When it comes to experiencing other cultures, is there any way better than by trying their food in an authentic restaurant? I don’t think so, and I love when I discover a hidden gem of a restaurant that lets me discover a cuisine I’ve never had the chance to taste before. New Jersey is one of the most diverse culinary scenes in the US, but there are some cuisines that have yet to make inroads here or are hard to find. One such cuisine is Afghan and Central Asian cooking – as best I can tell, there is only one Afghan restaurant in New Jersey, and it’s often called the best restaurant in Atlantic City. Welcome to Setaara, a delicious and affordable place on Arctic Avenue with some of the most stunning decor in the entire city. Read on to discover why this unique cultural experience belongs on your dining bucket list!
Hidden away on Arctic Avenue, Setaara is a true one-of-a-kind dining destination named one of the best restaurant in Atlantic City by multiple critics.
A quick Look at the decor makes clear this is a one-of-a-kind place – the Eiffel Garden might be the most beautiful place to dine in the whole city.
The restaurant serves both classic French and traditional Afghan dishes, but the Afghan menu is the way to go. This cuisine isn’t heavily represented in the US and has a great combination of vegetarian and meat-forward dishes.
One thing it has in common with other central Asian dishes like the Uzbek restaurants of Rego Park is its focus on rice. The Palau here is infused with the flavors of carrots and raisins.
It makes the perfect sweet accompaniment to the perfectly spiced kebabs that make up the best entrees here.
That’s just scratching the surface – there are often several flavors of rice available, and the Afghan stews are sensational.
Make sure to take a look around the restaurant as you linger over dessert – there are so many incredible details here.
Have you dined at Setaara before? Do you think it’s the best restaurant in Atlantic City? Let us know about your dinner in the comments section! You can see the full menu on the Setaara website, and follow the Setaara Facebook page for more pictures of the delicious food! Setaara is only minutes away from the Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel, which is a great laid-back alternative to the casino hotels. And it’s walking distance from The Atlantic City Boardwalk, one of the state’s most unique destinations.