Dubai Travel Guide
Eating Dubai
How to eat well in Dubai at every budget: Emirati dishes to try, the Indian and Pakistani canteens of old Dubai, shawarma and karak, fountain-view dinners and the celebrity-chef restaurants on the Palm.
Dubai is one of the great eating cities of the world, and most visitors only see a sliver of it. Around nine in ten residents come from elsewhere, and they have brought their kitchens with them: South Indian thalis, Pakistani grills, Iranian kebabs, Lebanese mezze, Filipino bakeries and Ethiopian injera all feed the city every day, often for a few dirhams. On top of that sits a glamorous restaurant scene, recognised by the Michelin Guide since 2022, with celebrity chefs on the Palm and in Downtown. The art is to eat both, and to find the Emirati food in between.
Start with Emirati food. Local cuisine is rarely the first thing visitors meet, but it is worth seeking out. Look for machboos, spiced rice with meat or fish, the national dish in all but name; harees, a slow-cooked porridge of wheat and meat served especially during Ramadan; balaleet, sweet saffron vermicelli topped with an omelette, eaten at breakfast; and luqaimat, crisp dumplings drizzled with date syrup. Arabic coffee, light and spiced with cardamom, is poured in small cups with dates as a sign of welcome. The easiest introduction is a cultural meal at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding in Al Fahidi, where Emirati hosts serve traditional dishes and answer questions; in the same quarter, the Arabian Tea House serves Emirati breakfasts in a shaded courtyard. Several modern Emirati restaurants around the city serve these dishes in comfortable surroundings, and during Ramadan, iftar buffets everywhere showcase them.
Old Dubai: the best cheap meals in the city. The streets of Bur Dubai, Karama, Satwa and Deira are where residents eat, and where visitors eat best for least. Long-running favourites include Ravi Restaurant in Satwa for Pakistani curries and breads, and Al Ustad Special Kebab, an Iranian grill house that has been feeding the city for decades. Around Meena Bazaar and the Al Fahidi area, vegetarian South Indian restaurants serve dosas and thalis for very little, and the lanes near the Deira souks are full of Iranian bakeries, juice bars and seafood grills. Order freely, share everything and expect generous portions.
Street food and snacks. Shawarma is the city's universal snack, wrapped with garlic sauce and pickles and eaten on the move; every neighbourhood has a favourite, and Al Mallah on Al Dhiyafah Road in Satwa is a classic. Karak chai, strong sweet tea with milk and spices, is sold for a dirham or two from cafeterias across the city and drunk by everyone from taxi drivers to bankers. Fresh juice stalls, manakish bakeries with za'atar flatbreads and the falafel counters of Satwa and Deira fill the gaps. In the cool season, Global Village is one long street-food crawl through dozens of cuisines.
Seafood by the sea. Dubai began as a fishing town, and simple seafood is part of its soul. Bu Qtair, a famous no-frills spot near the fishing harbour in Umm Suqeim, serves fried fish and prawns in a spiced masala with rice and bread, with the Burj Al Arab in view. The Deira fish market and its neighbouring cook-shops let you choose the catch and have it cooked for you.
Dinners with a view. For the classic Downtown night, book a terrace overlooking the Dubai Fountain; Thiptara at Palace Downtown, a Thai restaurant built out over the lake, is one of the best. On the Palm, Atlantis The Palm and Atlantis The Royal hold a cluster of celebrity-chef restaurants, from Nobu to Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and Ariana's Persian Kitchen, and at One&Only The Palm, STAY by Yannick Alléno holds two Michelin stars. Book well ahead for weekend nights in the cool season, and check dress codes and age limits, which many top restaurants enforce.
Brunch and drinks. The Friday or weekend brunch is a Dubai institution: a long, lavish buffet, often with drinks packages, in hotels across the city, usually from midday into the afternoon. Alcohol is served in licensed hotels, restaurants and bars, and prices are high by international standards. Rooftop bars in Downtown and the Marina are the best places for a sunset drink.
Eating during Ramadan. During the holy month, which in 2027 falls roughly from February into March, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. Visitors should not eat or drink in public during daylight hours, though hotels and many restaurants serve non-fasting guests. The reward comes at sunset, when iftar tents and buffets open across the city and the atmosphere is festive late into the night.
Etiquette at the table. Eating with the right hand is customary in traditional settings, and at an Emirati meal it is polite to accept at least one cup of coffee; shake the cup gently from side to side when you have had enough. Portions are generous everywhere, and sharing is normal. In budget restaurants, water and bread may be brought without asking, and service is quick and informal. Pork is served only in some licensed hotel restaurants and is clearly labelled, and many menus mark halal dishes as standard.
Food markets and sweets. The fruit and vegetable market and the fish market in Deira are lively in the morning and show the city's food supply chain in action. For sweets, look for kunafa, the warm cheese pastry soaked in syrup, Arabic ice cream with mastic, and dates of every variety, sold loose in the souks and in elegant boxes in the malls. Dates and Arabic coffee make good gifts to take home.
A three-day eating plan. Day one: an Emirati breakfast in Al Fahidi, a dosa lunch in Bur Dubai, a fountain-view dinner in Downtown. Day two: karak and manakish on the go, a grill lunch in Satwa or Deira, dinner at your desert camp. Day three: a lazy weekend brunch or a beach-club lunch on the Palm, a shawarma in the late afternoon, and a seafood or celebrity-chef dinner to finish. Rules: eat in old Dubai at least once, drink karak at least twice, and never leave without trying luqaimat.