Middle Eastern restaurants in South America
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A
Amir
Serving some of Rio’s best Middle Eastern dishes, this enticing two-story restaurant near the beach offers consistently good plates of hummus, kaftas (savory meatballs), falafel and salads. Daytime crowds come for the buffet (R$33/45 on weekdays/weekends), while at night it’s à la carte.
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Yalla
Yalla is a small, quick-serving restaurant where you can pick up fresh tabouli or couscous salads, sandwiches on lavash bread (Shawarma, falafel, shish kebab) or pasties filled with ricotta, beef or spinach. Don’t miss baklava for dessert.
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Sarkis
There’s a reason this long-standing, Middle Eastern restaurant is still around – the food is awesome. For appetizers, don’t miss the boquerones (marinated sardines) or hojas de repollo rellenas (stuffed grape leaves). Follow up with lamb in yogurt sauce. At night a fortune teller reads diners’ coffee grounds.
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Empório Arabe
There are only a few tables inside this tiny restaurant in Leblon, but most people stop by just long enough to down a quick bite from the counter facing the sidewalk. Esfirras (triangular pies), filled with chicken, spinach or ricotta, make for a speedy snack on your way back from the beach.
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E
Jerusalem
This counter of Middle Eastern cuisine expertly dispenses falafels to take away or munch on the surrounding stools. Expect a bit of friendly banter with the owners, who like to practice their English - and watch out for the arak, a potent Middle Eastern shot that is also dished out here.
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Ali Baba
The tented ceiling, Persian carpets and minaret-shaped mirrors tick all the right boxes in tasteful Middle Eastern restaurant decor. The really authentic part is the food, which goes from classics like falafel and Moroccan-style chicken to more intriguing fare like stuffed lamb intestines.
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La Zete
Adorned with posters from Syria and Lebanon, this Middle Eastern restaurant is the real deal, with delicious kepe (spiced minced meat), fried eggplant and a range of dips, among other temptations. The ample picada (sampler plate) for two is a journey in deliciousness.
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Sarah’s Esfihas
Great for a light snack, Sarah’s is a popular Middle Eastern joint with outdoor tables that fill at night with young people eating esfihas (fluffy breads topped or filled) to order. The quatro queijos (four-cheese esfiha) is divine.
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H
Club Social Arabe
This delightfully airy neocolonial restaurant with a lofty atrium and deferential waiters serves excellent Middle Eastern dishes – stuffed grape leaves, summer squash or red peppers and baklava – and equally good Chilean specialties.
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Al Amal
Tiny Al Amal only has a few tables, but whoever manages to score them is in for an excellent Middle Eastern experience. Expect to start with classics such as fresh hummus and tabouli before moving on to more substantial mains.
reviewed
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Arábia
Widely considered São Paulo's best Middle Eastern restaurant, Arábia sticks closely to classic recipes but stands out for their careful preparation and, above all the excellence and freshness of the ingredients.
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Beduíno
Reliably good food and excellent prices are Beduíno’s keys to success, with 30 different traditional Middle Eastern dishes to choose from. Favorites include grilled kafta, lamb stew, and rice and lentils.
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K'Sualmania
Run by a corps of kinetic young women, this spiffy little Middle Eastern joint has some of the finest falafels and tabaquitos (stuffed grape leaves) around. The menu is helpfully illustrated on the wall.
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Arabian Café
It’s not Jerusalem but considering the distance, you’ll be surprised at the job they do here with falafel and hummus at this legit Arab restaurant that considers lomo a lo pobre an ‘alternative dish.’
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El Turko I
Part of an ever-expanding Ottoman empire, this funky little joint serves a hungry crowd late-night kebabs and vegetarian Middle Eastern salads, with excellent coffee and sweet pastries during the day.
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Arab da Lagoa
One of numerous outdoor restaurants on the lake, this popular spot serves traditional Middle Eastern specialties such as hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, quibe and tasty thin-crust pizzas.
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Kabbab
A thousand-and-one variations on Persian kebabs served in an intimate space adjacent to the Palacio de Portales. Highlights include clay-oven flat bread, Turkish coffee and decent baklava.
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Yussef
Good Middle Eastern food with mixed vegetarian plates of Lebanese specialties like hummus, falafel, tabouli and baba ganoush. The extensive menu also has many meaty choices.
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Mega Doner
Conveniently located in Nueva Córdoba’s bar district, this place specializes in real giro doners. Daily lunch specials are an excellent deal and there’s outdoor seating.
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S
Kafta
This Middle Eastern eatery situated above a busy street market serves fresh and filling platters, including great veggie combos.
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Espetería
Madeira-style kebabs are grilled – and served – on swords at this stone-walled eatery opposite the Hannsi crafts store.
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Café Sharzab
Run by a friendly Iranian expat, this gem of a restaurant serves excellent, reasonably priced Persian meals.
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Laffa
A new hit on the street-food scene is Laffa, a lively little eatery where harried staff whip up satisfying, piping-hot grilled lamb or turkey shawarmas, falafel sandwiches or exotic inventions such as strawberry and Nutella wraps.
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