Dubai
Restaurants in Dubai
Chefs from around the world helm many of the city's glitzy chain restaurants, but don't dismiss the less expensive options that serve locals who work outside of the business world. Dinner tends to be served late, around 9 pm, and you should book in advance for Thursday and Friday evenings out at Dubai restaurants since the Dubai weekend falls on Friday and Saturday.
Pierchic is one of the best restaurants in Dubai. Set on a pier that stretches into the Arabian Gulf, the views of the water in every direction are stunning. And the chef prepares excellent seafood to match. Be sure to order the freshly shucked oysters.
Of all the restaurants in Dubai, Margaux is another outstanding option. French-Mediterranean fare is served in the gleaming, wood-clad dining room, but guests may also request to sit outside for a view of the Dubai Fountain.
The Seafood Market Cadiz houses a giant display of lobster, crab, and other sea creatures, and will prepare them any way you like. One specialty: The mango shrimp.
Located in the Karama district, Simran’s Aappa Kadai is a burgeoning chain with three locations throughout the city. Founded in 2002, the restaurant serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian Indian cuisine from its open kitchen.
The main restaurant in the concourse, Safar (which means “traveler” in Arabic) is divided into three sections: Pint 19 (the bar), a buffet area, and an à la carte restaurant with an open kitchen where you can watch Arabic, Western, and Asian dishes being prepared.
The Moroccan restaurant in the Shangri-La Hotel features live music.
An offshoot of the Bikanervala company, which manufactures sweets, the Bikanervala restaurant is a family dining concept, where customers can find traditional Indian specialties. The menu contains a variety of Northern and Southern Indian cuisine, Chinese dishes, and continental fare.
The small, all-black Seafood Bar has fewer than a dozen high barstools and is right in the middle of the concourse. Order smoked salmon, caviar, or sushi—or oysters flown in from Thailand at the raw bar—and one of the high-end champagnes or vodkas on the menu.
The superb Italian food is served in a relaxed atmosphere and coupled with a notable wine selection.
Housed inside the Wafi shopping mall, Wafi Gourmet is part gourmet supermarket and part café. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating and serves a Middle Eastern menu with a particular emphasis on Lebanese cuisine.
The cool, all-white décor of this little restaurant is a pristine showcase for the real star—a giant display of lobster, hammour (a Middle Eastern grouper), crab, scallops, and other seafood, prepared however you like.
The restaurant serves Lebanese cooking—and the best hummus in Dubai. During the colder (read: still insanely hot) months, it is possible to dine outdoors beneath the lit-up palms. The air is infused with scent.
Owned by Siti Fatimah Osman, a transplant from Singapore, City Moon Café is a gathering spot for the Singaporean population in Dubai.
The airport’s new tapas bar is all cozy and brick-walled, with leather sofas, an open kitchen, and wine cellar. Unusual for an airport restaurant (particularly in the Middle East) is its great selection of Spanish and South American wines.
This classic Middle Eastern restaurant is located in Bur Dubai, one of the older parts of the city.
The Lime Tree Café has garnered a following among the expatriate community in the city with its relaxed atmosphere and fresh menu items.
With belly dancers shimmying to Arabian rhythms, impressive falconry displays, and camel caravans, this open-air restaurant—modeled after a desert village—knows how to put on a spectacle. Though the setting is over the top, the menu is authentic Emerati.
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