Café restaurants in Middle East
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D'Arcy's Kitchen
Next to the Omani Heritage Gallery, this friendly and award-winning establishment serves Western favourites at reasonable prices and is open when most other cafés are taking a siesta. An English breakfast will set you up well for a 'constitutional' along the nearby beach.
reviewed
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Khargeen Café
With a choice of open-air, majlis-style dining or a cosy, indoor coffee-and-a-chat, this café-cum-coffeehouse has spilt into a courtyard of lighted trees to make a wonderfully relaxed, atmospheric and Arabian experience. With hubbly-bubblies croaking, fountains splashing, kebabs sizzling and people propped on a variety of cushions and throws, this could almost be part of a Bedouin caravan. Try the hibiscus or cacao drinks or the avocado milkshake.
reviewed
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A
Blue Fig Café
Travellers always seem to appreciate the global coffeehouse vibe in this supercool place near Abdoun Circle, which offers an extensive and imaginative mix of world fusion dishes. Throw in some seductive world music and the occasional poetry reading, and you’ve got a winner. And, honestly, where else could you get a ‘Kyoto green tea and mint flavoured crème brulée’?
reviewed
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Seray-e Mehr Teahouse
This is a serendipitous place to find after wandering through the Bazar-e Vakil. Hidden away through a small door behind the Serai Mushir Bazar, the split-level teahouse has a small menu of tasty favourites (think dizi, kubideh, zereshk polo ) and a delightfully relaxed atmosphere in which to sit, sip tea and puff on qalyan.
reviewed
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B
Beit Jabri
Popular with locals and tourists alike, this casual café in the lovely courtyard of a splendid old Damascene house serves up Syrian standards like mezze and kebabs, alongside international dishes such as 'beef stricanof'. Locals mainly come for the sheesha and coffee, but the fresh juices are delicious.
reviewed
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C
Basta Art Cafe
A cool respite while exploring the Bastakia Quarter, this charmer takes over the backyard of an old Dubai house. The food is respectable cafe fare – the crunchy salads are refreshing on a hot day – but it’s the sun-dappled garden that makes this place special. Good breakfasts. No credit cards.
reviewed
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D
Hediard
This Abu Dhabi branch of the elegant French chocolatier and patisserie chain, established in 1854, has proven to be popular with Emiratis - the men love to linger and read the paper over lunch, while the wives like to drop in for coffee and petit fours between shops.
reviewed
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E
Al-Mallah
Dependably sublime chicken and lamb shwarmas. The juicy chicken is loaded with pungent garlic sauce and jammed with pickles; lamb is tender with tons of fresh tomato, parsley, pickles and hummus. Great felafel, too.
reviewed
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F
The Conservatory
One of the oldest cafés in Manama, this has earned a fine reputation for its excellent teas and homely atmosphere. Step through the door of the town house and it feels like stepping into a secret garden.
reviewed
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G
Casa Blu
This fashionable Arabic-style café has a personality as large as the giant TV screens suspended from the ceilings. Antique typewriters, tills, cameras and gadgetry strewn around the walls will keep you occupied if your companion's conversation doesn't. The plush divans, kofta kebabs (around BD3), sheeshas (around BD3) and live hip hop music add to the mixed-messages of this quirky venue. Dress code stipulates 'no thawb without gutra' - in other words, don't wear shorts.
Bare legs are not the only things stopped at the door: the 'blue' in the title discourages 'evil eye' from entering too.
reviewed
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H
Lime Tree Café
Herbivore or meathead, no matter your persuasion, your tastebuds will love the carefully composed salads, imaginative wraps and perky smoothies (try the blueberry) at this expat favourite on the Jumeirah strip. Other assets are its use of fresh ingredients, including some organic produce, and the wholesome cooking, just how the yoga mammas, power shoppers and health nuts like it. Portions are generous, prices good, and the carrot cake the best in town. Also in the China Court in Ibn Battuta Mall.
reviewed
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I
More
The latest outpost of this local mini-chain is a jazzy, industrial-flavoured space in Dubai Mall that draws a congenial mix of locals, expats and tourists. The menu hopscotches around the world – from Thai curries and Italian pastas to Dutch pancakes and fat burgers. The execution is okay, but if it sounds too experimental, skip it. Breakfast is served all day. There’s another branch near the Al-Murooj Rotana Hotel and one at the Gold & Diamond Park.
