For Lana AlBeik, a fashion model (also, you might have recently seen her in AlRawabi School For Girls, Season 2), breakfast is the most important meal. Once, she shared with us: “I enjoy a Palestinian side dish called Galayet Bandura. It's a tomato paste, but not quite as thick — it's cooked slowly over a fire with olive oil for a long time. I like to pair it with olives, preferably ones that are soaked in olive oil. That's my go-to, along with some cheese to complement the flavours.”
After that description, we felt absolutely starving, so we asked Lana to recommend some places where she eats breakfast (and other meals as well) sometimes.
A place that will introduce you to traditional Palestinian street food, from shawarma to fatayer, kofta, manaesh, and more.
Lana: “That is a Palestinian restaurant, my favourite one. It has both breakfast and other meals, and their mana'esh is perfect. It's really good, and there's a lot of traditional and amazing stuff.”
The motto is “Your home, away from home.” When you enter this place, it immediately hugs you in every detail, from the cozy interior to the dishes. The owner, a two-time Michelin award winner, Salam Dakkak, named the restaurant after her mother and offers traditional Palestinian dishes that make you feel at home, no matter where you are from. The proof is right here. Lana: “Oh, it's amazing! You can have breakfast here, as well as other meals. Chef Salam Dakkak actually makes home-cooked beans, and she comes from the same small town in Palestine that I'm from. So, that's one of the many places I strongly recommend for breakfast as well.”
Location: Cluster D — Jumeirah Lake Towers
To experience a slice of France right here in Dubai, Odeon is the place to be. Step into a world of baguettes, croissants, croque madames, crepes, and more. For those craving a variety of flavours, special breakfast menus are available, including "Breakfast À La Francaise," "Le Parisien," "Le Gourmand," "Le Festin," and "Le Sportif." Lana: “I really like this French bakery. Nice coffee. I love a good tuna sandwich. So, they make a really good one there.”
Whether you are an early bird or someone who likes to sleep in, or perhaps yo have missed breakfast because of a busy morning and suddenly it is dinner time — at "Foul and Tamees", you can indulge in breakfast all day long. It is the perfect spot for traditional Saudi meals, offering everything from hummus and foul to tamees, shakshouka, hamsat, mutabbaq, and more.
Lana: “A Saudi restaurant that is nice for breakfast. They make a pretty good one foul, a dish of cooked fava beans.”
Location: Villa 9, Al Athar Street
Avocado here, avocado there, avocado everywhere. On sandwiches, with eggs, on toast, inside tacos, and even in desserts (wow, there is an avocado ice cream!). Welcome to L’AVO, the perfect spot if you can't go a day without avocado.
Lana: “It is a funny one! They have really nice breakfast sandwiches — like eggs with avocado, you know. And amazing smoothies, too. I recommend that strongly.”
Location: Al Burooj St — Al Sufouh — Dubai Media City