Mezze Mania: 12 best Middle Eastern restaurants in Singapore

Bringing a piece of sun-kissed Mediterranean onto our shores is Moxie, a sleek modern Mediterranean restaurant located in Tiong Bahru. Founded by the folks behind Siri House and Cudo, Moxie offers a rustic dining experience with plates across North Africa to Italy, with appetisers like black garlic confit hummus and burrata with pickled red beets, charred grapes and mint oil. Arriving in numbers? Make sure to order large sharing plates like the Umami Rice, cooked in an intense shellfish stock and presented with a sumptuous platter of clams, mussels, octopus and grilled tiger prawns. The lamb shoulder is also not to be missed, which is confited in chicken fat after a 36-hour brine. 

Moxie
Address: 2 College Road, 1/F, S(169850)

Sitting on the fringes of Mondrian Singapore Duxton is Noa. Helmed by decorated head chef Alain Devahive, this Mediterranean-inspired restaurant traverses the diversity of cuisines in the Mediterranean, from the flavours of southern Europe to the spices of North Africa. Take, for instance, a classic Angus beef tenderloin over fondant potatoes, or the Marrakesh-style Iberico pork skewers. The crustacean feature of Brittany lobster is crowd-pleasing, charcoal grilled till porcelain-like and laid over velvety ratte potato foam and a punchy drizzle of garlic chilli sauce. Make sure to wash it all down with a cocktail prepared at the stunning 4.5 metre-tall bar. 

Noa Lounge Singapore
Address: 83 Neil Road, 01-02/03, S(089813)

Ready your senses for a trip to the historical city of Beirut in Lebanon, where sights and sounds of energetic souks dazzle and exuberate. Past the majestic curtains, verdant foliage of olive trees and areca palms help ease you into a charming space that’s punctuated with elegant arches, intricate mosaics, and pastel pink patterned walls. Plates are wholesomely designed, reminiscent of mother’s cooking, matched with warm Lebanese hospitality. Building bold flavours from Aleppo pepper, sumac, pomegranate molasses and rose water, these ingredients, sourced directly from the souks in Beirut, are beautifully imbued into the plentitude of mezzes. The lavish mix grill platter, overcrowded with juicy lamb kebabs, chicken shish tawouk and lamb cutlets, is perfect for meat lovers.

Ummi
Address: 1 Nanson Road, InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay, S(238909)

Get a taste of Morocco at Tajine, a tapas and cocktail bar serving up authentic Moroccan cuisine with a contemporary flair. The leading cuisine, while predominantly North African, is richer with flavour thanks to Mediterranean influences; just take the milk-fed veal shank tajine, perfumed with prune, apricot, almond, saffron, honey and sesame. If you’re planning a special occasion, you’ll want to pre-order the méchoui, a tender, slow-braised lamb shoulder usually served at celebrations and festivities, and served with basmati rice pilaf and dried fruits. Don’t skip desserts, especially the sorbet infused with almond syrup and orange blossom water, then topped with candied lemon.

Tajine
Address: 18 Mohamed Sultan Road, S(238967)

Aniba may be hidden out of sight, concealed among the traverses of the riverfront with the only way up being a private elevator, but its descent into Singapore is certainly in full view. Branding itself as a restaurant, chef kitchen and bar, its culinary team dishes out perfectly crafted Middle Eastern fare infused with European and Asian accents—all prepared in a massive open kitchen. Guests can opt to sit at the Chef’s Counter for a view of the chefs in action up close, or in the main dining room for a more comfortable dining experience that still offers a good view of the buzzing kitchen.

A particular shoutout for vegans and vegetarians: the team offers a delectable selection of vegan and vegetarian dishes. Highlights include the pani puri, a unique take on the traditional Indian street food snack, filled with butternut squash tartare and yoghurt yuzu foam, as well as the mushroom katayef, made with semolina pancake stuffed with  sautéed mushrooms and pine nuts, and best eaten with a nutty cashew-miso cream.

Heartier options are always a good idea, so you can dig into the likes of agnolotti Tripoli-style, hand-crafted pasta drenched in a decadent sauce of goat cheese cream, apricot cream, carrots, sage pistachios and parmigiano reggiano; and upper Galilee casserole, grilled savoy cabbage encasing freekeh pilaf and porcini mushrooms. And if the sugar cravings hit, satiate your appetite with the house-made sorbets, offering vibrant flavours of coconut, raspberry and orange. 

