Rue Gouraud is a mixed residential and commercial street in Gemmayzeh, a neighborhood in the Rmeil district of Beirut in Lebanon. It is named after French General Henri Gouraud. Gemmayze, and Rue Gouraud specifically, competes with the trendy village-type neighborhood of Badaro, as one of Beirut’s bohemian quarters. the district is full of narrow streets and historic buildings from the French era. The neighborhood is well known today for its trendy bars and pubs, cafes, restaurants and lounges, most of which are directly located on Rue Gouraud.
Rue Gouraud is known especially for its culinary scene that is popular with Beirut’s fashionistas. The street runs east of Beirut Central District and the Saifi Village, extending from Avenue Georges Haddad and reaching the Corniche du Fleuve. In 2004, Travel + Leisure magazine called the street “SoHo by the Sea,” due to its colorful and chic cafés amid 1950’s apartment buildings and “hole-in-the-wall” shops.
Adjacent to Rue Gouraud are the Saint Nicolas Stairs, also known as Escalier de l’Art, where art festivals are held every year. The stairs lead to Rue Sursock further to the South. The area is also within walking distance from Rue Monnot and the Saifi Village.
Rue Gouraud and the rest of Gemmayzeh were damaged extensively in the 2020 Beirut explosions, which destroyed many buildings.
[responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These cou...
