Where to eat in Dubai

When you think of all there is to see and do in Dubai there is no doubt: the city has everything you can imagine and will never leave you indifferent. Its unstoppable economic and technological progress is in tune with the most traditional essence of the Arab Emirates and, within its gastronomy, it is also reflected.

Just as it is capable of offering you a typical Arab tea shop or a Lebanese restaurant, it can also surprise you with the best American meat or with dishes taken directly from Italy or Greece. If your mouth is watering, don't waste any more time! Here is a list of the best places to eat in Dubai.

If you've come to Dubai to learn more about the culture and traditions of the UAE and want to immerse yourself in the local cuisine, the Arabian Tea House is one of the places where you should go to eat. This place, in addition to having spectacular architecture that makes it the focus of all the cameras, also has a menu with a lot of variety and of very good quality.

Its star dishes are the Tahta Laham, a typical dish based on meat, rice and spices, and its breakfasts, full of Arab flavours. This place boasts impeccable service and has earned its place as one of the most recommended places to try the typical food of Dubai.

Interesting facts

• Where: Al Fahidi Street, Bur Dubai, Bastakiya.
• Average price per person: between €10 and €30.
• Speciality: Traditional and local food.
• Ideal for: Couples, families and groups of friends.

If you're less interested in the local fare and have come to Dubai to enjoy the luxury and spectacular fusion of Western cuisine, Tribes Carnivore offers some of the best meat in the city with cuts and specialities from the USA. The restaurant is located on the Dubai Mall, so you can enjoy spectacular views of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper.

The menu is full of steakhouse-style recipes, with burgers and ribs, but you can also find vegetarian and, of course, halal-friendly versions. Dishes are usually very generous and, although it's usually quite full, it's worth booking and enjoying a dinner with a view.

Interesting facts

• Where: Shikh Mohamed bin Rashid Blvd, Dubai Mall.
• Average price per person: between €20 and €40.
• Speciality: Meat and burgers.
• Ideal for: dates for couples or families.

Dubai is not only about Arabic food and delicious spicy dishes. It is also a world capital where you can find the best restaurants of your choice. If Greek cuisine is your thing, you can find Eat Greek Kouzina at the Mall of the Emirates.

With an extensive menu full of Greece's most famous dishes, this restaurant has won acclaim from tourists and locals alike. Its speciality is souvlaki kebabs or moussaka, although any dish on the menu will look like something out of Athens itself.

Interesting facts

• Where: Mall of the Emirates, Barsha, 1.
• Average price per person: between €20 and €30.
• Speciality: Greek dishes.
• Ideal for: Tourists with a taste for Greek food.

In Dubai there is also a space dedicated to Italy for all pasta and pizza lovers. Inside the Dubai Mall, there is a space with several supermarkets selling Italian products and nearby they have taken the opportunity to open Eataly, one of the best Italian restaurants in the city.

It is a place with top quality products and haute cuisine dishes, so success is guaranteed. The specialities are seafood dishes, carpaccio and pasta funghi. You can also take advantage of the opportunity to buy your favourite ingredients on the spot.

Interesting facts

• Where: Lower Ground Level, The Dubai Mall.
• Average price per person: between €30 and €50.
• Speciality: Italian dishes and ingredients.
• Ideal for: Couples and lovers of Italian cuisine and haute cuisine.

Just a short drive from the city centre, in the middle of the Rub' al Khali desert, you will find not only one of the most prestigious resort hotels in the world, but also a spectacular restaurant in a spectacular setting. If you have the chance to take a trip to the desert of Dubai, I recommend that you live this experience and dine there.

In addition to its unique setting in the middle of the dunes, it offers a very good quality menu with typical products and dishes, and fusions with Western gastronomy. It is undoubtedly an ideal place to have a romantic date or to live the full experience of being in the Emirates.

Interesting facts

• Where: Al Qudra Rd, Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa.
• Average price per person: between €20 and €50.
• Speciality: Fusion cuisine and Arabic dishes.
• Ideal for: Couples or small groups.

If it's luxury and pampering you're looking for when you visit Dubai, you'll find just what you want in places like the Al Mahara and Al Munhata restaurant, two seven-star hotels that are only suitable for the most discerning of budgets. The restaurant has a huge aquarium and a unique ambience.

The prices are a little steep, costing around €70 per person. However, if you take it as an experience and let yourself be carried away by the enormous menu, you will enjoy a romantic dinner among fish and with an exceptional service.

Interesting facts

• Where: Burj Al Arab Hotel.
• Average price per person: between 40€ and 80€.
• Speciality: International cuisine.
• Ideal for: couples, romantic dinners.

Located on one of Dubai's famous artificial islands, The Palm Atlantis, is one of the best Lebanese restaurants in the city. This type of cuisine tends to be popular with the locals, but it has also gained recognition from tourists because at Ayamna, not only can you enjoy the successful dishes, but you can also enjoy a heavenly setting with views of the sea and palm trees.

