Baba ghanoush
- Baba ghanoush: a dip made from smoked aubergines, common as a starter in Middle Eastern restaurants. Enjoy with pitta bread.
- Falafel: these spicy little balls are a popular street food. They're also served as a starter in Middle Eastern restaurants and as a filling in sandwich bars. They are made from chickpeas or fava beans with onions and spices, and deep fried.
- Ful medames: slow-cooked fava beans with olive oil, onion, garlic and lemon juice. The national dish of Egypt, ful medames is a very filling Middle Eastern restaurant favourite.
- Halal: many Middle Eastern restaurants only serve food that is Halal—that is, permissible by Islamic law. You won't find pork or alcohol in a Halal Middle Eastern restaurant, for instance.
- Hummus: no Middle Eastern restaurant menu is complete without hummus. This must-have chickpea dip is a popular starter and an adopted favourite in the UK.
- Imam bayildi: with a name meaning the "imam was thrilled", this Turkish dish is sure to delight. Composed of aubergine stuffed with onions and tomatoes, it should be served cold.
- Kanafeh: a type of pastry made by drizzling flour and water onto a hot plate. The resulting threads resemble shredded wheat. Kanafeh is used to make sweets and desserts in Middle Eastern restaurants, often combined with soft cheese.
- Kebab: cubes of meat, usually lamb or pork, cooked on skewers over charcoal. The Middle Eastern restaurant version of a barbecue.
- Mahashi: a Palestinian name for dishes of stuffed vegetables or leaves. These take a long time to prepare, so don't be surprised if your Middle Eastern restaurant has pre-stuffed vegetables laid out ready for cooking.
- Mezze: a heading on Middle Eastern restaurant menus, mezze are basically starters.
- Mujaddara: lentils and wheat garnished with onions, mujuddara is now a popular dish in Middle Eastern restaurants, and it's now considered a balanced, healthy food.
- Pitta: everyone's favourite flatbread. Pitta and dips such as hummus form a classic mezze in Middle Eastern restaurants.
- Piyaz: a Turkish salad of beans, hard-boiled egg and vegetables.
- Qatayef: a dessert traditionally served during Ramadan, qatayef are little pancakes stuffed with soft cheese or ground nuts and served with sugar syrup. Middle Eastern restaurants may have qatayef on the menu all year round.
- Saltah: a popular main dish from Yemen. Though basically a beef stew, it can contain anything from potatoes to scrambled egg. Usually served with a flatbread in Middle Eastern restaurants.
- Sfiha: these little meat pastries are easy to eat. They look a little like pizza with meat instead of cheese and tomato.
- Shai: also called chai, a Middle Eastern restaurant term for tea—often spiced or flavoured with mint.
All guides on Yell.com are provided for general guidance only, do not constitute legal or professional advice and are not intended to be exhaustive.
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