At a glance:
- Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines
- Value for money
- Halal certified
- Vegetarian friendly
- Alcohol available
Where exactly is it?
Zam Zam is at the Regency Art Hotel. Diners of a certain vintage will remember when this property was the Hyatt Regency, which opened in the 1980s – when Taipa was still a proper island. Back in the day, this was party central. Ask your Gen X friends about those wild Saturday nights at the Hyatt’s Green Parrot nightclub.
The restaurant is not showing up on the hotel website, though.
It’s maddening, right? But it’s there. A bit on the down-low, however. To get there, you can walk through the hotel’s main restaurant, A Pousada, as if you’re heading to the pool, and you’ll find Zam Zam off to the side. Or, if you’re facing the hotel, take the pathway on your right. It leads around to the back of the property, through gardens to the pool area – and voilà! Zam Zam. You can now enjoy bringing people here and acting like the Macao insider that you are.
Oh, cool. What’s the vibe?
Kind of Cairo meets Calcutta on the China coast. There are wooden ceiling fans, deep orange walls and dark green french windows. You can sit indoors, outside or on the verandah, with a view of the garden and fish pond. There’s greenery everywhere. Friendly service too. We were personally welcomed by the chef.
[See more: Where to get halal food in Macao]
I see. A place for leisurely get-togethers, it sounds like?
Absolutely. Allow yourself some time to enjoy long, leisurely dinners. While couples will have a great time here, we think Zam Zam is best for groups. That way you can try as many of the shareable dishes as you can.
So what’s on the menu?
It’s equal parts Indian and Middle Eastern. Of the former, you’ll find samosas, paneer tikka, butter chicken, fluffy naan and all those old faves. From the latter, expect the classics: tabbouleh, hummus and other dips, manakish (flatbread) with different toppings, lamb kofta, and so on.
Muslim diners are catered for (the restaurant is halal certified), while vegetarians will be pretty happy with the number of plant-based dishes on offer.
[See more: These are the best Italian restaurants in Macao]
Wait, just to add to the confusion, the MGTO’s website says this is a Portuguese restaurant.
We know, but it’s not. Trust us.
Is it pricey?
Not at all. This is a best-kept budget dining secret. Starters range between 28 and 158 patacas and no main dish costs more than 188 patacas. Wines are affordable too.
Bacana! So why isn’t this place packed every night?
We found ourselves asking the same question on the evening we went, when we were among just a handful of diners. But maybe that’s a good thing. Let’s keep this place as a delicious secret between ourselves, shall we?
Address: Regency Art Hotel, Estrada Almirante Marques Esparteiro 2, Taipa
Hours: 6 pm – 10:30 pm; closed on Mondays
Reservations: (853) 2883 1234
