Hamra Street (Rue Hamra)

The basics

Particularly if you’re staying in Hamra, which is popular for both vacation rentals and hotels, you’ll likely find yourself strolling along Hamra Street or stopping in for a bite or a drink—somewhere is open here most any time of day or evening. The shopping here is diverse, with everything from souvenirs to fresh produce to electronics on sale, and most travelers visit independently, but you may find yourself swinging by on a food or shopping tour of Beirut.

Things to know before you go

• Beirut is a cosmopolitan, fashion-conscious city, so women travelers don’t have to dress modestly to visit Hamra Street.

• Exercise caution when crossing the street, as traffic can be crazy.

• Hamra Street itself is wheelchair accessible, but many stores and cafés are not.

How to get there

Hamra Street runs for about 0.5 miles (1 kilometer) across the heart of Beirut from Sadat in the west to Rome in the east. Beirut’s public transit is difficult to navigate and driving requires fighter-pilot nerves and reflexes, so most travelers walk there or use rideshares or taxis.

When to get there

You may want to shop during the day, but evenings are the best time to enjoy eating, drinking, and people-watching, particularly on Fridays and Saturdays. Avoid visiting during rush hour (4–6pm, Monday to Friday), when traffic is gridlocked and pavements can be too.

The Piccadilly Theatre

During the ’60s and ’70s, Hamra Street’s Piccadilly Theatre was one of the most vibrant in the region, hosting concerts, musicals, plays, and international divas. The theater closed during Lebanon’s 1975–1990 Civil War and was destroyed by a fire at the turn of the new century, but is set to be refurbished and become a Hamra Street hub once again.