Aniba
Address: 6 Battery Road, Boat Quay, #05-03, S(049909)

Read more: Israeli chef Meir Adoni takes us to the Middle East and back at Aniba

A Robertson Quay landmark, Shabestan is the closest you’ll get to visiting Persia. Developed in royal courts, Persian food is lauded with elaborate dishes. With such a reputation to uphold, Shabestan commits itself to quality, using the best spices and dry fruits to prepare premium Halal lamb, beef, poultry, and fish. A visit would not be complete without ordering the signature handmade kebabs, grilled over the fire for a smoky and delectable finish. The establishment also carries a range of award-winning Lebanese wines, including the popular Ixsir Grande Réservé Rosé which holds a light and fruity aftertaste.

Shabestan
Address: 80 Mohamed Sultan Road, #01-13, S(239013), +65 8058 7360

For anyone wanting a sanctuary to escape to, The Prince it is. A space inspired by the Arabian desert, the interiors balance both homeliness and the oasis with dimmed lights, rustic furniture, and sandstone walls and rugs. The food here is just as comely, inspired by the time-honoured concept of ‘karam’, meaning generosity, in Arabic culture.

The five-course Karam menu is a particular favourite, presenting a sharing mezze platter which includes cashew hummus and octopus chermoula (a fresh herb marinade). An earthy lobster shorbat addas (lentil soup) follows before the main course. Your usual suspects of duck, beef, and lamb are spiced up, featuring ingredients like sumac, tarragon, celeriac, and butterleaf. End off the night with the kunafe, a traditional soft, sweet, and cheesy Arabic dessert topped with pistachio cream and rose syrup.

Priding itself as Singapore’s first contemporary Turkish restaurant, 27 Mezze Bar and Grill is perfect for those yet to be initiated to Middle Eastern cuisine. The name ‘27’ reflects the restaurant’s well-curated menu of 27 dishes that present Turkey’s rich culinary heritage. Douse yourself in authentic Anatolian flavours through a carefully selected array of herbs and spices sourced directly from Turkey. The beef shashlik, with red onion, charred chillies, and lavaş bread, is perfect for a satisfyingly flavourful meal; while the Raki–made of grapes and flavoured with pomegranate anise–makes for a delightful drink pairing.

27 Mezze Bar and Grill
Address: 30 Robertson Quay, #01-02A Riverside View, S(238251)

Founded by Masterchef judge and Michelin-starred chef Eyal Shani, Miznon opened in Singapore in 2020 with much fanfare. Having already made a name for itself in Paris, New York, and Melbourne, Singapore marked its first Asian outpost. Order a selection of pitas: try the ratatouille, a plant-based option loaded with the French vegetable stew, chilli, tahini, and a hard-boiled egg; and the steak and egg, featuring juicy sirloin slices with sour cream, tomatoes, onions, and fresh cucumbers, topped with a sunny-side-up egg.

A must-try includes the hummus bazaar, a silky hummus topped with ground beef over the plancha (cooking plate), with pine nuts and parsley. Seasoning is of little importance at Miznon, preferring to let the natural profile of ingredients shine, taking the concept of clean eating on a whole new tangent.

Miznon
Address: 6 Stanley Street, #01-01, S(068725)

In the central business district, sitting among a row of shophouses, you will find one of the city’s most authentic Middle Eastern restaurants. Kazbar has developed a solid reputation on the grill, preparing authentic charcoal-grilled meats flown directly from the Middle East. The mezze here is outstanding, best complemented with sautéed spinach with yoghurt and crispy onions, or slow-roasted cashew nuts with homemade harissa and a touch of cumin.

Celebrating a myriad of taste profiles, order the lusciously baked mousaka, layered with aubergine, potato, capsicum and onion in a Middle Eastern tomato sauce with a mozzarella gratin, enticing enough to make devout carnivores agree to a meatless evening.

Kazbar
Address: 25 Church Street, #01-03 Capital Square 3, S(049482)

There’s an energy at Byblos every night that, honestly, makes a visit completely justified. The family-friendly ambience and charming setting featuring exquisite Lebanese and Turkish dishes are a must-do when you find yourself in the Sultan Mosque enclave. What truly fills its tables are its quality charcoal-grilled meats, including the popular lamb mandi, marinated with saffron and Arabic spices and served with mandi rice and homemade tomato sauce.

Then there are traditional dishes like the faisal fukhora (pan-fried beef cube cooked with onion, capsicum, tomato sauce, and chilli served with freshly baked bread). End the meal with a quintessentially Turkish kunefe while soaking in the Turkish mosaic lamps hanging from the ceiling and the sounds of the bustling establishment. You’ll leave feeling like you’ve just been on holiday.

Byblos
Address: 14 Bussorah Street, S(199435)

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