Aleppo is especially famous for its local cuisine – considered by many observers to be the best and spiciest in all of Syria. Indeed, you'll find several restaurants in Damascus specializing in northern Syrian, or Allepine, cuisine.

The locals tend to dine late. In the evening restaurants start to get busy around 10 PM and close when the last patrons are ready to leave, which could be 2 AM or 3 AM.

While you'll find many eateries throughout the city, especially local fast food establishments and cafes, the city's best restaurants tend to be housed in old restored Ottoman buildings with lovely inner courtyards or rooftop views of the city that are centered in two sections of the New City.

The city's best restaurants tend to be found in either Al-Jdeida (or Jedeideh, Aleppo's Christian-Armenian quarter, an enticing walled and cobbled-stoned section of the New City, located northwest of The Citadel and north of the Old City) or Al-Aziziah (the most upmarket section of the New City and the center of Aleppo's large Christian community).

In fact, the elegant and charming medieval Al-Jdeida quarter has a disproportionate number of fine restaurants, boutiques, and hotels, which tend to cluster along Sisi Street.

Unlike Damascus, Aleppo's Old City is primarily noted for its sightseeing, souks, and mosques rather than for its hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues. In fact, you may have difficulty finding restaurants and cafes in the Old City.

This whole area tends to shut down in the evening, since the dining, entertainment, and hotel action is centered in the Al-Jdeida and Al-Aziziah quarters of the New City.

Some of Aleppo's most noteworthy restaurants include: