Tag Archives | nightlife

Update: De Prague to remain open for at least a couple more months

By Rami on June 13, 2013 in Lebanon

Looks like tonight will not witness De Prague’s closure as the owner Raed Habib decided to give the place another shot over the next couple of months following a demonstration that was organized by around 70 of his loyal customers near his house. You can read all about it here.

I never knew the bar meant a lot to so many people. The whole thing makes you wonder if it was a publicity stunt since it got 3 articles on The Daily Star website in a couple of days, and they were overwhelmed with customers today who wanted to say goodbye to the place!

De Prague Hamra closing today

By Rami on June 13, 2013 in Lebanon

de prague hamra

As per this article in The Daily Star yesterday, De Prague will be closing its doors today after 8 years of operating in Hamra.

The reasons of the closure as stated by the bar’s general manager Pascale Azzi are the declining number of customers as well as the smoking ban that was introduced in September last year. Moreover, in a second article published today, the owner Raed Habib added that the bar will also be closing due to the general change of atmosphere in Hamra in addition to the increasing violence incidents in the neighborhood.

These reasons didn’t really make sense to me because the economic recession and the smoking ban are affecting all the shops in Hamra, yet many places like February 30 and Main Street for example are doing pretty well and always seem to be full at night.

What I guess De Prague should have done to stand out from the competition is possibly taking advantage of the relatively large space they have to setup a small stage and host music bands to get more people to come.

Anyway, I’m pretty sure soon enough some investors will be renting the place and starting a new bar to replace De Prague.

Whisky Mist Beirut – Le Paon Rouge Nights

By Rami on November 17, 2011 in Lebanon

I was disappointed for having to skip an invitation to one of Le Paon Rouge shows last night at Whisky Mist as I was curious to check it out after reading a lot about it. But I was lucky enough to have Liliane sharing with me the photos she took from last night’s performance.

So there you go, a glimpse of Le Paon Rouge at the Mist!

Beirut once again among the top destinations to visit in 2012

By Rami on October 27, 2011 in Lebanon

It’s definitely cool to have Beirut among the top destinations for tourists to visit in 2012. But it would also be cooler if editors, for once, focus on other cool stuff to do in Lebanon than Beirut’s nightlife scene. Don’t you think?

You’ll adore Beirut’s juxtaposition of old and new, traditional and downright funkiness. Restored Roman baths stand in the midst of the business district, surrounded by gleaming skyscrapers and an Ottoman palace. At Music Hall, in an old cinema hall, fez-wearing traditional musicians play Arabic ballads for their 15-minute spot, after an ’80s cover band, while cocktail-dress Beiruti women belly dance with their designer-jeans-clad partners supping cocktails. Soldiers with machine guns keep one eye on families drinking coffee at midnight, with squealing kids playing, on pedestrianized Place de L’Etoile square. Le Gray luxury boutique hotel sits a moment’s walk from the bombed-out Holiday Inn, still bullet-ridden from 1976 Lebanon Civil War.

You can check the full list here.

Thailand will party à la Libanaise on November 27th!

By Rami on October 28, 2010 in Lebanon

Remember when I told you about the Smirnoff Nighlife Exchange project? Well, last Friday was the time to announce how the participating cities will be pairing and Beirut ended up as a partner to Bangkok.

It can now be revealed that Thailand can look forward to experiencing the best of Beirut’s nightlife, as suggested by Lebanese partygoers:

Hostesses will stand at the entrance, welcoming guests in traditional Lebanese outfits such as tarboush, sherwal, or abaya. The “I want to fly” bar-hopping spirit will be at the rendez-vous, reaching its peak with the table-top dancing. Giant screens projecting live concerts at 1 a.m. A Lebanese percussionist will play a striking Lebanese beat for the night, inviting everyone to feel the heat of a far away tempo. At the same time, a follow spot will highlight a belly dancer, who will take the audience on the Aladdin carpet of mystical dreams.

Furthermore, a food and beverage section will quench all cravings and bond the Thai and Lebanese hospitability tradition by offering oriental specialities such as Knafeh, Manakich, and Shawarma, until the early morning, a Mediterranean taste to savour! Thai guests will also enjoy the presence of a fortune teller, who will be reading their palms or predicting their future in a cup of Lebanese traditional coffee. Henna tattoo drawn by a henna artist will keep the memory of that unique night engraved in everyone’s hearts.

So for once in their lives, the people of Thailand will know how does it feel to hold a cigarette in one hand, a glass of vodka RedBull in the other, and still manage to party like there’s no tomorrow! 😀

Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project – Beirut

By Rami on September 15, 2010 in Lebanon

I was one of the people who were invited to the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project launch party at B018 two days ago.

Their campaign is pretty cool, it consists of exchanging nightlife habits between 14 participating cities including Beirut, and the whole process will take place on Facebook where the residents of each of the 14 cities will be putting their ideas into a virtual crate about what makes the nightlife in their city unique.

On October 22nd, a list of the participating cities and their partner cities will be published along with the most popular idea for each location. For example, if the winning idea from Beirut turned to be “arriving in full make up, high consumption of Vodka RedBull, and lot’s of fireworks”, then Beirut’s partner city will have to party according to this idea and vice versa on November 27th, when the nightlife exchange will be happening. And it doesn’t end here, by providing your idea you’ll be getting the chance to win a ticket to go party at Beirut’s partner city!

To participate, all you have to do is to log into Smirnoff’s page on Facebook, become a fan and start submitting your ideas.

Let’s just hope we don’t end up pairing with South Africa, I’m pretty sure we will then have to party with Vuvuzela’s!! 😀

Beirut – The best party city

By Rami on July 30, 2009 in Lebanon

Check out this report by Cal Perry from CNN about the summer season this year in Beirut. So far this is the best summer after more than 4 years of continuous political instability that has started with PM Rafic Hariri assassination and ended with the 2009 elections 2 months ago, and Beirut is literally on fire with the countless events this summer, not to forget the booming nightlife everywhere in the country.

I loved how Cal Perry ended the report “This summer, the world is partying on the shores of the mediteranean”.