Food

Food is everywhere in Syria, from street sellers, roadside cafes/bakeries and then upmarket converted old city houses.  Within Damascus (but outside the old city) there are also several Italian restaurants and also modern shopping malls with Mc Donald’s, KFC and various other multinational outlets as well as a supermarket that stocks anything you would find in a standard UK supermarket.

Street sellers

You can always get fresh corn on the cob, and monkey nuts, which are particularly good. There are also a large number of juice stalls with great banana milkshakes and I also came across a great roast chicken seller. Obviously the Kebabs are totally different from the poor UK imitations.

One warning if you eat in one of the parks - there are some lovely ones - expect to feed the cats as well - it seems to be a local custom!

A date shop in Allepo

 

Roadside cafes/Bakeries

Roadside cafes sell the rolled up fresh sandwiches, interestingly no matter what variety you ask for you will usually find chips added! The Bakery on the corner of al-Quimariyeh and Shahbander street makes fantastic chocolate or cheese croissants and is always open.

There is also a type of Syrian mini pizza available which comes with many toppings, I particularly liked the vegetarian ones, which have an incredibly salty cheese, olives and hot peppers on them. One of the best was along Touma street near the Touma Gate (‘Bab’).  The bakers there were always frenetically working, smoking and watching football on the TV.

Restaurants in old Damascus

Many of the old houses in the old city have been converted to restaurants which are nearly always family run.  Two I particularly liked were Al-Khawali and Jabri House (http://www.sourianet.com/jabrihouse/index.html ). Al-Khawali is easy to find but Jabri house (which tends to have more local people in it) is hidden away I have tried to indicate it on the map. First go through the tunnel near the Omayyad Mosque (marked to the palace restaurant – which I have never visited) and turn left at the end your best bet is to ask someone, who will probably end up taking you there, typical Syrian hospitality.

  
Al KWalli

Coffee houses/Restaurants outside the old city

One of the nicest I found was ‘ Dilice’ http://www.sourianet.com/dilicerestaurant/index.html it has an extensive menu –  including great ice creams but ignore some of the translations ‘Stuffed Limbs’ is actually Pizza?  Another good place for afternoon tea is the Damascus coffee house along Masaloun st off Saahat Yousef al-Azmeh square on the way to Saint Anthony’s church.

For a good set menu for lunch and amazing efficiency, rather a shock once you have spend a few days in Damascus is Al Kamal’s (http://www.sourianet.com/alkamalrestaurant/index.html) on the left along 29th May street past Saahat Yousef al-Azmeh square and the main tourist information office.

Delice front entrance Delice back entrance
   

Damascus coffee shop

Cheese sphagetti at delice

Map below from http://www.souria.com/ep/damascus.asp

Italian restaurants

I came across two outside the old city. One is called secrets and the other Pizza Roma just off Maysaloun st. Up an alley behind Saint Anthony’s church.  Secrets is more expensive and directly on Maysaloun st.

 

American and European style food and restaurants

If you must have a ‘fix’ of American style food, personally I did’nt need it given the ubiquitous chips with everything and also the great taste of the indiginous food, you can go to the new shopping centre, It was about a hours walk from the old city and I walked along Hasan Sambr (st.152) and Abdullah Bin Huzafa (st. 015) Unfortunately I have not kept the exact details of how I got there and can’t find either of these two streets on any map! On the walk I came across a very large new mosque and also a lovely farmer who had what appeared to be a herd of English Holstein/Friesian cows see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holstein_cattle#British_Friesian_Cattle along with a great opuntia hedge.  If anyone can indicate on the map where the new shopping mall is please do please e-mail me.

 

Robin Beaumont 2010 robin@organplayers.co.uk