Must-see restaurants in Middle East

  • Globe Lounge

    Riyadh

    One of five restaurants in Al Faisaliah Tower, the Globe Lounge has spectacular views that make it the most romantic spot in town. Cosy and dimly lit,…

  • Dolphin Bar & Restaurant

    Oman

    This sea-salted restaurant, with its open-air terrace overlooking the sea, has a licence to serve alcohol, something of a rarity in Oman's hinterland. A…

  • Mir Mohanna

    Kish Island

    This perennial fave, with large windows overlooking the beach, serves exciting fish dishes and shrimp as well as excellent salads. The food is super fresh…

  • Restaurant Doorchin

    Iran

    Nice and airy, the Doorchin has a delicious modern take on Iranian favourites. The soup is elegantly spiced, the yogurt fresh and piquant, and the service…

  • Oriental Restaurant

    Wadi Musa

    This main-street favourite offers tasty grills and Jordanian fare, such as mensaf (Bedouin dish of lamb on a bed of rice). The outdoor terrace, bedecked…

  • Fish Restaurant

    Iran

    Fresh whole fish are chargrilled over a small footpath brazier outside a tiny, no-name restaurant. The smell of succulent roasting fish will lead you…

  • Sarwa Street Kitchen

    East Jerusalem

    Sarwa Street Kitchen is a chill place to loiter with a quiet coffee, juice, meal or beer. The kitchen offers a range of freshly prepared dishes, from…

  • Tamara

    Tel Aviv

    Indulgent but delicious, Tamara, near Gordon Beach, is the best frozen yoghurt in town (and there are a few to contend with). Enjoy your cup plain or…

  • Tamara

    Tel Aviv

    Like its other branch on Ben Yehuda St, Tamara offers the best frozen yoghurt in Tel Aviv. Located on the corner of Rothschild Blvd and Nahalat Binyamin…

  • Cafe Sonati Tadaion

    Iran

    This charming family restaurant makes delightful use of a domed cellar room off the rear courtyard of the historic Tadayon House (in which you'll also…

  • Hamam-e Vakil Chaykhaneh

    Southeastern Iran

    Architecturally magnificent, this elegantly arched subterranean teahouse was built as a bathhouse in 1820. Live music – typically a singer accompanied by…

  • Arte

    Tel Aviv

    No ordinary ice-cream shop, Arte sells bona fide gelato in the heart of the Nahalat Binyamin Crafts Market. Run by chefs Stefania Pagani and Marco…

  • Haret Jdoudna

    Madaba

    Popular with locals and discerning diners from Amman, and set in a restored Ottoman house, this restaurant is always worth a visit. Sit indoors by a…

  • Mostofi Restaurant & Museum

    Iran

    Take your shoes off and relax under the palms as you soak up the view of Shadorvan Bridge from the airy courtyard dining platforms of this restored Qajar…

  • Zendegi

    Iran

    This upmarket restaurant occupies several small rooms and two open terraces in the fountain-centred Zendegi House, a 180-year-old miller/trader's mansion…

  • Shababeek

    Sharjah

    This chic space serves up contemporary Levantine dishes with creative flourishes. The mezze is what you want to focus on here, with beetroot and walnut…

  • Koohestan

    Iran

    Run by clued-up, English-speaking mountaineer Amir, this cosy log-cabin-style restaurant serves up excellent kababs, braised lamb shanks and vegetable…

  • Serei Uncle Idris

    Saudi Arabia

    Soldiers, Yemenis, elderly uncles and local shebab (teenage boys) all arrive wanting the best Sudanese food in town: most will ask for the superb lahm…

  • Shamsol Emare

    Southeastern Iran

    A series of private dining spaces with carpeted floor-seating, elbow cushions and fireplaces for winter evenings are ranged around a pretty fountain yard,…

  • Al Turathi

    Saudi Arabia

    Located in a beautiful mock traditional house, this part-museum, part-restaurant is stocked with vintage and antique items across its two storeys. There's…

