Photo: Robert Bock · CC0Restaurants
A travel writer's guide to the best restaurants in Dubai, from Emirati and Middle Eastern classics to fine dining, seafood, rooftops and casual eats.
Dubai eats like the crossroads it is. Emirati home cooking sits alongside Levantine mezze, South Indian thali, Persian grills and some of the most ambitious fine dining in the Gulf, often within a few minutes of one another.
You can start the day with regag bread in a heritage courtyard, share a seafood spread at a beach shack in the afternoon and end the night with omakase high above the marina.
This guide leans on the places that define the city rather than the ones that simply advertise the loudest. Some are polished, reservation only rooms like Zuma and the underwater dining room at Ossiano.
Others are unfussy institutions like Ravi in Satwa or Al Ustad Special Kabab in Bur Dubai, where the value and the crowds have held for decades. Wherever possible we point you to the neighborhood so you can plan by area rather than by hype.
Use the top list for a quick shortlist, then dig into the themed sections for cuisine, fine dining, seafood, rooftops, romance and neighborhood picks. We have kept prices and opening hours out on purpose, because they change often in Dubai.
Check current details before you go, book ahead for the marquee names and remember that many of the best meals here are still the cheapest.
The top pick in each category, at a glance.
| Category | Our pick | |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Zuma | Reserve |
| Dubai's Best Restaurants by Cuisine | Al Fanar Restaurant | Reserve |
| Fine Dining | Ossiano | Reserve |
| Middle Eastern and Emirati Restaurants | Al Fanar Restaurant | Reserve |
| Seafood and Waterfront Dining | Pierchic | Reserve |
| Legendary Casual Eats | Ravi Restaurant | Reserve |
| Rooftop and View Restaurants | Ling Ling by Hakkasan | Reserve |
| Romantic Restaurants | Pierchic | Reserve |
📍 DIFC
Japanese Izakaya$$$$· Buzzy special occasion
The contemporary izakaya that helped define modern Dubai dining. Robata grills, sushi and a buzzy bar make it a reliable special occasion room in the financial district.
What to order: Miso-marinated black cod
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve
📍 Palm Jumeirah
Seafood$$$$· Underwater fine dining
Fine seafood dining set against a floor to ceiling aquarium at Atlantis The Palm. A destination tasting menu with theatre built in.
What to order: Chef's tasting menu
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve
📍 Satwa
Pakistani$· Casual & legendary
The legendary Pakistani canteen that generations of Dubai residents swear by. Generous curries, fresh naan and prices that have kept the queues loyal for decades.
What to order: Mutton curry with naan
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve
📍 Bur Dubai
Iranian Kebab$· No-frills institution
A no frills Iranian kebab house covered in celebrity photos. Charcoal grilled meats and buttery rice in one of the city's oldest dining rooms.
What to order: Mutton kebab with rice
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve
📍 Multiple locations
Emirati$$· Nostalgic & traditional
Traditional Emirati cooking served in a nostalgic old Dubai setting. A dependable place to try machboos, harees and thereed.
What to order: Chicken machboos
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve
📍 Jumeirah
Seafood$· Beachside shack
A beachside seafood shack turned local institution. You pick the catch, they fry it in a signature masala, and you eat it with paratha by the water.
What to order: Fried fish in masala with paratha
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve
📍 Jumeirah
Seafood$$$$· Romantic pier-side
Seafood at the end of a wooden pier with Burj Al Arab views. One of the city's most requested romantic tables.
What to order: Fresh oysters & lobster
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve
📍 Al Sufouh
Modern Indian$$$· Refined & polished
Refined modern Indian from a Michelin starred chef at the Grosvenor House. A polished take on regional Indian flavours.
What to order: Black cod & tandoori platters
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve
📍 Satwa
Lebanese$· Casual street-side
A beloved Lebanese street food corner known for shawarma, fresh juice and people watching from the pavement tables.
What to order: Chicken shawarma & fresh juice
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve
📍 Palm Jumeirah
Modern Indian$$$$· Intimate tasting counter
An intimate, high concept Indian tasting menu that has earned serious critical acclaim. Book well ahead for the counter.
What to order: Progressive Indian tasting menu
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve📍 Palm Jumeirah
Cantonese$$$$· Lively rooftop scene
Cantonese inspired dishes and a lively rooftop scene at Atlantis The Royal, pairing dim sum with sweeping coastline views.
What to order: Dim sum & Peking duck
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve
📍 Bluewaters Island
Lebanese Levantine$$$· Garden-like & lively
A modern Lebanese and Levantine dining room with a garden like setting and generous mezze near the coast.
