Pub Series: Nostrum

Location

It's pretty much like you're headed to Neighbors. If you're walking down Hamra street and Lina's is on your right, take a right at the corner after it. Walk down that street until you get to the next one. Now, instead of crossing the street, just take another right. The first place is Brick's (will post about that soon!) and right next door, you'll find Nostrum

Food

They serve food until 12 a.m.

Last night was my first time there, so I can't honestly say whether the food is any good or not. However, there were 2 tables of about 8 - 10  people having dinner when I first walked in, and the looked pretty satisfied!

Happy hour:

Nostrum's happy hour lasts from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. and works with a "buy one get one free" system. Sounds good, huh?

Music:

This must have been my favorite part of the night! Great DJ, I must say. Before even walking in, I heard the music playing from way outside. I love going to pubs and listening to chilled out music, but this is definitely more my style. It's great for the weekends when you're looking to have some fun. Here are some of the things they played last night:

• Miss California - Dante Thomas (haven't heard this in ages!!)
• Keep Their Heads Ringing - Dr. Dre
• Ruff Ryders Anthem - DMX
• Temperature - Sean Paul
• Whatever You Like - T.I.
• Ayo Technology - 50 Cent

Atmosphere:

The inside looks great! According to the manager, they're going to redecorate soon and make it look even better. They're adding couches and more of the amazing paintings they have up (bought from a store in Gemmayze).

The bathroom stalls were really cute, indicating who goes where with "Chicos" and "Chicas"

The staff were really friendly and very lively. At one point the waiters were dancing as they were serving people, which shows that they're having a good time and it really puts you in a great mood.

They served us 2 shots on the house. One was our choice, and one was their special Nostrum shot, which I do recommend if you're interested in a fruity taste. All in all, I really enjoyed my night. It was disappointing that it got so empty right after happy hour on a Friday night. I think when more people discover this place, it's going to be a big hit.

Pub Series: Flo + Burger Nation Review

I was late with this post, so I added a review on Burger Nation as an apology!!

Today's post will be focusing on Flo.

Location

It's further away than most of the pubs on Hamra, but still a hot spot for anyone who enjoys Hamra's nightlife. It's right next to Flying Pizza. Or if you're coming from bliss, just take the road going up at Charlie's Hot Dogs. I can't honestly give proper directions from people coming from Hamra, because I always just walk in a certain direction until I see something familiar. For some reason, I can never memorize exactly where Flo is!

Food

They serve food at Flo. Like Neighbors, the food is served until 1 a.m. I really enjoyed their nachos, and also the chicken quesadilla. Although it probably wouldn't be a great idea to have the chicken right before a night of heavy drinking. In that case, I would suggest a plan to specifically go there to eat one day.

Happy hour:

Weirdly enough, happy hour does not exist in Flo!

Music:

I always enjoy the music at Flo. You neevr know what kind of music you'll end up listening to. The selection ranges from Destiny's Child to Michael Jackson to Bob Marley. It starts off with very lounge-y music, and then moves on to livelier songs. Some of my favorite songs heard at Flo are:

• The General - Dispatch
• This is the Life - Amy MacDonald
• Billy Jean - Michael Jackson

Atmosphere:

Flo is pretty funky on the inside with a mixture of modern and classic elements. I love sitting upstairs, and that's where I usually am; it's comfortable and the best place to be seated if you're a big group. I sat downstairs for the first time on Saturday and I realized that you get to see a lot more people downstairs. Upstairs you're pretty much isolated. So if you're about 2 - 4 people, I would suggest you sit downstairs, but a bigger group would definitely be more comfortable upstairs.

Ladies, you won't be bored on your trip to the bathroom. There's a really funny quote waiting for you in there. It's also done in a really cool way, because it's written in mirror image and placed right next to a mirror, so you have to read it through the mirror. Hard to explain, so go check it out!

 Here's something that Neighbors is missing: Hypnotic shots!

Best time to be there?:

I don't think I've ever gone to Flo and not found anywhere to sit. There's a constant flow of people coming in and out, so you're generally safe whatever time you get there. I would recommend around 10 - 10:30 p.m. That's when the music starts to build up a little bit, making it the perfect time to start your night.

That's all for the pub, now on to my apology/review.

Burger Nation

It was heartbreaking to see one of the best coffee shops, Cafe Najjar, replaced by a burger place, yet somehow exciting because I always have to go to Achrafiye to get myself a good burger.

