Where to Eat in Palmyra: The Best Restaurants and Bars

February 12, 2018 Leonarda Pillsbury

Discover the best restaurant in Palmyra, Syria including Spring Restaurant, Pancake House Traditional Palmyra Restaurant, Palmyra Gate, Bagdad Cafe 66, Warm Apple Pie, Al Mirage, Al Mirage
Things to do in Palmyra

1. Spring Restaurant

Mainstreet Souk | Western part of Sharia Quwatli, Palmyra, Syria +963 31 591 0307
Excellent
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Good
100%
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4 based on 1 reviews

Spring Restaurant

Reviewed By SaffraanReizen - holland

"Seeing is Believing"it says on the big screen above the restaurant., and believing it is indeed. No restaurant i know of this originallity in its menu and its location. The food is traditional and delicious. The cook itself is as genuin and origional as his place. Nothing is too much not even the bill. Absolutely recommended to have lunch or dinner in the spheric tent on the roof or in the cooler atmosphere downstairs or outside.
Sagteen in Spring restaurant.

2. Pancake House Traditional Palmyra Restaurant

Sharia al-Quwatli | in front of Hotel Villa Palmyra, Tadmor, Palmyra, Syria Lebanese, Mediterranean +963 31 591 0878
Excellent
80%
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5 based on 5 reviews

Pancake House Traditional Palmyra Restaurant

Reviewed By GRKnight - Salalah, Oman

This little taste of Bohemia in the middle of the desert is also a great hub for meeting other backpackers and firing off e-mails home. The crepes are wonderful; the name doesn't do justice to the fare. The owner can be a bit much, and he knows how to charge, but if you can overlook that, the place is a must: really the nerve centre for an otherwise quite boring little town (once you've seen the site that is).

3. Palmyra Gate

Carretera de Homs s/n, Palmyra, Syria
Excellent
50%
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50%
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4 based on 2 reviews

Palmyra Gate

Reviewed By raqassa - madrid

Para disfrutar de una buena cena, divertida y de calidad. El hummus bi lahm, las ensaladas, los zumos naturales, helwa, café.... Todo buenísimo y con un agradable ambiente.

4. Bagdad Cafe 66

Palmyra, Syria Cafe
Excellent
67%
Good
33%
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4.5 based on 12 reviews

Bagdad Cafe 66

Reviewed By Reflectorgo - London

This is almost halfway to Damascus in the middle of empty desert. It's a very peaceful interesting and unusual cafe surrounded by all kinds of odd and interesting things, old and new. There are little stoves inside around which you can sit on rug draped divans, and an unusual selection of gifts for sale. Of course it is to cater for tourists but it is not corny or cheesy, and instead is peaceful, calm, friendly, colourful and extremely interesting to look around. Definitely to be recommended. I suppose it has to be listed under "Palmyra" but in fact is an excellent staging post on the way to and from Palmyra. I only had tea there, and don't know about the food but it was so charming that I didn't really want to leave!

5. Warm Apple Pie

One block from Sun Hotel | 34 33.36 N, 38 16.58 E, Palmyra, Syria Middle Eastern
Excellent
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5 based on 1 reviews

Warm Apple Pie

Mobile: 966 894803<br>Restaurant: 591 0336<br>[email protected]<br>General manager: Eyad Ebrahim

