Cafeography
Beirut · Mar Mikhael

Cafés in Mar Mikhael

Armenia Street to the river: Riwaq's open mic, Sole Insight on the Vendome Stairs, Kalei's garden and midnight hours.

Photo: Nemika F, Pexels License

Mar Mikhael (مار مخايل in Lebanese speech) is sector 75 of Beirut, named after the Maronite church of St Michael on Rue Pharaon.1 Its main street, Rue Arménie (Armenia Street), carries on from Gemmayzeh's Rue Gouraud toward Bourj Hammoud, and the Charles Helou highway separates the district from the port.1

Once downtown was rebuilt and Gemmayzeh became the hub of the city's nightlife, Mar Mikhael was the next step. Since 2010 boutiques and galleries have opened here, and bars, restaurants and cafés have taken over old hardware, car-parts and furniture stores.1 Several cafés serve until midnight or later.

Local tip: Walk the Vendome Stairs from Armenia Street in the late afternoon and take a table at Sole Insight, which looks over the steps.3

At a glance

11Cafés listed
4With opening hours
08:00Earliest opening
01:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Caffeine Coffee Beirut, from 08:00 (Daily 08:00–01:00).
  • Most listed streets: شارع أرمينيا (2).
  • Most common features: open late (36%), wi-fi (36%), outdoor seating (18%).

Nothing matches those filters here. See all cafés in Beirut.

Coffee chains in Mar Mikhael

Armenia Street and the late cafés

Caffeine Coffee Beirut, a specialty franchise with more than 40 coffee drinks on its menu, opens 08:00–01:00 with Wi-Fi and outdoor tables.2 District.1080 on Armenia Street serves 09:00–00:00, Jacaranda on Qobayat Street 10:00–00:00, and Living Room Beirut on Ibrahim Pasha Street until 23:00, from 12:00 on Sundays.

Caffe Positano, also on Armenia Street, has Wi-Fi, and Route961 and the food dealer, on Street 61, are a short walk away. Qahwa BLK and Latte Art have branches in the district too.

Riwaq, Sole Insight and the Vendome Stairs

Riwaq Beirut, at 127 Assad Rustom, draws a creative crowd to its cozy workspaces and quality coffee, and comes alive in the evenings.2 In 2019 it hosted what Time Out called the city's first and only weekly open mic, on Wednesdays, with oud players, slam poets and storytellers performing in Arabic, English and French.3

Sole Insight sits on the Vendome Stairs; Time Out liked it for its plats du jour, homemade wine and view for people-watching.3 It pairs its coffee with philosophy, literature and art, and has Wi-Fi, indoor and outdoor seats, toilets and a smoking area.2

Kalei, Tota and the garden houses

Kalei Coffee Co. is a fair-trade micro-roastery in a century-old Lebanese house.2 Its Mar Mikhael branch sits on a hill just off Armenia Street, with a pebbled garden and an open rooftop, and buzzes with creatives at work.45 Starbucks has a branch nearby.

Toward the river is توتا (Tota). Time Out named it a stalwart of the neighborhood's pop-up markets, which sell everything from vintage clothes to natural soaps.3 Galleries such as Artlab, Art on 56th and 392rmeil393 show work by Middle Eastern artists a few streets away.3

Where Mar Mikhael stands now

Time Out described the corridor of Armenia Street and Rue Gouraud as lined with bars, cafés, restaurants and galleries, its low-slung Art Deco buildings a glimpse of an older Beirut.3

By 2014 Mar Mikhael had become a new hub for art and creativity. It lost some ground in 2014–2015 as Badaro re-emerged, but it remains a popular destination for dining and nightlife.1 The district lies east of Gemmayzeh, north of Geitaoui and west of the Pierre Gemayel highway and the Beirut River, and stretches on both sides of the Charles Helou highway.1

Sources

  1. Mar Mikhaël, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. The Specialty Coffee Map of Beirut, Lebanon Traveler (Carla Zaiter, May 18, 2026), accessed October 2026
  3. What to do in Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhaël, Beirut's coolest neighbourhood, Time Out (November 21, 2019), accessed October 2026
  4. The Cosiest Cafés in Beirut for a Caffeine-Cradled Afternoon, Scene Traveller (Lana Mawlood, June 4, 2023), accessed October 2026
  5. Escape the Office: Best Places to Work Remotely in Beirut, Lebanon Traveler (Carla Zaiter, July 17, 2025), accessed October 2026
Keep exploring

More of Beirut

Badaro

11 cafés

Gemmayzeh

13 cafés

Downtown & Saifi

10 cafés

Achrafieh

19 cafés

Hamra & Ras Beirut

28 cafés

Raouché & Manara

9 cafés

In Mar Mikhael, also browse: Wi-Fi Open late Outdoor seating

FAQ

Mar Mikhael cafés: questions

Which cafés in Mar Mikhael, Beirut, stay open after midnight?

Caffeine Coffee Beirut in Mar Mikhael opens 08:00–01:00 with Wi-Fi and outdoor tables. District.1080 on Armenia Street and Jacaranda on Qobayat Street serve until 00:00, and Living Room Beirut on Ibrahim Pasha Street until 23:00.

Where is Sole Insight in Mar Mikhael, Beirut?

Sole Insight is on the Vendome Stairs in Mar Mikhael, Beirut. It pairs coffee with philosophy, literature and art, serves plats du jour and homemade wine, and has Wi-Fi, indoor and outdoor seats and a smoking area.

Where can you find specialty coffee in Mar Mikhael, Beirut?

Kalei Coffee Co., a fair-trade micro-roastery in a century-old house just off Armenia Street, has a pebbled garden and a rooftop. Caffeine Coffee Beirut, a specialty franchise, has more than 40 coffee drinks, and Riwaq is known for its coffee and workspaces.

For café owners

Own a café in Mar Mikhael?

Free listings are free for good. A featured page gives you photos, a menu and your own URL, in your café's own design, for less than a coffee a day.

Get listed, free See a page in its own design