Palestinian cuisine is inseparable from the land it comes from. Olives pressed into oil, bread baked with zaatar, onions steeped in sumac. In exile, these flavours have travelled differently. They appear in crowded city cafés, in corners of Melbourne, London, or Manila, where Palestinians rebuild fragments of home through kitchens and coffee counters.

Each café carries its own expression of the original Palestinian memory, and some double as cultural centers, bookshops or workshops. Some others are small family businesses serving recipes preserved from Gaza or the Galilee. Together, they form a scattered map of Palestinian presence across the globe.

Here are seven from around the world to try the next time you travel...

Jerusalem Book Cafe

📍Granada, Spain

Jerusalem Books Café combines the atmosphere of a bookish hideaway with Arabic and Middle Eastern flavours. Known locally for its breakfasts and casual setting, it provides a space where food can be combined with literature.

Sawa Sawa

📍Tokyo, Japan

Small in scale, Sawa Sawa introduces traditional dishes to a city where Palestinian cuisine is little represented, standing out precisely because of its quiet authenticity.

Café Palestina

📍London, UK

Established in 2017 in Kentish Town, Café Palestina combines a café with a social enterprise model. It serves mezze, wraps, and cakes while also hosting Arabic classes, supper clubs, and community events. The adjoining shop sells Palestinian olive oils, textiles, and pottery, linking food directly with the crafts and produce of Palestine.

Kufiya Café

📍Limassol, Cyprus

Kufiya Café in Limassol’s old town functions as a Palestinian cultural space as much as a café. Guests can drink Arabic coffee, try traditional sweets, browse an open library of Palestinian literature, and attend events ranging from art exhibitions to poetry nights. It stands out as a gathering place where food and culture intersect.

Beit Siti

📍Melbourne, Australia

Opened in 2024 in Coburg, Beit Siti—meaning “Grandmother’s Home”—was founded by Rahaf Al Khatib as a tribute to her grandmother’s cooking. Its musakhan danishes and zaatar croissants have become local favourites, and the café regularly hosts workshops on labneh-making and olive preservation.

Mishkah

📍Dubai, UAE

Founded in 2022, Mishkah combines a café with a boutique dedicated to Palestinian and Levantine ingredients. The space is known for its olive oil tastings, zaatar-chocolate tart, and iced sage tea, alongside shelves stocked with wild thyme, nuts, and herbs.

The Palestinian Bakery

📍Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The Palestinian Bakery is a popular neighborhood spot specializing in breads and breakfast items. Its location in Al Olaya makes it an accessible stop for those looking to explore Palestinian flavours in Saudi Arabia’s capital.

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