One of the best recommendations if it's your first time there is to order the Lebanese Culinary Experience, so you can try a little of each of the specialities. Its dishes based on pulses, breads, rice, meat and spices are capable of conquering any demanding palate.

Interesting facts

• Where: Crescent Road, The Palm Atlantis, The Palm.
• Average price per person: between €40 and €60.
• Speciality: Lebanese cuisine and culinary experience.
• Ideal for: Groups of friends or families.

Dubai is a city of contrasts and its cuisine and gastronomic offer can also be seen in its cuisine. If you go on holiday, even if you are not staying at the Sheraton Grand Hotel, you cannot miss the experience of eating at its restaurant, the Feast Restaurant. This place is the perfect fusion between typical Emirati food and oriental influence.

If you like fusion food and typical dishes from China or Japan, you will find the perfect mix in this restaurant. It also has an open kitchen so you can watch your dishes being prepared. It is also famous for its desserts, so make sure you organise yourself well and leave some room for these Arab delicacies.

Interesting facts

• Where: 3 Sheikh Zayed Road - Sheraton Grand Hotel.
• Average price per person: between 25€ and 35€.
• Speciality: Oriental and fusion cuisine.
• Ideal for: couples, families or groups of friends.

Eating good food doesn't always mean it has to be expensive and Operation Falafel knows that. The aim of this restaurant is to offer you a wide variety of typical Arabian food, just as the locals eat it and at an affordable price. It is for this philosophy that it has made it onto the list of one of the most highly rated restaurants in Dubai.

Their speciality, as the name suggests, is falafels, but they also have a wide variety of shawarmas and a banana and chocolate dessert in the shape of a pizza that will make your mouth water.

Interesting facts

• Where: Jumeirah Beach Residence.
• Average price per person: between €5 and €10.
• Speciality: Low-cost Arabic cuisine.
• Ideal for: Large groups of family and friends.

If you're spending the day on the Dubai Marina promenade and want a quick but tasty meal, don't hesitate to stop by Catch 22, a simple place full of dishes that won't leave you indifferent. Despite its clearly American aesthetic, its star dishes are sushi and fish.

For a fairly affordable price you can sit down and try their delicious seafood stir-fry and combine it with the typical American shakes. Its location, right in the heart of Dubai Marina, offers beautiful views of the sea.

Interesting facts

• Where: La Mer, Jumeirah Beach, Jumeirah 1, Dubai
• Average price per person: between €10 and €20.
• Speciality: Asian fusion cuisine.
• Ideal for: Families and groups of friends.

Dubai may be one of the most expensive and luxurious cities in the world, but it's also one of the most versatile, so you don't have to go with a tight wallet when it comes to eating out. Throughout the city you can find all kinds of places to eat tasty and traditional food to suit all budgets.

If you want to eat in dreamy places, with views and haute cuisine menus, the city can offer you the best restaurants in the world. However, there are also hundreds of local eateries and restaurants offering very good quality food at low prices. Therefore, the price range can go from 5€ to more than 100€.

The gastronomy of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates in general, has a strong influence of Arabic cuisine, so many of the dishes will have the presence of legumes, sour sauces, spices such as curcuma or cumin and seasoned meats.

Some of the most typical recipes are hummus, mezze, tabbouleh or mackbus. All of them feature a mixture of stewed meats with fresh, citrusy touches and lots of spices to give them that special touch. Pork, on the other hand, is banned throughout the country by Muslim law, and the pork offered to tourists is not usually of very good quality, so I don't recommend it.

You may have the idea that eating inside a shopping mall is not the most idyllic of plans when you're on holiday. However, in Dubai it's a different story, as you're in a city where consumerism and economy come first.

That's precisely why, inside the Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, you'll find some of the best restaurants in the city, with unbeatable service and treatment. In addition, you will have the opportunity to be in direct contact with the local Dubaiti and have a closer experience.

Being able to choose to have all the variety of food and specialties in Dubai is a privilege, but you should also know that street food is allowed in the city, especially in the more traditional neighbourhoods such as Deira.

Here, you can find street food stalls in the souk and try some snacks or very typical food with the locals and at a fairly cheap price for the average of the whole city. Dare to get your hands dirty and try a bite of the most authentic Dubai.

Most of the best restaurants in Dubai are located within a shopping complex such as the Mall Dubai, the Mall of the Emirates or the Marina Dubai. For this reason, these restaurants tend to have uninterrupted opening hours from 10am to 11pm, 12pm if it's the weekend.

However, if the restaurant is in a stand-alone location, the most common opening and closing times are from 12 noon and continue to be open until midnight, with no closing between lunch and dinner. Dubai is a city that never sleeps and is always ready to offer you a table where you can enjoy a delicious meal.