Rue Abdel Wahab el-Inglizi, Achrafieh (00961 1 339797; albergobeirut.com). Suites from £190. Mixing contemporary design with Ottoman-era opulence, the 33 suites showcase the best of intricate Middle Eastern craftsmanship, balanced by a palette of sugary pastels and eclectic art. Hayete Guesthouse Rue Furn el-Hayek, Achrafieh (7027 1530; hayete-guesthouse.com). Rooms from £80. An intimate hideaway with lashings of artistic flair. There are just four rooms, all with a generous helping of funky retro styling, and a friendly parrot in the lounge who keeps everyone in line. Saifi Urban Gardens Rue Pasteur, Gemmayze (562509; saifigardens.com). Rooms from £30 a night, dormitory beds from £11 a night. Enthusiastic management, bright, light-filled rooms and a location just a stumble away from the Gemmayze nightlife strip make Saifi Beirut's top budget choice. Where to eat Tawlet Chalhoub Building, Rue Naher (442664; tawlet.com). Lunchtime buffet, Mon-Fri 1pm-4pm, £17 per person. Tawlet's feast of ever-changing flavours is foodie heaven. Weekday lunchtimes are a smorgasbord of variety as different top cooks from across the country are invited into the kitchen to cook their region's specialities. One of the few places where you may get to sample the glorious fusion that makes up Lebanese cooking in dishes such as lahma bil-khal (a slow-cooked lamb and vegetable stew, seasoned with cinnamon and allspice) and freek ah (a risotto-style dish using cracked wheat and chicken). Abou Hassan Rue Salah ud-Din, Manara (741725). From £40 for two people. This long-standing local favourite is popular for its classy yet casual dining and is the city's top choice for first-timer forays into classic Levantine cuisine. Pick from a mezze (appetiser) menu that romps through the entire gamut of Middle Eastern staples, from familiar dishes such as hummus and falafel to the Lebanese delicacy of kibbeh nayeh (raw lamb meatballs, eaten like steak tartare). Aunty Salwa Baalbaki Building, off Rue Abdel Aziz, Hamra (749746). From £10 for two people. Salwa, the friendly chef, rustles up a daily changing menu of wholesome and hearty home cooking in this lunchtime-only cubbyhole of a restaurant. It's an intimate and friendly place with a tiny menu that delivers on big, fresh, bold rustic tastes. Where to drink Barometre Rue Makhoul, Hamra (367229). Artists, writers and university students hang out at Hamra's hippest bar, where the music moves seamlessly from soulful Middle Eastern tunes to salsa, and late at night it's common for customers to join together in a spontaneous dabke (Lebanon's national dance). Bar Louie Rue Gouraud, Gemmayze (575877). Thanks to regular live music and a friendly, laid-back atmosphere, Bar Louie has been a popular fixture in Gemmayze for years. What to do National Museum Avenue Abdellah el-Yafi (612295, beirutnationalmuseum.com); £2; Tues-Sun, 9am-5pm. The collection on display is a tribute to the staff, who saved these relics of Lebanon's heritage when the museum found itself on the front line during theyears of war. Of particular note are the intricately carved marble sarcophagi from Tyre and the delicate bronze figurines from excavations in Byblos. Don't miss the audio-visual presentation, which demonstrates how artefacts were protected from the worst of the fighting. Architecture Take a wander down Rue John Kennedy and Rue Omar ed-Daouk to find the heady scent of yesteryear Beirut in battle-scarred but graceful neo-Ottoman mansions. From there, stroll into the city centre to stand amid the perfectly groomed streets radiating out from Place d"Étoile. It's hard to believe that this area, now completely restored, was left devastated after the war. Check out the Roman baths complex, unearthed during restoration work, before visiting St Ge orge's Cathedral to admire its lavishly decorated interior. Walk through Martyrs" Square, overlooked so far in the city-centre facelift, to Gemmayze's Rue Gouraud, where vibrant cafés and bars have made their home in fine old specimens of French Mandate-era buildings. Souk el-Tayeb Beirut Souks, Rue Trablous, Downtown (soukeltayeb.com); Saturday, 9am-2pm. If you're staying for the weekend, Beirut's farmers" market is a lovely place for a stroll and prime gift-shopping territory if you want to bring some of that Levantine flavour back home. Baalbek Two hours" drive from Beirut; £5, daily 8.30am-sunset. This temple complex is a marvel of engineering and a monumental reminder of Rome's former stranglehold on this region. The Baalbeck [sic] International Festival (baalbeck.org.lb) has two performances, with the Temple of Bacchus forming the backdrop, scheduled around the same time as the Hay Festival: by the Italian rock singer Zucchero on July 5, and by the Tunisian pan-Arab singer Saber Rebai on July 7. Jessica Lee is the author of the Footprint guides to Beirut and Lebanon