While I had not expected much the street food Raqqa scene as well as food in general within the city really surpassed my expectations.
And this was evident directly from our arrival in the former capital of the Islamic State with breakfast through dinner and supper proving street food Raqqa, as well as even fine dining Raqqa sensations.
You can read our guide to visiting Rojava here, as well as our Raqqa guide here.
Breakfast in Raqqa
Upon arrival in Raqqa we headed to the edge of the market madness to a great like bakery type place. Although when I say bakery I mean of the Syrian milk.
Here we went large for breakfast doing Syrian pizzas, some meat pressed into Syrian bread and some great greasy baked an fried vegetable type wraps. These were of course served with tea, the perfect morning wake up juice.
Interestingly we also got a real slice of Raqqa life outside as there were beggars dressed in sunni clothing juxtaposed by the young female Peshmerga looking to have selfies with us. We stayed as long s we should before duly noting when it was time to leave. This is important when you visit Raqqa…..
Lunch in Raqqa
For lunch most people would do the street food Raqqa thing, although we actually visited perhaps the best restaurant in Rojava. This was the Al Faker, which shall be getting its own review…..
For the best Raqqa street food though it is all about the market. Jere you will find the same kind of snacks you get with Qamishi street food, as well as the same kind of restaurants and fast food joints. Rotisserie chicken seemed to be more of a deal here, although due to a misunderstanding I did not get to try it.
Street food Raqqa dinners
AS perhaps housed her expected our street food Raqqa dinner ended up being at a fast food joint. Said joint though, which was just next to our hotel and doubled as a sit down and take away restaurant. I told our guide I wanted a whole chicken and indeed that us what I git.
This was though in the guise of almost KFC style Raqqa fried chicken, this cane with cream sauce, fries and great Raqqa pickles which were pretty salty. Alas we were bot allowed to eat on site and ended up having to finish in our rooms. This was sad as the restaurant had quite the late night atmosphere including peshmerga, as well as inquisitive kids.
Street drinking in Raqqa
So, unlike Qamishi there is no alcohol in Raqqa, be it for legal or moral grounds. There are though guys on the street serving cooled friezes drinks, and or ones that are simply juices from street food carts.
These cost from between 2000-5000 Syrian pounds (12 cents to 33 cents) and are the bomb. They include flavors like hibiscus, a favorite from recent Egypt cruise, and my true favorite from the region, tamarind.
These are not just restricted to Raqqa, but pretty much anywhere that there are markets within north and east Syria and beyond.
I was also pleased to enjoy a few naughty soft drinks as I explored the Raqqa street food scene. This included tried and tested favorites such as bottled coke, but also a soft drink that ive never seen before, a combo of ginger and honey that was amazing.
And my mood hit its peak when I finally discovered some non-alcoholic WKD, or as it is also known Vimto.
For drinks in Raqqa I will also give a big fist bump to Eva Cafe, next to where I got my haircut, as well as the place that saved us from the heat with its huge array of Raqqa liquids.