Yemeni food is some of the most distinctive in the Arab world and Sana'a is the best place to try it. The classic dishes — saltah (a meat-and-vegetable stew topped with frothy fenugreek), fahsa (a similar stew with shredded lamb), and bint al-sahn (a flaky honey-soaked pastry served as a sweet or alongside savouries) — are eaten everywhere, traditionally from a shared pan with rounds of khubz tannour bread.
Most working-class restaurants are open at lunchtime and close in the afternoon for qat-chewing. Evening dining traditionally happens at home. Several restaurants near the Bab al-Yemen serve excellent saltah; the Old Sana'a Restaurant and similar tourist-friendly places offer the same food with a guidebook menu.
Note: most restaurant information predates the 2015 conflict and may no longer be reliable.