I finally had dinner at Burger Nation last night, and here is what I thought.

The Food:

The food was really good. I have to say, there was nothing I tried that I did not like. There was an insane burst of flavor. I first of all definitely recommend that you choose to "make your own burger" instead of picking one off the menu, because then you get exactly what you're craving. And I also definitely recommend you choose garlic mayo as your sauce. The flavor is so out there, trust me you will be using your fries to wipe off any of it left on the plate.

The Atmosphere:

It's very modern, and it kind of puts a smile to your face. The outdoor seating is great, and they have heaters for when it's too cold. The inside is nice as well, I really like the paintings on the wall. Even their place-mats are entertaining to read!!

The Service:

I just want everyone to keep in mind that Burger Nation is still relatively new, and that this happens everywhere. But the service really wasn't that great. The appetizers (try out the onion rings by the way!) took a while to get to us, they even completely forgot one of them. Although we had ordered our drinks, I had to ask twice about my diet 7up, and my friends' milkshakes took a while because apparently the bartender wasn't there to make them. Other than that, they were really friendly, and I'm going to assume that this happened because they've newly opened. Let's hope the service gets better!

Pub Series: Neighbors

The holidays are over, which means it's back to work, back to university and back to this blog!
I will be kicking off my pub series with my favorite pub on Hamra: Neighbors! So sit back, and enjoy.

Location:
Neighbors is a small pub located right next to Ristretto. For those who still don't know where that is: if you're on main street Hamra, take the right that comes after Lina's cafe. Keep walking straight down until you've crossed a street, and then it should be directly on your right.

Food:
They do serve food! It is served all the way until 1 a.m. and it's pretty good, in my opinion.
I would recommend the mini burgers and potato wedges. To be completely honest, I expected the food to be just alright. But I can truthfully say that I will walk down there just to have a plate of those potato wedges, so don't miss out!

Happy hour:
Happy hour starts at 7 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m.
By 7:30, the place is usually packed, so if you're interested in making it in time for happy hour I would suggest getting there as early as possible. That's not always the case though, last night I got there at 8 and it was packed by 8:30. Better safe than sorry though!

Music:
The nice thing about Neighbors is the variety of music they play. During first half of the night you would be listening to some pretty chilled out tracks, and then as the night progresses, so does the music. Usually (especially on weekends) by the end of the night the music gets pretty upbeat, and despite it being a cozy little pub, people are out of their seats and enjoying their time.

Some songs they played last night that I loved were:

• Man's World - James Brown
• Walk The Line - Johnny Cash
• Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
• Everybody Hurts - R.E.M

Atmosphere:
The best part about Neighbors is, besides the music, how unbelievably chilled out this place is! The seating is comfortable, whether you're on a couch or on stools. It can get a little stuffy sometimes, but usually you have your space and don't have to worry about leaning back and hitting into the person behind you. You can literally just walk in off the street, everyone's very laid back and casual (no heels required girls!). The staff are friendly too, if you've been there once, they'll remember you the next time you walk in.

Best time to be there?:
To be on the safe side, I would recommend to be there by 7:30/8:00. The problem with that, though, is that you're there quite early and so might end up leaving early. If you're lucky enough to find a table, I think 10:30 is the best time to be there. By that time, the music starts to get a little more lively, as do the people.


And there you have it, pub number 1 is done! If you have any suggestions about other aspects I should focus on, let me know in the comment box. If you would like to suggest pubs for me to check out, leave those in the comment box too! I hope you enjoyed this, until next Sunday.

Images from: Neighbor's Facebook Page

Coffee Shop Series - Starbucks Coffee (+ Hamra Christmas Street Festival)

I really like Starbucks Hamra because of their new balcony. If you're a smoker you can smoke up there, you get a great view of pedestrians on Hamra, and when the weather's good it's the best place to sit. Of course Starbucks is a non-smoking coffee shop, so other than the balcony, you have the outdoor seating. The only problem with the outdoor seating is that they haven't taken rain into consideration. I was sitting out there on Friday and it rained on me! Thankfully it wasn't pouring.

The Drinks

I used to love their Frappuccinos, but recently I've stayed well away from them. They taste different now for some reason, maybe it's just me. Anyway, my new obsession at Starbucks is the Caramel Macchiatto. It's perfect if you want to warm up with a cup of coffee and are in the mood for a slight sweet taste.