  • Restaurant Fish

    East Jerusalem

    With uniformed waitstaff and white tablecloths, the Restaurant Fish is refined for a bus-station-adjacent spot. Tasty calamari and shrimp (fried, grilled…

  • Khoone

    Tehran

    The next best thing to getting invited to a Tehrani's home for a meal is sampling the lovingly made dishes at this cute, cosy cafe. Khoone means 'home' in…

  • Kolbeh Darvish

    Kish Island

    This much-lauded eatery specialising in traditional Iranian food is the perfect place to try out kubide kabab (minced mutton, breadcrumbs and onion,…

  • Kourosh

    Iran

    The easiest place to sample the delights of Gilani cuisine is the centrally located Kourosh. Start with the murky-looking but very tasty zeitun parvardeh …

  • La Vie Cafe

    Ramallah

    Tucked away on a quiet street just 10 minutes' walk from Al Manara, this place has a diverse menu of pasta, pizza and sandwiches, with much of its produce…

  • Shater Abbas

    Shiraz

    This restaurant is housed in a vast dining hall with giant murals on the wall and canteen-style salad bars. Hot bread is made near the entrance, luring…

  • Port Sa'id

    Tel Aviv

    The mothership for inner-city hipsters, this restaurant-bar next to the Great Synagogue is decorated with a library of vinyl records on wooden shelves and…

  • Zozobra

    Israel

    Much more than a noodle bar, Zozobra is based on the concept of top Israeli chef Avi Conforti and his love of Eastern cuisine. It offers the usual papaya…

  • Al Ula Heritage Restaurant

    Al Ula

    This busy little restaurant is set in a mock-traditional house, as so many serving local Saudi food tend to be. The key draw though is the cook making…

  • S.P.U Restaurant

    Tehran

    One of the pleasures of a visit to leafy Darakeh, high in northern Tehran, is to enjoy a meal at its riverside restaurants. This is the best one, with…

  • Kaleng

    Qeshm Island

    Feel the sand between your toes at this casual family-run shack soothingly positioned right on the beach on Hengam Island. It serves only fresh fish and…

  • Sofrakhane Sonati Qaleh

    Southeastern Iran

    Although the menu is somewhat standard Iranian fare, dining in small alcove rooms within Birjand's restored castle makes for a memorable experience –…

  • Nebo Restaurant & Terrace

    Mt Nebo

    The spectacular view and warm welcome from the owners make this restaurant worth a trip to Mt Nebo in its own right. The panoramic windows and the roof…

  • Al Ayed

    East Jerusalem

    Hands down, the best lamb kebab sandwich for the money in Jerusalem. The falafel and hummus and other specialities like barbecue chicken with salads and…

  • Bu!

    Abu Dhabi

    Book ahead for a table at this trendy pan-Latin restaurant-bar, an anchor of the dining and nightlife tower inside the World Trade Center Mall known as…

  • T’mol Shilshom

    Jerusalem

    Whether you settle into the book-lined interior or the shaded courtyard, T'mol Shilshom is one of Jerusalem's most relaxing brunch spots. This friendly…

  • The Croft

    Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah

    Chef Darren Velvick flies the flag for modern British cooking at this relaxed restaurant with an open kitchen and spacious terrace overlooking the lights…

  • Ishtabach

    Jerusalem

    Ishtabach, like other places on this bustling street on Mahane Yehuda's outskirts, is a crowded, hip and lively nighttime spot, but nowhere else offers…

  • Tamba

    Abu Dhabi

    Despite the mall location this is a classy, dim-lit joint that takes the flavours of the subcontinent and adds contemporary tweaks. Get stuck into masala…

  • MIA Park Cafe

    Doha

    Glorious views of the city's modern skyline from a pretty, calm spot in the park. Tables and chairs are positioned on a patio opposite the bay, with…

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