting a beer in Beirut? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/17 "2008-02-21T18:15:57Z")
What wrong with getting a beer? Islam forbids alcohol, but the country is 30-40% Christian, and even then Muslim does not always equal teetotaler. [Arak](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arak_%28distilled_beverage%29) is from the area, and is popular in even more so Muslim countries. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/18 "2008-02-21T21:09:21Z")
I’ve been to Lebanon, but never as far north as Beirut. My dad spent a couple of months there, though, back in the summer of '82. I’ll ask, see if he has any reccomendations. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/19 "2008-02-22T00:08:43Z")
If you get to Beirut, let us know if you can still buy rose gold 8-piece puzzle rings there. and how much are they? I bought one on my first trip there for $45, but that was in 1965, before all the wars. I sold it 10 years ago for $90 after the strands became unmendable. Wish I’d kept it now with gold at $900+/oz. I’m still wearing my $25 4-piece one, though. Don’t try to get to historic Baalbek these days. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098/20 "2008-02-22T02:39:37Z")
[QUOTE=thelurkinghorror] What wrong with getting a beer? [/QUOTE] [The other Wikipedia entry for Beirut.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_pong)😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beirut-lebanon/438098.md?page=2)