Other Pluses?

They have Wi-Fi, but it's not free. That's actually the first coffee shop I've written about so far that doesn't provide free internet. I believe it costs $5 for 1 hour, and 10,000LL for 2 hours. The connection is decent.

I don't like the service at all. They got my drink wrong twice, they always add whipped cream to my drinks even when I specifically ask for my drinks without it. They're very impatient at the cash register, they always tell me what I owe before I'm even done ordering. Finally, they are very slow when making their drinks. The last time I asked for a sleeve because my drink was too hot to carry, the man told me that they didn't have any and walked away. I had to ask again for a second cup just to be able to carry my drink.

As you can see, I have some serious issues with the staff at Starbucks Hamra!

Hamra Christmas Street Festival

I walked around Friday afternoon, and then came back in the evening, at around 6. They had some really funky jewelry on sale, I bought a really nice ring! But what impressed me the most was the entertainment which was organized by the AUB Music Club. I only saw 4 performances, and they were all pretty good, I saw:

1. Hiba Kadri and Sarah Aridi
2. Jean Pierre Abou Jaoude 
3. Jamil Jabbour
4. Tina and Julien 

In all honesty, they were all good, but two of them blew me away. The first was Jean Pierre, wow. Amazing voice. And also Tina and Julien, Tina had a beautiful voice, loved the performances!

Tina and Julien

Jean Pierre

Coffee Shop Series - Gloria Jean's Coffees

Gloria Jean's is just off of Hamra Street. It has, by far, the best study/work atmosphere. Everyone has his or her nose buried into a book or laptop. Sometimes it feels like you're walking into a library, and when you speak people actually look up at you with a look that says "how inconsiderate". So if you're looking for a place to concentrate without any major distractions, my recommendation is Gloria Jean's!

The Drinks!

The coffee itself is not bad. I like the Creme Brulee drink, which is ice blended, it really does taste like Creme Brulee. I also like their Caramellate if you're looking for a cold drink. Theis Espresso is not bad for a quick caffeine fix. I honestly haven't explored their drinks any more than that, because a lot of their forzen drinks were too fruity for me (I can't stand fruit tastes in my drinks) so that would be interesting for fruit lovers, and their hot drinks are very standard.

They have quite a big seating area indoors, and it's a non-smoking area. They do have a smoking area outdoors, but it consists of about 7 tables and they're usually full, so it's a hassle getting a table outdoors.

Other Pluses?

They do have free Wi-Fi, but I suggest you use it on your phones, because it works a lot faster. Once, it took about 17 minutes just to load Wordpress. This is probably because 99% of the people at Gloria Jean's are using the internet. If you're patient, go ahead and use you're laptops, but if you're like me, use your phones!

Also, the service there is great. The people that work there are very friendly, they actually make you want to come back.

They also offer a Gloria Jean's card, where you get a hole punched into your card every time you buy a drink, and after buying 10 drinks you get a free one.

Last, but definitely not least, the desserts. To all those Sugar Daddy's fans out there who can't be bothered to drive to the bakery, just take a walk down to Gloria Jean's. They get their desserts from Sugar Daddy's, and even have my favorite: Red Velvet Cake... yum.

Coffee Shop Series - Caribou Coffee

After being extremely active on Foursqaure, I've gotten a lot of comments on the amount of tie I spend in coffee shops. I was told that the little "shouts" I send with my location made people want to go out and try the drinks I was talking about. So in order to ensure that I'm more active on here, I've decided to start a new series on my blog: Coffee Shops. Starting today, I will be posting a sort of "review" of coffee shops around Hamra. I will be posting them every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you like the coffee shop scene, stay tuned! If you know any good coffee shops in Hamra, let me know about them in the comment section. Now on to our first coffee shop of the series.

If you want to find me on Hamra, 5 out of 7 days a week you'd probably find me at Caribou Coffee. I like the outdoor seating they have, along with the corner couches upstairs that face the windows. There are 2 things that I don't particularly like about Caribou:

1. The bottom floor is a non-smoking area, the outdoor area and the top floor are smoking areas. This means that when the weather gets colder, it's going to be hard trying to find somewhere to sit upstairs, as it's not a big area.

