Abou Elie is billed as a 'communist bar'. The revolutionary credentials of the taciturn owner aren't verified, but it's true that leftist posters and trinkets line the walls of this old-school haunt on the border of Hamra and Manara. In a city of glossy nightlife, it's a real treat to find this grimy dive. Anthony Bourdain stopped here in 2015; it's a must-visit for his devotees.
Abou Elie
Beirut