Dubai’s cosmopolitan flavor is vastly enhanced by the wide selection of excellent restaurants to be found in the city - making dining in Dubai a real pleasure. From Michelin starred chefs and Chaine des Rotisseurs events, to streetside shisha (hubble bubble) cafes and budget bites, the Dubai dining scene is as expansive, as it is diverse, and has prices to suit every budget. Quality and presentation of food is usually extremely high, coupled with imaginative settings and locations, the highest standards of service and lively atmospheres, this all adds up to a fantastic culinary experience. It’s no wonder that dining out is a favorite Dubaiian pastime !
Alcohol is widely available in 4 and 5 star hotels and in some leisure and entertainment complexes, and as a result of this, many of Dubai’s busiest and best restaurants are to be found here. Restaurants located outside of hotels are not permitted to serve alcohol, but should certainly not be dismissed, as many are culinary delights in their own right. The districts of Bur Dubai, Satwa and Karama are home to many small, independent outlets that take a great pride and passion in the food that they serve and are great value for money.
Dubai’s favorable climate makes outdoor dining very popular for the majority of the year. Outdoor heaters and air conditioners take the chill from the winter nights and cool the summer heat, making al fresco dining at a number of restaurants perfectly possible, all year long. Dubai is simply spoilt with the number of exceptional restaurants in spectacular locations where you can dine under the stars.
Popular global names sit alongside some great local innovations. Appleby’s Benihana, BiCE, Blue Elephant, Chili’s, Ciro’s Pomodoro, Hard Rock Café, Pizza Express, TGI Fridays, Trader Vic’s, Wagamama and Yo! Sushi, are just some of the familiar names to be found in Dubai - all long established and firm favourites. Zheng He’s, Le Classique, The Boardwalk, Vu’s Restaurant, Asha’s and Gordon Ramsay’s Verre are all noteworthy of inclusion in an essential selection of Dubai’s top dining destinations.
A number of annual restaurant awards are coveted by the entertainment and hospitality industry, where public opinion is key in the selection and judging process. This ensures excellent dining standards all round. Several restaurants have won repeated accolades and are justifiably reluctant to lose their crowns – hotting up the competition – and ensuring the best in standards and choice for the discerning diner.
It would be impossible to list all of Dubai’s outstanding venues here, so in the following categories, a few of the city’s favorite and most popular venues have been noted. Several publications, such as ‘Time Out Dubai’ and ‘What’s On’ magazines provide up-to-the-minute information regarding Dubai’s burgeoning restaurant scene.
Fine Dining
Dubai boasts some of the most sophisticated and refined fine dining experiences in any one city. For memorable special occasions and celebrations Al Mahara, the speciality seafood restaurant, located underneath Burj Al Arab is simply without comparison. A three minute submarine simulation ride takes you to your destination – an elegantly furnished dining room, surrounded by amazing seawater aquariums. Al Mahara serves the finest seafood with a Western and Chinese touch prepared by world-class chefs. Celebrities at the One&Only Royal Mirage resort is a landmark restaurant, offering a modern interpretation of Western and Middle Eastern fusion cuisine with a twist. An elegant and romantic atmosphere, coupled with outstanding views over the Arabian Sea makes this a memorable dining experience to enjoy. La Baie at the Ritz Carlton Hotel is possibly one of the most romantic restaurants in Dubai. Serving fine European progressive gourmet food, this elegant restaurant is both intimate and refined and overlooks the Arabian Sea. Vu’s Restaurant at Emirates Towers Hotel is an award-winning favorite in the heart of the city. Serving the best in modern European cuisine in a stylish setting, Vu’s Restaurant benefits from its fantastic location on the 50th floor, providing impressive, panoramic views of Dubai’s cityscape.
Contemporary
Revered Indian singing diva Asha Bhosle chose Dubai to launch her foray into the hospitality industry and to open her first restaurant, to widespread critical acclaim. Asha’s at Pyramids, Wafi City offers traditional North-Western Indian kebabs and cuisine and a selection of Ms Bhosle’s signature and favorite family dishes. Asha’s also features an extensive menu of unique speciality cocktails. Lotus One is possibly one of Dubai’s chicest restaurants and is described as ‘uber-cool’ by the fashionistas that hang out here. Lotus One exudes a calm sophistication and serves world-class cuisine within its an amazing décor, which features swing chairs suspended on wire ropes and state-of-the-art low lighting contrasting with funky glass floors and intimate wood paneling. Teatro at the Towers Rotana Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road features five different cuisines under one roof and is a perennial favourite of the Dubai dining scene for its consist quality and atmosphere.
