Al-Rawda Café

In Damascus a coffeehouse can be famous for more than its tea; Al-Rawda is the proof. It opened in the late 1930s on the site of an old cinema, and has hosted the city’s writing, arguing side ever since — poets from Adonis to Muhammad al-Maghut, journalists, chess and backgammon players. Its regulars call it the little parliament. In recent years it has become the meeting point for returnees, and the arguments carrying across the tables are loud again.

Getting there

In the centre, at the end of Al-Abed Street facing the parliament building. Two minutes off the Salhiyah walking axis.

What to drink

Tea from the samovar, Arabic coffee, nargileh. That is the whole menu and nobody expects more — you come for a table, not a drink. It is a wide hall in the traditional Damascene style, and finding a seat gets hard in the evening.

When to go

Late afternoon and evening are the live hours: backgammon dice, loud conversation, music now and then. For a quiet table, go before noon.