Middle Eastern cuisine is the best in the world. You can’t tell us otherwise.
The fusion of hot and cold mezze, aromatic spices, versatile hummus, and plates for sharing with friends and family makes food not just a thing to eat but one of the most beautiful experiences in life.
The Middle Eastern food scene is so diverse that categorizing it into restaurants and types of dining experiences is probably the only way to decipher it. Here are the most common dining concepts you will find in the region.
There are many casual restaurants in the Middle East with laid-back ambiances and friendly staff, using nothing but the freshest ingredients to prepare quick and flavorful shawarmas, wraps, grilled meats, kebabs, and salads. Street food culture in the Middle East is an experience not to be missed!
Family-style restaurants with stunning views of skylines, coasts, and downtown neighborhoods are common in the Middle East. These restaurants are mainly Lebanese, Egyptian, or Palestinian, and it is here that you will find rice dishes, mezze, grilled meats, and stews that reflect the true traditions and wholesome environment of the Middle East.
Michelin-star and fine-dining restaurants in the Middle East are the prime example of a luxurious dining experience. These restaurants always experiment with traditional Middle Eastern flavors, giving them unique twists using rich spices like saffron, premium cuts of meat, or specially crafted cocktails. Plus, the ambiance of these venues captivates you with a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience.
Middle Eastern fusion cuisine restaurants mostly combine traditional Middle Eastern flavors with American, Asian, or Mediterranean flavors, such as baked fish with tahini sauce, chickpeas with spinach and yogurt, roast chicken with sumac flatbread, kushiyaki, etc. These fusion cuisine restaurants also bring unique concepts to the table, such as plant-based menus.
Cafes and tea houses are so frequently visited in the Middle East that many of them remain open 24/7. Most of these cafes and coffee shops thrive on an ambiance that promotes relaxation, socializing, and productivity by offering free internet connection, cozy ambiance, and the strongest teas and coffees with delicious bites like pastries, croissants, and baklava.
Middle Eastern cuisine already heavily relies on plant-based dining, but this concept has been taken up a notch by vegan and vegetarian restaurants. These restaurants will serve you the most delicious falafel, baba ganoush, hummus, and legumes-based recipes that will make you forget what meat tastes like.
Buffet-style restaurants and all-you-can-eat dining concepts are a great way to indulge in a variety of Middle Eastern and other cuisines without breaking the bank. In one restaurant, you can have everything from mezze to tiramisu, lamb and chicken kebabs to sushi, and these buffet offers, from breakfast to dinner, are extremely pocket-friendly as well.
There are many specialty restaurants in the Middle East focusing on one cuisine or cooking method. For example, you will find many Korean restaurants in Dubai, steakhouses and Italian restaurants in Abu Dhabi, rooftop bars and lounges in Egypt, etc.
In the Middle East, you will find some of the most luxurious poolside bars and beach clubs. They serve the best cocktails and crystal clear, picturesque pool waters that pulsate with social energy, nightlife, and the trendiest parties in town. You will find most of these beach clubs and poolside bars in exclusive hotels and resorts and along the coastline, and Dubai is the #1 destination when it comes to this glamorous dining scene.
Rooftop lounges offer spectacular views of the Middle East, and they are located in some of the most expensive and chic locations, like soaring high floors of 5-star hotels. Whether you are there for sky-high views of the city or feasting on creative drinks, there is nothing else like rooftop lounges and bars that can offer you a better nightlife experience in the Middle East.
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