Celebrating Eid: eight essential eats

By Sarah Shaffi

March 8, 2023

From city hideaways to beachside hangouts, here’s where to celebrate Eid.

After a month of fasting from dawn until sunset, the meal consumed at Eid – the celebration at the end of the month of Ramadan, marked by the sighting of the new moon – ranks among the year’s most important. Whether you’re dining with family, friends or on your own, every aspect will be cherished and remembered, from the food to the atmosphere and setting. These eight restaurants deliver on every front, from memorable surrounds to truly delicious dishes.

View from Kyoto restaurant at The Oberoi, Madina overlooking the Prophet’s Mosque

Kyoto, Madina

For an Eid meal with a spectacular – and spiritual – view, Kyoto is a terrific choice, looking over the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, also known as the Prophet’s Mosque. This upscale hangout at The Oberoi, Madina is the city’s first Japanese restaurant, with California rolls, seafood teppanyaki and more. A special festival menu is served over Eid, and there’s a private dining room with a personal chef for extra-special gatherings.

Haandi, London

Haandi first opened in Nairobi in 1991, launching its London outpost nine years later. Since then, it’s become a stalwart on Knightsbridge’s dining scene, a ten-minute walk away from Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London. Specialties include the tandoor-roasted chicken makhini and slow-simmered dal bukhara, while the glass-fronted kitchens mean you can watch the chefs at work, adding to the anticipation.

Chefs preparing in the kitchen of at Al Beiruti restaurant in Dubai

Al Beiruti, Dubai

A short taxi ride away from Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai, Al Beiruti brings a slice of Lebanon to Dubai. It’s a café-slash-restaurant, just like you’d find in Beirut, where afternoons are whiled away over leisurely games of tawle (backgammon). It’s just the place to feast on classic mezze, from herby tabbouleh to pitta-dotted aubergine fatteh, with crunchy, pistachio-sprinkled pastries for dessert.

The intimate interior of Azar restaurant in Marrakech, Morocco

Azar, Marrakech

Hidden down a small street, Azar is low-lit and luxurious. Its menu spans Levantine, Moroccan and Mediterranean cuisine, with particularly inventive mezze; truffled labneh, perhaps, with bread fresh from the oven. All vegetables are organic, and grown just outside the city, while its signature tagines are cooked in earthenware pots. Afterwards, head back to Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech, to stroll off any over-indulgence in its rose-edged gardens.

Tables prepared for dining at Zaafran beachside restaurant at The Oberoi Beach Resort, Sahl Hasheesh

Zaafran, Sahl Hasheesh

Follow a day at the beach with dinner at Zaafran, at The Oberoi Beach Resort, Sahl Hasheesh, by Egypt’s Red Sea. It’s perfect for a special-occasion meal, with its soft glimmer of candlelight and silver-leaf ceiling. Its menu is a masterclass in Indian flavours and spicing, from cardamom-marinated chicken to slow-simmered Malabar fish curry, while the pistachio kulfi’s something of a signature dessert.

The elegant Talea restaurant at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi

Talea by Antonio Guida, Abu Dhabi

For spectacular surrounds, nowhere tops the Mandarin Oriental Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, with its domes, chandeliers and extravagantly-gilded ceilings. Head to Talea by Antonio Guida for a Michelin-starred menu, which expertly riffs on Italy’s cucina di famiglia. What to order? Frankly, it’s hard to go far wrong, though the tiramisu, whipped up tableside, is not to be missed.

The stylish interior of Liang restaurant at Mandarin Oriental, Doha

Liang, Doha

In Chinese, liang translates to sunlight reflected by the moon, making Liang at Mandarin Oriental, Doha a symbolically perfect place to celebrate Eid. It’s known for its polished Chinese cuisine – not least its famed Black Angus short ribs, spiked with Sichuan pepper. Follow dinner with a visit to The Mandarin Cake Shop, with its raspberry-topped crème brûlée tarts and exquisitely flaky mille-feuille.

About the Author

Sarah Shaffi

Sarah is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in The New Arab, Vogue Australia and Stylist.