Far be it from me to do Zagat’s job for them, but as I suspect they can’t be bothered to tour Aleppo, I have no choice. I should also point out that I don’t have extensive experience in this. I’ve only been to a small handful of eateries, but I know enough to pontificate about which ones I would recommend. I just want to caution that if you take this post seriously, please be aware that there are other places that probably should have been mentioned. Anyway, let’s get this started.
If you’re wondering if there’s a way to dine somewhere in Aleppo where you can relive your prom experience, fear not. This city has it covered by way of Laguna. I’m not sure where it is, though, since I only pay attention to locations when I drive (which these days is never), but ask around. It’s popular. By day, Laguna is used as a swimming pool (smack dab in the center of the restaurant), but by night, it’s the restaurant. It has a stage with a house band performing nightly (I’m guessing), and you can reserve it for parties. Quite possibly the strangest restaurant I’ve eaten at here because of that “prom” feeling.
If you’re in the mood for generally crappy service, try the Pullman. Great food, but inattentive waiters (generally, not always). Now, when I say “the Pullman,” that’s the hotel’s main restaurant – down the corridor from the less impressive La Rose Cafe (distinguishable only for its decent hubble bubble). At the Pullman, I always order kebab halabi and almost always get my food a good 10-15 minutes after every one else who gets something that doesn’t require as much cooking. If you’re not famished, though, it’s worth the wait.
**Actually, I need to modify my disgust for La Rose. I don’t like it and never will, but to be fair,their food is good, too. I think it’s the ambience or the constant crowds (not good if you’re claustrophobic) that annoy me.
If you’re in the mood for “old world charm,” for my money, you can’t beat Sissi House/Beit Sissi which is somewhere near the city center. It’s a renovated old house (go figure) and has more charm than you can imagine. Some people aren’t as amused by that and feel that it’s overdone, but I like it. If it’s too much, though, you can always go downstairs into the Bat Cave and enjoy a drink. Sadly, neither hubble nor bubble is present downstairs, but in the center of the room is space for some Eastern ruckus. When I went, we had to make our own ruckus, but we were half plastered, so it was still enjoyable.
For a more casual dining experience, I favor Arabica (either one, although the one across from the Citadel obviously has a great view). Arabica is the place to go to rest your tootsies after some touristing and to meet up with friends for a snack (like the incredibly delicious foul/fool) and, of course, the inevitable hubble bubble. Actually, the best time to go to the Citadel’s Arabica is around midnight (during the summer). The weather is great and it’s not terribly crowded. Most enjoyable.
If you happen to be in Mohafezah and are looking for a good shawarma shack with great sandwiches, for my money you can’t beat Panino’s, which is luckily just a hop, skip and a jump from where I live. I go there every other day and only order one of three things (the only things I’ve tried from there), but it’s heaven every time. Just make sure you ask for khremtoum so that the sandwiches aren’t too dry. And the adventurous may even want to try out the brains they have (it’s from some kind of small animal).
I’ve only just scratched the surface of the restaurant scene here, but this post is bigger than anything else I’ve written on this blog, so I quit now. Sahtayn.