Arabic
The staple Arabian ‘fast food’ is a delicious shwarma; marinated chicken or lamb, slowly cooked on a rotating grill, thinly sliced and then wrapped in flat Arabic bread with tomatoes, salad and tahina sauce. Inexpensive and instantly satisfying, shwarma stands can be found all over Dubai.
Chinese and Thai
Chinese and Thai are extremely popular cuisines in Dubai and there is a wide choice of restaurants that cater to these tastes. With the high quality of fresh seafood that Gulf waters provide, many dishes are priced considerably lower than one would expect and are packed full of flavor. Many small, independent Chinese and Thai restaurants are located in the Bur Dubai and Karama districts of the city.
Indian
There are many inexpensive Indian restaurants, which offer filling thalis (several different ‘sampler’ dishes all served on one plate), curries, dhals and great, freshly baked breads, served alongside a mind – and mouth-blowing array of hot pickles, chutneys and chilli dips that accompany all dishes. Tucked away in the backstreets of Karama and Satwa, these restaurants are a sensory experience in their own right ! As is normal with Indian restaurants, they are classified into ‘vegetarian’ and ‘non-vegetarian’ and normally specify whether they specialize in the gorgeously rich curries of North India or the lighter, flavorful dishes, such as idlies, uttapatam and dosas, that South India is renowned for.
Pubs, Bars and Wine Bars
Dubai has some great pubs serving no-nonsense traditional pub grub. Virtually every hotel has an interpretation of a traditional English pub, some of which are far better than others ! Most show big international sporting events on giant screens and the usual Ladies nights are to be found almost every night of the week. The variety and quality of food at the city’s watering holes is exceptionally good. From a traditional Ploughman’s lunch at the Dhow and Anchor to the Irish stalwarts of the city; Dubliners, Fibber Magee’s, the Irish Village and Waxy O’Connors, a plate of classic fish and chips or bangers and mash is always on the menu and always delicious !
Some of Dubai’s most popular bars are Scarletts at Emirates Towers Hotel, Long’s Bar at the Rotana Sheikh Zayed Road, Zinc At the Crowne Plaza Dubai and Carters at Wafi City.
The Agency is probably Dubai’s most popular upmarket wine bar, serving tapas and light snacks in accompaniment. Outlets are located at Emirates Towers Hotel and Souk Madinat Jumeirah. The Cellar at the Aviation Club and Vintage at Wafi also serve a great variety of wines and tasty side dishes and snacks and are consistently busy, attracting an upmarket and sophisticated clientele.
Note: Closing time is generally 3am, although some wine bars close a little earlier at 1am. On religious and public holidays, alcohol is not generally served as a mark of respect.
Cafes & Coffee Shops
Dubai has a huge coffee shop culture and with many cafes staying open till way past midnight. Cosmo is a favorite of Sheikh Zayed Road regulars. Serving innovative fusion snacks and dishes in a contemporary and modern setting, by day Cosmo is popular with nearby office workers and in the evenings, residents chill out and relax outside with a shisha (hubble bubble) pipe. More is a contemporary café located in Garhoud, which is a fusion of a café and an art gallery – an inspiring setting for a brainstorming lunch or to a great place to surf the Internet and sip a latte, as WiFi access is freely available. Shakespeare & Co is a home-grown chain of coffee shops with locations across the city. Taking culinary inspiration from popular Lebanese and Western snacks, these are served in a warm, homely atmosphere.
Friday Brunch
Friday Brunch is a veritable institution in the city and a number of venues ensure that there is something for everyone – from fun-filled family buffet brunches, complete with table entertainers, face painters and kid’s play areas, to free-flowing champagne and a smorgasbord of gastronomic delights on offer at Dubai’s leading gourmet restaurants. Sumptuous beach barbeques at the hotels on the shores of the Arabian Sea or authentic Arabian camps, set in the desert dunes are all popular and relaxing ways to get together with friends and contemplate and review ‘that was the week, that was’.