2. It is always full!! If I found a place to sit at Caribou every time I went there, I would probably be there 7 out of 7 days a week. I guess that's a good sign though if everyone likes it. It's just irritating when I'm craving their coffee and find that there's not one empty seat for me to take.

On to the drinks!

The first drink I was obsessed with was the Cold Caramel High Rise. I literally could not get enough, I would be there every day just because I was craving it badly. The obsession shifted once I tried the Hot Caramel High Rise, which is even better.

The Turtle Mocha is pretty good too. I've tried the cold one and it's quite similar to the Caramel High Rise, except it has bits of Snickers chocolate on the top. I've heard that the Hot Turtle Mocha is pretty good too.

For the straight forward coffee lovers, they have a great American coffee. Perfect to start your morning with.

Now, for the drink I have fallen in love with (for now). The Caramel Espresso Shaker. Why do I love this drink? I'm a huge fan of caramel, I like iced coffees, and I don't like huge mugs.. this drink has caramel in it, is iced, and is in a mini cup, which is perfect for me! I can actually finish this drink.

Other pluses?

You get an hour of free wi-fi while there. Also, their mugs, cups and napkins are very entertaining and motivational (I actually took one of the napkins home and stuck it up on my board). Next time you're at Caribou Coffee, take the time to read your cup and see if anything motivates you!

What's Up, H&M?

All I've been seeing lately are people walking up and down Hamra with H&M bags in hand.

Yesterday, I recognized one of the H&M carrying people and called her over to ask her what all the fuss is about. Apparently, the collection includes a lot of great pieces! She also said, though, that everything was selling like crazy, so there isn't a huge variety of sizes and colours.

I think I'll drop by H&M after lunch today, so I'll report about it later on!

Crown Outlets - Fall 2010

It's been a while since I've posted anything, and as usual I have my excuses. I thankfully managed to survive my first week back in university. I'm using the word survived here very specifically because, as all of you who are familiar with LAU's registration this year would know, the online registration system suffered an endless amount of glitches this semester. This means that my first two days back consisted of long hours camping outside of an office, just to be able to register for my major courses. All that is over now, though, and I'm back on track.

Crown Outlets! For those who don't know, this is a worldwide outlet chain, and it's back in Beirut with its Fall 2010 collection for both men and women. The thing I like about Crown Outlets is that every time their customers come in, they ask what the customers would like to see more of, and they act on it. This year, the collection features even more brands (chosen by customers) which means a whole new variety of things to choose from.

These include:

• UGG Boots
• Juicy Couture
• Ed Hardy
• Christian Audigier
• Abercrombie & Fitch
• True Religion
• Bebe
• Fred Perry
• Hollister

Again, as this is an outlet chain and all the items are bought in bulk, the prices are 50% less than the market price! Here are the dates of this season's open house:

Friday 8th October: 10:00am - 9:00pm

Saturday 9th October: 10:00am - 9:00pm

Sunday 10th October: 10:00am - 6:00pm

The place is where it usually is, which is the 1st floor in Crown Plaza Hotel (above roadsters) in Hamra.

I very strongly advise everyone who is interested in going to go on Friday, and go as early as you can. The later you are, the less you find and the less you have to choose from.

Here's the link for their photo gallery on Facebook, which gives you a preview of this season's collection:

Facebook Photo Gallery

I will try to stop by on Friday, although I won't be able to get there before 1:00pm due to my classes, but nevertheless I will come back and let you all know how it is.

Stay tuned! I promise I will try to be more active :)

"Style is an expression of individualism mixed with charisma. Fashion is something that comes after style." - John Fairchild

Day 2: Hamra

Alright., so I went back to look for those unnoticed stores I was raving about in my post yesterday.

The first one was the dress shop. I personally bought a dress from there in Christmas, and it was beautiful. The quality isn't bad at all, of course it isn't the best, but it isn't bad for a dress that will probably be worn while clubbing, and is therefore prone to getting cigarette burns and vodka stains on it. I got it for only LL 50,000 which was a really good deal for the dress. This place is right next to Nando's on Hamra, and it's called Vittoria.

The next shop was the one that blew my mind. I went back yesterday and was slightly disappointed. Half of the store was filled with fake Louis Vuitton and Chanel purses, which means that you can't really ensure that the quality of the pieces they have will be any good. However, the fluorescent purses that I mentioned yesterday were going for $100 whereas the "better quality" ones (I guess) were going for about $200-$300. So if you don't mind carrying it around for only one season, it's worth buying it from this store. They also have a lot of cute bracelets with leather straps. I think that everyone should at least check it out once, because if you look hard enough you'll definitely find something you like. This store is located across the street from Marrouch, but a little further down from it, it's called Lolita Bijoux.

