Seafood restaurants in Middle East
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Fatoush
Set up like a medieval Arabic house, complete with burgundy cushions, nargileh (water pipes) and candle lamps, Fatoush is an atmospheric and popular restaurant serving a fusion of Western and Middle Eastern cuisine. It's named after a kind of salad eaten by poor people of the Levant - a Middle Eastern version of peasant pie - but there is much more to the menu than fatoush.
Try the aroos al-wadi (pride of the valley), baked bread topped with minced calf meat, or tasty seafood dishes. You can dine inside a cavernous underground chamber or, in pleasant weather, it's just as nice to eat under the olive trees on the street-side patio.
reviewed
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B
Manta Ray
Spectacularly set on the beach, Manta Ray combines a five-star seafood menu, attentive service and Mediterranean views. Pick a few dishes off the mezze platter (we liked the goat cheese and the eggplant) and then enjoy a main course of roasted scallops, sea bass fillet, grilled shrimp or a juicy steak. It's also a great place for breakfast.
reviewed
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C
Pisces & P2 Brasserie
Stylish and slick Pisces is Dubai’s top table for seafood. The chef has a knack for eking out intensely bright flavours from his ingredients; dishes are elegantly light and melt on the palate. We’re not too keen on his overdependence on foams and nages, but with talent this good, we can forgive a few idiosyncrasies. The understated dining room echoes the colours of the sea: wear blue-grey Armani and blend right in. (No sneakers.) Note: there’s a cheaper, more accessible menu upstairs at the adjoining less-formal French brasserie. Think duck confit and mussels marinière.
reviewed
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D
Sayad
This swish seafood restaurant at Emirates Palace is a stunner. While the whimsical interior with its fabulous blue-lit interior (designed to make you feel like you're underwater) can be distracting, the creative seafood dishes easily command your attention. From its champagne trolley and caviar menu to its impeccable attentive service, this is a memorable restaurant that you should save for that last night of the trip or special celebration.
The mixed appetiser plate with tuna carpaccio with foie gras and truffles, lobster salad with sevruga caviar, and veal carpaccio was a work of art.
reviewed
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E
Pierchic
Looking for a place to drop an engagement ring into a glass of champagne? Make reservations for this stunning seafood house at the end of a long pier jutting out to sea. The best tables line the outdoor decks and provide drop-dead-gorgeous vistas of the Burj al-Arab and Madinat Jumeirah. The food is solidly good, but the overambitious menu gets a little heavy-handed with its ingredient combinations; order simple and you’ll fare better. But with so much romance, you’ll hardly notice what you’re eating. Note: sitting inside defeats the purpose of coming here.
reviewed
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F
Jacko Seafood
Something of a Haifa institution, Jacko has been a consistent purveyor of seafood dishes for the past 30 years. Top marks to the excellent fish dishes, including salmon, bream, bass, shark, triggerfish and St Peter's fish. These can be prepared a half-dozen ways; try the house speciality, the Jacko, cooked in butter, garlic and white wine. Other underwater critters (calamari, crab or shrimp) are also available, plus there are grilled Turkish kebabs.
Note that there is another Jacko at Carmel Centre on 11 Moriah Blvd.
reviewed
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Mina House Floating Restaurant
This is an old favourite but recent travellers' reports suggest that it's now become more of a local male hang-out, so lone women might want to get a second opinion before heading out here. The restaurant is on a boat moored (or rather cemented) to the shore south of Aqaba castle. The fish is good considering it is always freshly caught, and not frozen as in some other Aqaba restaurants. The setting is very pleasant, with good views over the gulf to Eilat and Taba.
reviewed
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G
Hashmura 1872
The premier dining address in the German Colony, Hashmura 1872 does a range of pasta, chicken, steak and lamb dishes, but the speciality is seafood. Shrimp, carpaccio (thinly sliced raw fish) or squid starters cost around ₪39 to around ₪55, and salmon, bream or mussel mains are around ₪72 to around ₪80.
A glass floor reveals the extensive wine cellar in the historic 1872 basement, where there's also an atmospheric pub.
reviewed
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H
Last Refuge
If you're planning on a seafood dinner while you're in Eilat, locals and returning Israelis have been wholeheartedly recommending this cosy but kitsch fish restaurant for over 20 years. Try the catch of the day grilled over the charcoals or the spicy crab speciality, or tuck into seafood soups a Bostonian would be impressed with. Order ahead for specials such as lobster; in fact, ring ahead anyway, especially if you want a table on a Friday night.
reviewed
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Al-Mahara
A lift posing as a submarine deposits you at a gold-leaf-clad tunnel leading you to Dubai’s most unique restaurant. Diners sit around a huge circular aquarium where clownfish flit and baby sharks dart as their sea bass and halibut cousins are being…devoured. Surreal yes, but at least the quality measures up to the hype. Patrons seem to include a disproportionate number of sheikhs, oligarchs and lissome blondes. Bring that platinum card.
