I don’t know why this short movie brought back so many awesome memories of partying in Beirut. I remembered when I used to go to Rai, 37 degrees, Pacifico, Barracuda, Hole in the wall and other great places in Monot. I remembered when nightlife was booming in Beirut and Buddha Bar was the place to be. It also brought me back to Element at Sodeco and the amazing live concerts they used to project on a huge screen after midnight. I remembered how Gemmayze started with a couple of pubs and nights then became the hottest street in Beirut. Treesome, Barbu, Torino Express, Cactus, Myu, Kayan, Joe Peña’s, El Gardel and Alcazar are some of the pubs and nights where I spent countless hours drinking and dancing till dawn. I remember the nights at Kahwit el 2zez and how I used to park on Charles Malek’s avenue and walk all the way down (and then back up) the St Nicolas stairs. I also remembered the very late night stops at B018 and the endless snacks at Zaatar W Zeit, B2B back when it was still good (Picasso yum!) or McDonald’s for some little delicious plain cheese burgers, or some hotdogs outside Basement.
Many things have changed in Lebanon but Beirut’s nightlife is still the best.