And that is Hamra street covered. Tomorrow there will be a special post concerning an entire new wardrobe which I will be receiving today (FINALLY!!!) and after that I will continue my shopping guide, next target: Saifi Village.

"Anyone can get dressed up and glamorous, but it is how people dress on their days off that are the most intriguing." 

- Alexander Wang

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Day 1: Hamra

Yesterday I took a walk down Hamra street, looking at all the different stores that were there. I did see a few that I liked, some were the cliche stores that everyone enjoys going to, and others were not as noticed.

A store that I feel all girls should go to is Pieces. It's an accessory shop that everybody in Lebanon should know, since it's the jewelry that is usually found in Vero Moda, except now they have an entire section for themselves. They have a lot of cute things for very affordable prices. I bought myself a waist belt with a little ribbon in the middle for only LL 25,000... so worth it!

Of course, then comes H&M. I worked at H&M for around 2 months in the summer of 2007 (outside of Lebanon), and when I had gone to H&M here during its first month of being open, I noticed that a lot of the items were old season pieces that they were trying to get rid of. Now, though, it is finally in-sync with the branches abroad and are up to date with the latest collections. Again, they have very affordable prices for pieces that are practical to have for every day wear.

Further down Hamra, I saw a few unknown stores that caught my eye. These stores are the kind that you have to go to with a bucket of patience, because you might go through an entire rack of dresses that you would never think of wearing, and finally come across an absolutely beautiful piece. Today, I am going to take yet another stroll down Hamra street and devote my attention to those places, what they're called, and where they're exactly located.

Another store I enjoy going into is towards the end of Hamra street and onto Sadat Street. If you walk up that street, slightly forward from Mashrou7a, there's a little boutique called Catwalk. They frequently change their window display, and every time I walk by there's always a dress that I'm interested in. The price range is reasonable, with dresses averaging at the price of $100. So if you're looking for a dress to wear at night for a dinner or party, Catwalk would be a great place to look.

Finally, the store that blew my mind. I had done my shopping and was walking around, not paying attention to the stores, until I saw THE store. The only problem is this: I cannot remember the name of the store! I do remember where it is though, so I am taking the responsibility of going back today, getting the name of the store and taking my time looking around in there. It is a little hole in the wall in from of Marroush, and I did not expect to see the pieces that were available there. Everything was so bright and so fresh. They had the bright fluorescent coloured shoulder bags that you can just sling on across your chest (going for $100 each). From the window I also saw a lot of interesting jewelry and clutch purses. Seeing as this has been my longest description of a store in this post, it is obvious how excited I got when I found it. I am dragging myself back down there today for a more detailed post about it (along with all the other unknown stores that I mentioned earlier) tomorrow.

In conclusion, it doesn't really seem like it from the outside, but dig deep within Hamra and you will find stores you had never noticed existed. Check back tomorrow for a post on unnoticed stores in Hamra.

"Every day is a fashion show 

and the world is your runway."

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Mission: Where to Shop

I had become accustomed to leaving all of my shopping for when I go back home. I usually travel back from Beirut, do all my shopping for the upcoming season, and come back. This year came as a shock to me, as I was not able to fly back home to do my spring shopping. Because of this, I am going on another mission.

One of the advantages of shopping back home is that I can shop with my mother, and therefore I did not really limit my purchases to essential pieces that can be worn more than once in different ways. So, when I tried shopping here on my own, it was a complete disaster. Over the next two days, I am going on Mission: Where to Shop. I am going to cover Hamra street and Saifi Village, in search of shops with items that university students like myself can make use of.

I will be looking for single affordable pieces that can be worn multiple times and can be manipulated into a number of different looks, along with looking for pieces that I feel are "must-haves". In short, my next two blog posts will be shopping guides for university students in Lebanon, suffering from the "shopping confusion" disease. I feel like somebody should take on this responsibility, and since I have gone through this disease and know how heartbreaking it can be for shopaholics, I am going to carry this responsibility.

Stay tuned for shopping updates, and a special blog post on Wednesday (details about this later).

"I don't do fashion, I am fashion."

- Coco Chanel

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