Best Arabic Breakfast in Kuwait

Generally speaking we’re not really breakfast people. Me being gluten free, it’s hard to get a good breakfast without wheat (think cinnamon rolls, pancakes, croissants, wow all the good stuff has gluten hahaha). I mean, on a daily basis, Josh skips breakfast as a meal while he intermittent fasts. So, if you had told me before we moved to the Middle East that we would make it a weekly tradition to go out and try a full blown breakfast at a different restaurant every week, I would have said you are out of your mind. 

But now, I cannot imagine a weekend without eating a delicious Arabic Breakfast. Since moving to Kuwait, we’ve made it our mission to try all the restaurants that serve an Arab Breakfast in town. It’s been a fun way to get out and see the town. This adventure has even led us to some interesting restaurants that serve the traditional breakfast with their own special twist on it. Below are our top 6 favorites for you to enjoy and hopefully you can try out a few to find your favorite as well! 

So you may be asking yourself, what’s in an Arab Breakfast? Well, glad you asked. As we know, the Arab world is large. We live in Kuwait and recognize that all countries/regions are different. Each serves its own specialties when it comes to food and each country has its own unique take on recipes. For example, Turkey’s breakfast tends to lean heavily on serving multiple types of cheese with different breads and jams. While Egypt’s breakfast focuses on their star dish: falafel. Still to this day, the falafel we had in Egypt has been the best! While we’ve never been to Lebanon, their food influence has spread all over the world and is the main type of breakfast we have here in Kuwait. 

However even with so many differences, it seems that the Arab Breakfast has a few things in common. Generally, it’s a platter of small dishes serving a sampling of different dips, cheeses, and jams accompanied by olives, tomatoes and cucumbers. Usually there are a variety of hot dishes like beans, foul, or eggs and cold dishes like hummus, labneh, or pickled veggies. All of this served with a variety of bread and tea. The tea is what sets each apart. You can pick from classic black tea or the delicious karak tea. Karak tea is a milk based blend of black tea with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, anise and more. It’s so delicious. Some restaurants serve it sweetened while others allow you to add your own sugar. Either way, it’s a delicious treat. 

Best All Around – Arab Breakfast in Kuwait

We put our blood, sweat and tears into trying as many breakfast places as we could in Kuwait. It was a struggle, but someone had to do it! After trying many different restaurants, we are awarding our top two favorites to two different restaurants that serve a classically good Arab Breakfast consistently. We’ve actually been back to these two restaurants several times, in the name of good scientific research. But really because we enjoy them so much. Drum roll please… our two favorites for Best All Around Arab Breakfast in Kuwait are: Alshorfah and EmZalfa. One really funny or interesting fact about these two restaurants is that they are actually in the same building! The mall that houses these restaurants is nothing special but these two restaurants definitely stand out! 

Alshorfah has a large, elegant blue themed dining space divided into a smoking and nonsmoking section for shisha. We recommend sitting near the windows for the best light. The breakfast here is one of the larger ones we’ve seen and it’s just classically good. The falafel are always fresh, the hummus has the right amount of tang. Not only do they serve the traditional labneh but they also have their special take on a cream cheese like dip with olives and veggies. Sometimes I order a second portion, that’s how much we like it. Josh says the fatayer bread that comes with the breakfast, one covered in zaatar and one with melted cheese is his favorite all around. Also while beans aren’t our go to, I can’t get enough of the foul. It’s a sour, tangy bean dish served with most Arab Breakfast. All in all with such classic dishes, each executed so well, it’s easy to rate this best all around. 

EmZalfa is trendy and cool with a green and tan theme. Their breakfast seems elevated in all ways from the flower and pistachios topping the sweet cream to the beautiful intricate blue dishes used to serve this delicious food. The usual egg omelet is moist and well fried with melted cheese inside. The falafel have a punch of color and flavor as they are topped with pink pickled onions. Josh loves the cheese flatbread while the grilled halloumi has my heart. Honestly you can’t go wrong here. Each dish has a comforting feel but a slightly elevated taste. The one downside though is that a teapot is just tea bags. Being big fans of delicious tea, this was a little bit of a let down but the food is so good, it’s worth it. As always we recommend a window seat or better yet a patio seat when the weather is good! 

Most Interesting Twist – Arab Breakfast in Kuwait

While traditional breakfast abound here in Kuwait, there are a few restaurants who take the traditional and add their own special flare to it. We love trying new and interesting things. However, sometimes trying a new thing falls flat and you wonder “what were they thinking?”. Still, through these ups and downs, we persisted to try all the restaurants we could to give you the best recommendations. These two restaurants knocked it out of the park with creativity and excitement in their take on an Arab Breakfast. Drum roll please…. The Most Interesting Twist on an Arab Breakfast in Kuwait is Jihan Salmiya and Gio Lounge. 

Jihan Salmiya took the traditional breakfast and stepped it up a thousand levels by adding Persian and Indian flavors and excitement to the breakfast platter.  Wow, did they do a great job. Along with classic favorites like labneh, olives, tahini, hummus, foul, cream, mutabal, feta, falafel, shakshuka, and eggs, they added delightful twists like cheese spring rolls, sambousa potatoes, fried cauliflower, cajun fries, badenjan (eggplant stew) and fresh tanoor bread. Although this was one of the more expensive places we tried, if you like interesting flavors and combinations, this won’t disappoint. We found so many other influences on the food that it was exciting and fun to try. Also another pro is that the breakfast comes with unlimited tea so get ready to drink up! And the tea is good. If you are a fan of outdoor seating, this place has a lovely little water feature/garden like area. It may be the entrance to the adjoining hotel but it’s a great place to enjoy your breakfast alfresco. 

Gio Lounge – while the first floor is a full blown Italian restaurant, Giovanni Restaurant, our adventures took us to the second floor Gio Lounge for another twist on a classic favorite. Each small bowl added a new flavor to an old classic like boiled eggs and pesto, chickpeas in parsley and mint, fava bean foul, shakshuka eggs and avocados. It was just so much fun trying dishes that looked classic but had a fun, inventive flavor. The atmosphere is colorfully classic with plants, flowers, and even live birds adorning funky murals and inventive seating. It’s really a great place to spend a few hours. Grab a table by the windows to get a great water view too! Do be careful as the parking is limited and if you miss the turn, it’ll take you a while to get back so drive here carefully. 

Best Buffet – Weekends Only – Arab Breakfast in Kuwait

While most breakfast spots we tried were ordered to the table only, this one is so unique because it serves a full breakfast buffet on the weekends. Head over to Olympia Mall for Naranj. It’s a great spot serving unlimited local favorites. If you’re new to Arab Breakfast it might be the perfect place to start so you can sample everything and find your favorites. They have an omelet and flatbread station so you can customize your own. There are a variety of hot and cold dishes in the buffet. We definitely recommend the cheeses and hummus! There is even an entire dessert table so get ready to try a lot of dishes. They have a drink station with unlimited tea bags or powdered coffee. Overall, while it’s not our favorite place, it is a good place to get a sampling of all the foods and an even better place to go with a group so everyone can get what they want. Saturday from opening until 11am. 

Honorable Mention – Arab Breakfast in Kuwait

Misk is one of our tried and true Arab Breakfast spots. Not only do they have all the favorites like foul, falafel, halloumi, cheese, hummus, olives, carrots, and cucumbers. But they get honorable mention as the bread is made fresh in the dining room for all to see. Just ask and they’ll refresh your bread so it’s warm and soft for all the dips. Also the decor is adorable and on the top floor of the mall, you can see the water view and take in the sun shine!