reviewed
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Donianan
Raising the bar for dining experiences in Akko, this upscale restaurant impresses with its beautifully presented appetisers and selection of fresh seafood meals. The grilled fish is the obvious choice but you could also try calamari, mussels or crab. Meat lovers may prefer the tender, marinated steak, complemented by a Golan wine. The restaurant enjoys spectacular views from its location atop the ramparts, next to Galileo restaurant.
reviewed
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J
Silk Road Restaurant
One of Aqaba's finest restaurants, this is a great place to blow the budget or celebrate a special occasion. It would be a false economy not to try the delicious seafood salads, chowders or main courses. There are three attractive dining areas, with traditional low seating, and nightly (Russian!) belly-dancers in summer which you can easily enjoy or escape. There's also an extensive, reasonably priced wine and alcohol list.
reviewed
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K
Le Petit Phoenicien
Also known locally as 'Hadeed', after the family that owns and runs it, this is considered the best place for seafood in Tyre. With a nice location overlooking the water and friendly staff, it's a great place to linger over a long, languid lunch while watching the fishing boats. Along the same lines, though without the sea view, the Salinas restaurant, just next to Rest House, comes highly recommended by locals.
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L
Karamba's Fish Restaurant
Karamba's Fish Restaurant is another Promenade restaurant that makes a killing from their overpriced fish and meat grills, but there's nothing unpleasant about a table by the water and a taste of the Sea of Galilee speciality - St Peter's fish. It's a bony little fish but has a mild white flesh that even fish-haters seem to like, and is served grilled or fried with a pile of chips and salad.
reviewed
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Habara Snacks & Fish
No-one could fail to enjoy the name of the best diner in Adliya with its cheery streamers of plastic flowers. And there's more than just the name to enjoy: try the fish and chips (around BD2) or pluck up courage for the liver with cheese sandwich.If you're looking for pudding and don't fancy the carrot with ice-cream juice, pop into Al-Jazeera supermarket next door.
reviewed
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Finz
With a divine waterfront location in a wooden A-frame beach house with verandas over the azure sea, Finz serves up some of the finest seafood in town. Highlights when we visited were the tuna tartare with lemon capers, crème fraiche and oestra caviar; the sesame crusted oysters with miso; and the grilled sea scallops with tomato and basil ice cream. Sublime.
reviewed
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O
Peppercrab
If you’ve never had Singaporean food, Peppercrab is perfect for surrendering your virginity. Prepare your palate with plump wonton and crunchy baby squid, then don an apron and get ready to do battle with the main event: the eponymous ‘peppercrab’ – a succulent, flaky, tender crustacean paired with a feisty, pepper-laced sauce that’s a virtual flavour bomb.
reviewed
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P
Benny the Fisherman
Sit on the deck and enjoy the sun setting over the harbour at this picturesque seafood restaurant. It's part of the newly renovated Old Port area, and while it still relatively new on the scene, it has won a popular following for the grilled fish, shrimp and calamari. Portions are large and the service is excellent.
reviewed
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Q
Baliq
Fish, fish, fish. Fresh whole fish, fish kababs, fish köfte balls in the IR20,000 salad bar, fishing nets on the ceiling, little aquariums between the tables and even fish-shaped souvenir pens. Standards are excellent, the enticing décor includes log-and-rope chairs and a cave-wall trickling with water.
reviewed
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Abu Christo
One of the oldest restaurants in town, this institution has been serving kebabs and fish for six decades. The family that runs it still turns up each day to greet patrons and serve up any number of seafood dishes. The restaurant is located at one of the former city gates, built in the 18th century.
reviewed
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Al Salam Restaurant
Many locals swear that this is the place for fish and seafood. However, with restrictions sometimes imposed on fishermen, fish dishes may also be suspended temporarily from the menu. In that case, opt for one of the grilled chicken dishes, which are extremely tasty, too.
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Aquara
The views of fancy yachts and a forest of sleek high-rises impress almost as much as the Asian-infused fare at this chic seafood shrine that’s always packed to the gills thanks to dock-fresh ingredients and flawlessly crafted plates. The Friday brunch is hugely popular.
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House
Author John Le Carré broke the Sabbath by dining across the road from the Pagoda at the House. The two restaurants are essentially the same but the House is open on Friday nights and Saturday lunch - sans shellfish and pork of course.
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Tche Café
This stylish and modern venue, near to Starbucks, has one of the few seafront views in Muscat. It is on the pricy side but the locally caught fish on the menu will probably tempt you to savour the ocean for longer than the intended iced latte.
reviewed
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Silver Shore
Easily the best seafood restaurant in town, this place specialises in dishes accompanied by its own secret-recipe hot sauce. Strangely, it closes fairly early in the evening, but makes a great choice for a long lunch.
reviewed