Reviewed By Turb0Beaver - Victoria, Canada

Eyad Ebrahim, owner of Warm Apple Pie, in Palymyra, Syria, was easily one of the most gracious hosts that we encountered during our one month trip through the Middle East. We happened upon his restaurant quite randomly. It was a Friday morning and most places were closed. A local on the main strip could see that we were looking for somewhere to eat, and came up to us to tell us about the Warm Apple Pie restaurant. We were skeptical -- but quite hungry and somewhat desperate -- so we hastily followed him about 2.5 blocks up a side road off the main strip to Eyad's restaurant. From the outside we thought our new friend must be joking, but soon Eyad came out with a warm smile on his face and told us to come in and check the place out. Inside the restaurant was quite warm and welcoming. The main dining area is basic but decorated very nicely and surrounded by individual Bedouin style rooms that had cushions to sit and relax on. The whole place had a very relaxing atmosphere, sort of like a really nice backpackers. If you're looking for something fancy this won't be the place for you, but if you're looking for some authentic food and wonderful hospitality this place really can't be beat.
We came for breakfast, and Eyad was very proud to proclaim that he was the only person in town who served western-style pancakes, so of course we tried some. I believe he is also the owner of the Pancake House on the main strip in Palmyra, but I couldn't quite figure it out. The pancakes weren't quite western-style, but boy did they satisfy. I had a chicken pancake (not something I'd get back hom in Canada, but hey it's all part of the adventure right?) and it was one of the only times in the Middle East that I've had chicken that was juicy and flavorful. We were also served "Baghdad Tea" which was absolutely delicious, and mint lemonade. Eyad's family is from Mosul, Iraq, and he definitely likes to offer up some dishes that aren't quite in the traditional Syrian style; something we really enjoyed.
We decided that breakfast was so good that after site seeing we would come back for lunch. Eyad happily arranged a driver for us to take us around Palmyra, which was a great help. After the seeing sites it was great to return back to Warm Apple Pie, and Eyad's fantastic hospitality. Lunch was served to us in one of the side-rooms, and consisted of a fantastic assortment of delights that his wife had cooked up (see posted photos). We of course tried the Warm Apple Pie, and man was it good!
It sounded like there had been a big group in the night before that had a fantastic time until the wee hours, so I think they do cater to groups.
After lunch Eyad insisted that we relax in one of the side rooms, which we were hesitant to accept but very much appreciated since it was midday and the sun was blazing.
It was such a good experience we even bought the T-shirt! Highly recommended.

6. Al Mirage

None Available, Palmyra, Syria Middle Eastern

Turn right out of the museum and go down the main drag. It is on the second corner on the left.

7. Al Mirage

Palmyra Syria, Palmyra, Syria Middle Eastern
Excellent
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Satisfactory
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Terrible
100%
Overall Ratings

1 based on 1 reviews

I requested that the Al Mirage Restaurant in Palmyra Syria be added to the list of restaurants to review but Trip Advisor mistakenly added as a restaurant in Palmyra in New York. Please fix.

Reviewed By Flat_Planet - New York City, New York

When on vacation my wife and I avoid places that stress their "European" or "International" menu as that usually means its local food dumbed down for tourists. And if they have touts out front hustling for business that is usually is a bad sign, too. So when the tout in front of Al Mirage tried to pull us by pointing to his "international" menu, we should have just kept walking. But we had just gotten into Palmyra, it was late, we were tired and hungry, so we went in.
The guy suggested the house special dish and I said okay. Did I want chicken or beef? I asked which is better and said he would do half and half so I could try both. How many servings did we want, one or two? One, I said. Just one, he asked? Yes, and I said "Bes wahed" (Arabic for "just one"). He laughed and said "Sure". My wife ordered a salad and we got drinks. Two big plates came out with chicken and beef. And it was terrible. I mean, it was so overcooked I could not chew it and there was no flavor. I wound up leaving 80% of it on the plate. And then the bill came and it was SP990. Most of our meals in Syria were about SP 500. I checked the bill and we had been charged for TWO servings of the house special, not one. And the tout who brought us in and took our order? He was nowhere to be found so we could not argue the bill. It was awful.
I am reluctant to post negative reviews on Trip Advisor because any place can have a bad day and a bad review can really sting. But the food was so awful and the overcharging so obvious that I feel I have to speak up, especially since they are so aggressive flagging down people on the sidewalk. And part of the reason I am posting this is that in ten days of eating in Syria this was the ONLY bad food experience we had. With so many honest places serving good food, there is no excuse for going to a place like Al Mirage. The next day we ate at Al Fardoos (just three blocks down the street from Al Mirage) and it restored our faith in Syrian hospitality - good food, nice service and it only came to SP550.

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