Kuwait City recommendations?
 

I'll be working in KWI for a couple weeks. Anyone have any tips on what to do other than go to the Avenues mall or the souk? Any good restaurant recommendations?

So there's basically nothing to do in Kuwait City other than go to the souk or the mall. Food is pretty good though.

I'm going to tag always helpful [MENTION=756888]khabah[/MENTION] as I believe he knows this city well.

Thank you for the consideration and for bringing me up, SanDiego1K!

calmasahinducow I'm from and live in Kuwait, and moved back in June. Kuwait is definitely the sleepier backwaters of the Gulf, and its sights are punctuated by the token visits to Mubarakiya/Kuwait Towers, mall runs and eating - but the eating really is stellar. I believe that Kuwait's food is even better than what you'd find in Dubai from a quality and originality perspective; the city is full of locally-born concepts rather than the Nobus, Nobikovs and Hakkasans that you get elsewhere, and Kuwaiti entrepreneurs are revered in the Gulf for their creativity and have either exported their concepts into the region or have been [often poorly] imitated by neighbors.

There is a cultural scene with art exhibitions and openings, a selection of museums, musical performances [although these tend to feature regional artists more than big-ticket international ones - those you'll find in Dubai, Doha and even Saudi... such are the times we live in]. Now that the weather isn't infernal, you're going to see more outdoor activities like marathons, beach events and desert camping come up, so this is the best time of year in that respect.

If you want specific recommendations for places to eat and see, I can share some pointers based on what you're into. Also happy to link up in person if you're so inclined.

khabah

A fellow FTer from KWI, a rare sight! hello there!

Thank you for the info and the generous offer! I left on Friday evening, so no longer in the area. I'm not sure if I'll return but if I do I'll probably stay in the Fahaheel neighborhood again.

Next time you come to KWI, I'd recommend you to stay somewhere inside the City instead of Fahaheel. There are several properties (Four Points, Courtyard Marriott, Hilton Garden Inn (newly opened and connects to the Avenues!), Waldorf Astoria (newly opened), Radisson Blu, Regency, etc.). It's more lively there during the night. If you're looking for something Kuwaiti? there's Freej Swaleh. Lebanese? there's Mais Alghanim. Japanese? there's Sakura. There are several restaurants here to cater to almost any demand of yours! And don't get me started on Bida'a Strip too.

Thanks for these tips! I'm headed to Kuwait City in early February for 4 nights -- totally a tourist visit. I have Courtyard booked but really would love to try the new Waldorf. St Regis is tempting, but from what I read that whole complex is under mass renovations.

Not to get too off topic, but I'd love to spend a few hours one day and drive to Khafji Saudi, but looks like I can't take a rental across the border. If you have any thoughts, PM me?

Obviously khabah can speak to it much more than I can, but we actually did quite a bit of sightseeing during our visit a few years ago. We really enjoyed a tour of the Grand Mosque, the Kuwait museum, and outside of the city at the Red Fort. As he and the others mentioned, the food was fantastic. Our favorite meal was in the souk - we sat at a random restaurant that was clearly busy with locals and the owner/manager came out and seemingly brought us the entire menu.