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…
Must-see restaurants in Middle East
Mitzpe Ramon
Famed throughout the Negev Highlands for its scrumptious artisanal breads, made with full-grain wheat, rye and spelt and without preservatives, this…
Jericho
Next to the main square, this local favourite serves the best roast chicken in the West Bank, period. It is double the price for a sit-down meal versus…
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…
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…
Hezardestan Traditional Teahouse
Mashhad
Hezardestan is one of Iran’s most beautiful teahouse-restaurants, with a museum-like basement full of of carpets, samovars, antique metalwork and…
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…
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…
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…
Southeastern Iran
Architecturally magnificent, this elegantly arched subterranean teahouse was built as a bathhouse in 1820. Live music – typically a singer accompanied by…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Liwa Oasis
You really don't get more romantic than sitting on Suhail's terrace with the rolling dunes as your backdrop. The Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort's fine-dining…
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…
Iran
Run by clued-up, English-speaking mountaineer Amir, this cosy log-cabin-style restaurant serves up excellent kababs, braised lamb shanks and vegetable…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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 …
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…
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…
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…
Ras Al Khaimah
Don't be put off by the humble looks of this hospitable haunt: its mandi (slow-roasted chicken or lamb served with rice and chilli sauce) is among the…
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
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…
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…
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…
Bandar Abbas
This trendy institution with colourful tables offers a wide choice of savoury appetisers and mains at very palatable prices. For a quick bite, opt for a…
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 –…
Mashhad
Part of an impressive cultural complex, this memorable restaurant serves kababs, trout and huge bowls of mirza ghasemi (IR160,000) within the spacious…
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…
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…
Al Zahiyah & Al Maryah Island
How good is this 1920s Chicago–inspired steakhouse at Four Seasons Abu Dhabi? We don't have enough space to tell you. American chef Marshall Roth sources…
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…
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…
