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Eating Out
Guide to Drinking and Dining in Dubai

There are simply loads of places to eat in the city. You'll find cafés and teashops offering Arabic food absolutely everywhere in the city. Quality varies but these are often the most fun places to lunch in the city, and have the most character. You should have no problem finding one of these type of establishments around the souks and the old town.
Alternatively head for one of the hotels - all of which offer excellent standards of cuisine and often several different restaurants in the same complex - or one of the many international restaurants that have cropped up catering to the business and tourist markets. Whatever you could want it's here somewhere, even if you have to venture to the top of the Arab Tower to find it.
The restaurants below are just a cross-section of the mouth-watering variety to be found in the city.

PRICE GUIDE: (average cost of a main course):
= less than AED40, = AED40 to AED70, = AED70+

Arabic

Al Dawaar
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Tel: +971 (0)4-209-1100
The food at Al Dawaar - an eclectic choice of everything from Arab traditional to modern Continental - takes second place to the splendid views available from this 25th floor rotating restaurant. Lunches are popular with families and the executive lunchtime crowd; dinners are a more sophisticated affair with smart casual dress required.

Awafi
JW Marriott Hotel, Deira
Tel: +971 (0)4-607-7977
An Arabic restaurant that serves authentic cuisine inside a Western hotel. Tables are laid out around a courtyard and diners can even sit by the rooftop swimming pool. The only drawback is the screaming jumbo jets that come in low overhead.

Al Iwan
Burj al Arab
Tel: +971 (0)4-301-7777
The vast atrium of the Arab Tower ascends above the tables of Al Iwan. Although the restaurant is slightly on the pricey side for the mezze and Arabic fare you are rewarded with eating in what is undoubtedly one of the world's finest buildings of modern times.

International

More
Lefco Supermarket, Garhoud
Tel: +971 (0)4-283-0224
Fast becoming a favourite hangout for business lunchers and expat loafers out in Garhoud, More is popular mainly because it is one of the few good restaurants in the city that remains independent from a hotel. The food is drawn from all over the globe, and often given little modern twists, designed to appeal to a Western palate. The comfy seats and newspapers are conducive to a leisurely lunch rather than a quick bite to eat.

Chinese

Spice Island
Renaissance Hotel
Tel: +971 (0)4-262-5555
Dubai has many Chinese restaurants and this is one of the best. This is where the local Chinese expat community come to enjoy the spicy Schezuan cuisine that is not too watered down for Western palates.

American

Chili's
Salah Bin Lahej Bldg, Al Garhoud
Tel: +971 (0)4-282-9275
Chili's is a very popular restaurant chain that serves up hot and spicy Mexican food. As well as the Mexican staples they also do some low fat options for those watching their waistlines. There is also a Chili's branch at Jumeirah Beach.

Indian

Bombay Brasserie
Marco Polo Hotel
Tel: +971 (0)4-272-0000
No airs and graces about this no fuss Indian restaurant. The food is of a high quality, the prices low and the atmosphere very relaxed. For a no frills quick meal the Bombay Brasserie is the perfect stop.

Kamat
Al Karama
Tel: +971 (0)4-396-7288
Vegetarians should make a beeline for this excellent Indian vegetarian restaurant. On offer are a wide range of Indian vegetarian specialities, as well as some interesting Chinese options.

Thai

Blue Elephant
Al Bustan Rotana, Al Garhoud
Tel: +971 (0)4-282-0000
A beautiful restaurant, the Blue Elephant successfully recreates an authentic Thai dining experience. The rooms are decorated with Thai style with running water features, dark wood furniture and tropical plants. An extensive menu features all the traditional Thai favourites as well as some modern variations on the theme.

French

La Baie
Ritz Carlton Hotel
Tel: +971 (0)4-399-4000
Serving French style seafood the La Baie restaurant in the Ritz Carlton Hotel is one of Dubai's most sophisticated choices for people who appreciate fine food in laid-back surroundings. The terrace is the place to be if you can get a table, with views over the gulf complementing the excellent menu.

Signatures
Jebel Ali Beach and Golf Resort
Tel: +971 (0)4-804-8604
A short drive out of the city proper brings you to the Jebel Ali Beach Resort, a massive complex in the Bur Dubai area. Signatures restaurant here is a solid choice for those seeking great quality French cuisine in an authentic atmosphere. The décor is French rustic - pans adorn the terracotta coloured walls, while candles provide dim lighting. An ideal place for a romantic meal.

Italian

Italian Connection
Al Karama
Tel: +971 (0)4-335-3001
This is arguably the finest non-hotel Italian in Dubai. With an Italian interior decorator running the restaurant, the décor takes you back to Italy, while the food is similarly authentic with a wide range of pizza and pasta dishes.

Bars

Contrary to what many visitors imagine alcohol is not banned completely in Dubai and the city is home to a number of good bars and restaurants. Alcohol is sold and consumed freely in bars in the major tourist hotels and at selected bars in the city.
Dress codes for bars are generally relaxed, but some bars and all clubs insist on no jeans, trainers or sandals. Officially the local Arabic population cannot consume alcohol and many head for a night out at one of Dubai's coffee-houses, where they smoke apple-flavoured tobacco from a shisha pipe.
Most of the decent drinkeries in Dubai are internationally themed bars targeted at the tourist trade. Hotel bars are often a good bet for evening drinks they commonly have a kind of retro-colonial atmosphere about them that is quite classy. These are just a few favourite haunts of tourists and expats around the city:.

The Irish Village
Al-Garhoud Rd
Tel: +971 (0)4-282-4750
An above average Irish bar that boasts a good range of beers and outdoor seating.

Harry's Place
Renaissance Hotel, Salah Al Din St
Tel: +971 (0)4-262-5555
A tribute to Hollywood with a nice twist - the portraits of the stars on the walls are police mug shots. Something of a Dubai institution.

Uptown
Jumeira Beach Tower Hotel, Al Jumeirah Rd
Tel: +971 (0)4-406-8999
Uptown has a great terrace where you can soak up the views along a wide stretch of Jumeirah Beach.

Up on the Tenth
Dubai Intercontinental Hotel, Beniyas Rd
Tel: +971 (0)4-205-7333
Slick piano bar with views back over the Creek.

The Red Lion Pub
Metropolitan Palace, Shaikh Zayed Rd
Tel: +971 (0)4-343-0000
A loosely themed British pub with a range of good beers and a terrace outside.

Aussie Legends Bar
Rydges Plaza, Satwa
Tel: +971 (0)4-398-2222
An Australian bar that is a great place to catch major sporting events. The bar is covered in sporting paraphernalia and is a must for sports fans.
Note that being drunk in public is against the law. If you want to have more than a couple of drinks stay in your own hotel.

 

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