reviewed
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J
T'mol
This bohemian café has its own literary subculture and popular following. Regulars here tend to be poets, writers and journalists who come not only for the excellent soups and sandwiches but also to swap stories and listen to impromptu acoustic concerts. If you get bored staring at your food you can pluck a book off a shelf. This is also a good place ask the staff about cultural events in town. Is a gay-friendly meeting place.
reviewed
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K
Bialik Café
A unique café, this place is larger than most, with high ceilings and diner-style seating. The food ranges from excellent to amazing, and if you aren't too hungry they offer the same dishes in tapas-sized portions (for half the price). Try the salmon and teriyaki tapas or the entrecote (beef) skewers. They have free wi-fi access, live music most nights and a 'happy hour' from 16:00 to 22:00 that sees discounted drinks.
reviewed
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L
Café Noah
Popular with writers, poets, pundits and other folk desperately attempting avoid a nine-to-five job, Noah has well-worn wood floors a small library and dozens of dusty old National Geographics. The menu offers salads, sandwiches and all-day breakfast. For a healthy treat try to the quinoa salad, prepared with a type of grain indigenous to South America. There's live jazz every Sunday. Free wi-fi internet access.
reviewed
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M
Ayola Coffee Shop & Bar
If you want a toasted sandwich (JD2), Turkish coffee (JD1), glass of arak with locals, or simply a cosy perch on which to while away some time with fellow travellers, then this is the place to come. With festoons of hand-loomed kilims draped from the ceiling, creeping vines and the aroma of sheesha (water pipe) it captures the very essence of Jordan. There’s free internet access if you have a laptop.
reviewed
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Downtown
You're more likely to hear French being spoken than Arabic at this hip contemporary café. It has sleek Scandinavian-style décor (think chocolate wood and clean lines) and the most decadently delicious sandwiches, salads and fresh juices in Damascus. Try the caviar en croute sandwich with cucumber, dill, caviar, cream cheese and a boiled egg, and the strawberry and blackberry juice.
reviewed
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Homa
Combining the atmosphere of a teahouse with the calm elegance of an upmarket restaurant, Homa has embroidered tablecloths and blue-brick dining niches ranged around a gently trickling fountain. Though not a patch on homemade equivalents, the semi-sweet fesenjun (IR30,000) is ideally complemented by their acidic dugh (churned sour milk or yogurt mixed with water).
reviewed
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O
Shine
This neighbourhood café, occupying a lovely spot under the trees, has a minimalist interior of white walls and silver trim, although most people prefer the outdoor patio. It attracts a young, smart set who mingle over brunch, drinking cappuccinos with soy milk or champagne cocktails. The menu is mainly light salads and sandwiches. Vegetarians will enjoy the curry tofu.
reviewed
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Ristretto
As its name implies, this small café serves good strong espresso shots. It also serves some of the best breakfast eggs and pancakes in town, and is an excellent place to cure that Rue Monot-induced hangover. Its lunch menu changes every day: if you're a homesick Brit, check if their Friday special is fish and chips with tartare sauce.
reviewed
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Hammam-e Khan
Down a few stairs from the bazaar (look for the sign), this old bathhouse is now a genuinely local teahouse, complete with tweeting birds, neon lights, disco ball, plastic-covered cushions and…locals (plus the odd Iranian tourist). Be sure to specify if you only want tea, not the accompanying biscuits and dates, which cost extra.
reviewed
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Lacasta Café & More
Lattakia's multitasking locals sip excellent espresso coffee as they puff on nargileh and tuck into delicious cakes, crepes and desserts at this stylish café with white leather sofas and enormous glass windows. Sweets are prominent, but the friendly staff also serve up sandwiches and mezze, along with beer and alcoholic cocktails.
reviewed
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Mint Living Restaurant & Café
- Doha, Qatar
- Restaurants › Café
If you've reached the limit of your fascination for Middle Eastern food, one international-style venue that is worth singling out for a mention is The Mint. With Ron Arad furniture and other top artists featured in the interior design, this is an ultrahip location for a coffee and exotic sandwich, or for the full fusion experience.
reviewed
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Q
Stop & Go
The doughnuts may not always be today’s, but the frank and thoroughly likeable owner is the first to tell you as much – while he fills you in on the gossip of Madaba. A cup of coffee in the upper gallery of this tiny cafe is like the pause for tea in a carpet shop: an essential experience of being in town.
reviewed
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La Casa
Popular with middle-class Damascenes, who hang out here for hours playing backgammon and smoking sheesha, this is one of the few places where you'll see local girls drinking nonalcoholic beer. The menu features sandwiches and pastas, but the big fresh salads are the local dish of choice. No alcohol or credit cards.
reviewed
