Syria is not only a land steeped history and culture: it is also a food lover’s paradise. Syrian cuisine is flavourful and hearty. Here’s a glimpse into the best meals you can experience on our Syria Tours. While different cities share many of the same traditional dishes, each have its own unique twists and specialties.
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Damascus: a hub of Syrian Cuisine
Damascus is famous for its hummus, made from chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic, and smoky muhammara, a roasted red pepper dip with walnuts and pomegranate molasses.
Another mezze (a kind of appetiser) that you’ll find in the capital is Kibbeh. It comes in various forms, from fried kibbeh balls to baked kibbeh nayeh. Both are made with ground meat and bulgur wheat, seasoned with spices and often stuffed with pine nuts.
Syrian shawarma is really famous, with tender meat (usually lamb or chicken) marinated in aromatic spices and slow-roasted on a vertical spit. It’s served in a warm pita with fresh vegetables, garlic sauce, and a tangy toum (garlic sauce).
On our Syrian tours, we always stop at Bakdash, a landmark ice cream parlor in the Al-Hamidiyah. Established in 1895, it is famous for its traditional Middle Eastern booza, a dessert looking like ice-cream but with a more mastic texture: it made with milk, cream, sugar, mastic and sahlab (orchid flour), giving it a stretchy and chewy texture.
Our favourite restaurant in Damascus: Naranj
Located in the historic Al-Qaymariya area, in the old city of Damascus, Naranj is our to-go place in Damascus. Our first dinner usually happens there, as it offers an incredible experience, serving a large variety of Syrian dishes prepared with fresh, local ingredients. It also has a warm and inviting ambiance, with both indoor and outdoor seating options. Be careful: we’ve had a traveller being very upset that the dinner was better and more abundant than at his wedding, even though it cost around 15-20 dollars per person.
Aleppo: for the spice lovers
Aleppo, located in the North of the country, is famous for its Zaatar. This spice blend is made with wild thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds and can be eaten with bread, cheese, and olives.
The city is also famous for its baklava, made with layers of flaky phyllo pastry filled with nuts and sweetened with syrup.
Another dessert in Aleppo is Kunafa, a sweet cheese pastry is drenched in sugar syrup and topped with pistachios, creating a heavenly dessert.
Aleppo also has Mamounia, a semolina dessert that resembles a thick porridge.
And let’s not forget the Karabij halab, named after Halab (Aleppo’s ancient name), a semolina flour cookie filled with a crunchy nut mixture and flavored with rose and orange blossom water.
Our favourite restaurant in Aleppo: Al Kemmeh
Al Kemmeh (Al Kommeh) Restaurant is a popular dining place in Aleppo, known for its traditional Syrian cuisine in a traditional setting. The menu offers a wide range of dishes, including mezze platters and grilled meats. The restaurant hold several records, such as the world’s largest plate of fattoush, at 3.5 tonnes and 6 metres in diameter. It had also produced the planet’s longest kebab skewer, 12 metres long.
Homs, The City of Beans
Homs is famous for the Ful Medames, a hearty dish of fava beans cooked with olive oil, lemon juice, and spices is a popular breakfast and lunch option.
Maqluba, a flavourful rice dish with meat, vegetables, and nuts, is also a must-try in Homs. It is traditionally served upside down in a pot.
Our favourite restaurant in Homs: The Harry Potter Café!
Homs was, with Aleppo, the most destroyed city during the war – particularly the old town. Many of the inhabitants never came back, so entire neighbourhoods are now empty. While there are still restaurants in the city to try Syrian cuisine, we do not stop there for lunch or dinner. One of our favourite stops, however, is the Harry Potter Café. Just because the staff is incredibly friendly, the decoration is great, and also because Homs is the last city where we expected to see a Harry Potter café!
Hama, a Sweets lover’s Paradise
Hama’s main delight is the Halawet el-jibn, made of a semolina and cheese dough, filled with cream.
As the name implies, Hamah Batersh is also from Hama. This is a flavourful eggplant dish, prepared with minced meat, tomatoes, and tahini sauce.
Our favourite restaurant in Hama: Al Tarras café
Ok, this place became our instant favourite because of the beautiful view on the Orontes River and the famous Hama waterwheels (called the Norias of Hama) dating back to the 12th century. But the Syrian food they serve is great too, with big portions that will fill you up for the rest of the day!
Latakia, The land of Seafood
This coastal city offers fresh seafood, including grilled fish and octopus, as well as unique dishes like Sayadieh. This quintessential Latakian dish is a mix of fresh fish, rice, and aromatic spices. The fish, often sea bream or whitefish, is marinated in a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, and spices before being gently cooked with the rice.
Kibibat are another specialty of the Latakia region. Those dumplings are made from bulgur wheat, minced meat, and aromatic spices. They are often served in a tomato sauce.
Mloukhieh, a stew, is made with jute leaves, a leafy green vegetable, and meat or chicken. The stew is slow-cooked with garlic, lemon juice, and spices, resulting in a flavourful and nutritious dish.
Visiting Syria with Young Pioneer Tours
Back in 2017, we were one of the first travel agencies to offer Syrian packages after the war. We have now returned with a full programme.
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