A week ago, I was sitting in my usual study cafe, and inspiration was escaping me; I couldn’t concentrate on my laptop screen long enough to get my work done. All the regulars would come up and say hello to me, maybe smoke a cigarette because I seemed bored and looked like I needed the company.

I nagged about this to a friend of mine, asking desperately if he knew a place I could go to and be left alone to mind my own business. And so he gave me a couple of places that didn’t seem to tickle my curiosity.. Until:

Dawawine.

For those of you who don’t know Dawawine, here’s a little bit of information spark some interest in your mind.

Dawawine is a nonprofit cultural center designed by architect Jihad Kiamé. The center houses a 32-seat movie theater (for rent), a little bistro serving all kinds of food and beverages, a floor to ceiling bookshelf full of books of different forms and sizes talking about film, dance, theater and music (giving you the opportunity to read any of the books free of charge) , and a conference room (also available for rent).

I heard it was cozy and relaxing, but that doesn’t begin to cover it. If you point your camera in any direction, you’ll think it was a different place. There’s a quiet section where you can study and/or read in peace, a couple of big tables for those big study groups of 5 people, some tables overlooking the cutest little terrace (and smoking area), not to mention some pretty comfortable couches in case you just want to have a coffee with some friends (I would recommend the minted lemonade, I can’t seem to get enough of it!).

Let’s not forget to mention the fun Saturday nights where you can enjoy a DJ turning up the music and giving you that well deserved break from the usual pubs of Mar Mkhayel.

The staff were more than helpful and friendly and were patiently answering my (endless) questions! All you have to do is come up to them with a smile 🙂

A home-away-from-home combined with a cafe, office and library, I now understand why so many friends encouraged me to visit it.

Location: Akar Building, Al Arez Street, 2nd Floor, Gemmayze, Beirut

Opening hours : 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday.

Facebook page: Dawawine

Phone number: 01 567705