Dining at The Silk Road at the Sheraton Aleppo Hotel in Aleppo, Syria sets the tenor for a Mediterranean experience featuring Aleppine regional dishes, as well as Oriental and international cuisine to appeal to the palates of its guests.

Since the 199-room and suite Sheraton Aleppo Hotel opened in late 2007, it has been the home away from home for business and leisure travelers alike, and has thoughtfully created a wide selection of restaurants to appeal to its many domestic and international guests. During my stay at the hotel in September 2010, while I was attending the Silk Road Festival held annually in Syria since 2002, I had dinner at their restaurant, The Silk Road, where the focus is on the fusion of history and cultures that made Aleppo what it is today, and features an extensive Mediterranean buffet as well as offering á la carte dining.

The bright and airy contemporary restaurant had a wall of windows dressed with Roman shades, a white tray ceiling featured double-tiered chandeliers that illuminated the room, attractive paintings graced the striped wallpaper walls, upholstered high-backed chairs flanked wood tables dressed with white runners, planter boxes filled with pretty flowering plants and large potted plants added visual appeal throughout the restaurant. The focal point though, was of course, the extensive buffet that dominated the center of the large dining room.

The Silk Road

The buffet was laden with a widely diverse selection of appealing appetizers, salads, and soups, seemingly endless varieties of hot and cold seafood, chicken, and meat dishes, as well as assorted potatoes, rice, and vegetables to tempt every palate.

After perusing the many items on the buffet, for my first course, I had a salad of lettuce, julienne carrots, mixed green and black olives, quartered tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and cooked eggplant.

Fresh Salad 

I had heard that the fresh fish was truly special in this area, and for my main course, I had the broiled haddock, and it was indeed very good and fresh tasting. The fish was full of flavor, cooked until delicately golden brown in a lemon sauce, garnished with a roasted red pepper, and accompanied with a side dish of fluffy rice pilaf and a mélange of steamed cauliflower and carrots. 

Broiled Haddock

I love red wine, yes, even with seafood, and I paired the haddock with Chateau Ksara Réserve du Couvent 2007, from Bekka Valley, Lebanon, which was a superbly balanced aromatic wine with a deep ruby color, made from a delicious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Carignan. 

Although there was an excellent assortment of tempting desserts on the buffet, I decided that it would be better not to indulge as I was still adjusting to the 7-hour time difference and I felt that a lighter meal would be the perfect ending after experiencing a day full of delectable discoveries. Since the restaurant varies the menu on a nightly basis, guests will always find a regional or an international dish to their liking at The Silk Road. 

The Silk Road is open from 6:00 am to midnight seven days a week and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

The Silk Road
Sheraton Aleppo Hotel
Al Khandaq Street
P.O. Box 13964
Aleppo, Syria
Telephone:                   +963-21-212-1111
Toll-Free:                     1-800-325-3535
Fax:                              +963-21-212-1137
Reservations Email:     This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  
Website:                       www.StarwoodHotels.com

Read other materials on Syria in the Destinations, Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Adventures, and Chefs' Recipes sections.

For more information on Syria, please visit Syria Ministry of Tourism website: www.SyriaTourism.org. 

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