Torino Express

Address: +961 (0)3 611 456 , Gouraud Street, Beirut , Lebanon

Style: Neighbourhood bar

This little hole-in-the-wall space, in an Ottoman-era vaulted shop-front, stretches surprisingly far back from Gemmayzeh Street, and churns out good coffee and sandwiches during the day and good drinks at night, where it is typically rammed beyond oblivion.

Gemmayzeh hipsters come here for the guitar-led tunes and friendly atmosphere, which draws a mixed bag of post-club, pre-club and just-passing-through: despite the bubble lights, this is a fun and unpretentious place that's hard not to like.

As with many Gemmayzeh bars, there is no cocktail menu. Unlike many Gemmayzeh bars, however, the bartenders do seem to know the classics and major international drinks.

We enjoyed a well-balanced Negroni, served classically styled, with soda, and Beirutis were knocking back Mojitos, but this place is more about the vibe than the drinks. It sits at the downtown end of Gemmayzeh/Gouraud Street: look for the neon sign.