What to order: Mezze spread
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve
📍 Downtown Dubai
Pan-Arabian$$$· Relaxed Bedouin tent
Pan Arabian cooking in a tented, Bedouin inspired setting near the Burj Khalifa. Grills, mezze and a relaxed lounge feel.
What to order: Mixed grill & mezze
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve
📍 DIFC
Latin American$$$$· Jungle-themed & lively
A lush, jungle themed restaurant blending Latin American and Mediterranean plates with a late night bar upstairs.
What to order: Black cod & churrasco
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve
📍 DIFC
Peruvian$$$$· Warm & festive
Peruvian cooking with ceviche, anticuchos and pisco, wrapped in a warm, festive dining room.
What to order: Sea bass ceviche & anticuchos
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve
📍 Al Fahidi
Emirati$$· Calm heritage courtyard
Emirati dishes served inside a restored courtyard house in the historic district, a calm spot to learn the local table.
What to order: Harees & thereed
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve
📍 Deira
Persian$$· Creekside with live music
A long running Persian restaurant on the Creek known for kebabs, saffron rice and live music by the water.
What to order: Saffron chelo kebab
📍 View on Google Maps →Reserve
📍 Jumeirah Fishing Harbour
Asian Fusion$$· Cult-favourite & buzzy
A small, cult favourite serving inventive Asian influenced plates by the marina, often with a wait for a table.
What to order: Butter garlic prawns & short rib
📍 View on Google Maps →ReserveDubai's strength is its range. This section is a quick map across the major cuisines you will find well represented across the city, from Emirati and Levantine to Indian, Persian, Japanese and Peruvian, so you can start from a craving rather than a location.
Emirati $$
Emirati. Traditional dishes like machboos and harees in a nostalgic old Dubai setting.
What to order: Chicken machboos
Lebanese Levantine $$$
Lebanese and Levantine. Generous mezze and grills in a garden like room by the coast.
What to order: Cold and hot mezze, mixed grill
Modern Indian $$$
Modern Indian. Refined regional cooking from a Michelin starred chef.
What to order: Tandoori lamb chops, black cod
Pakistani $
Pakistani. Hearty curries and fresh naan at legendary value in Satwa.
What to order: Mutton curry with fresh naan
Persian $
Persian. Charcoal grilled kebabs and buttered rice in a historic Bur Dubai room.
What to order: Special kabab with buttered rice
Japanese izakaya $$$$
Japanese izakaya. Robata, sushi and a busy bar in the financial district.
What to order: Miso black cod, robata skewers
Peruvian $$$$
Peruvian. Ceviche, anticuchos and pisco in a festive DIFC dining room.
What to order: Sea bass ceviche, anticuchos
Latin American $$$$
Latin American and Mediterranean. A jungle themed room with a late night bar.
What to order: Picanha, wagyu churrasco
Cantonese $$$$
Cantonese inspired. Dim sum and coastline views at Atlantis The Royal.
What to order: Dim sum platter, Chilean sea bass
Progressive Indian $$$$
Progressive Indian. A high concept tasting menu on the Palm.
What to order: Chef's tasting menu
For a special occasion Dubai delivers on ambition and setting. These rooms pair serious kitchens with memorable spaces, from an underwater aquarium wall to intimate chef's counters. Book ahead, dress up and expect tasting menus at several of them.
Seafood $$$$
Seafood tasting menus against a vast aquarium at Atlantis The Palm.
What to order: Aquarium-side tasting menu
Progressive Indian $$$$
An intimate progressive Indian counter with critical acclaim.
What to order: Multi-course tasting menu
Contemporary Japanese $$$$
Polished contemporary Japanese and a benchmark DIFC dining room.
What to order: Miso black cod, sushi
Modern Indian $$$
Michelin starred modern Indian at the Grosvenor House.
What to order: Black cod, tandoori platter
Peruvian $$$$
Upscale Peruvian with a warm, celebratory atmosphere.
What to order: Ceviche, pisco sour
Latin Mediterranean $$$$
A theatrical, greenery filled room bridging Latin and Mediterranean plates.
What to order: Picanha, ceviche
Cantonese $$$$
Refined Cantonese inspired dishes with a rooftop scene.
What to order: Dim sum, Peking duck
Seafood $$$$
Seafood fine dining at the end of a pier with Burj Al Arab views.
What to order: Oysters, seafood platter
Levantine $$$
An elevated Levantine experience in a lush, garden like setting.
What to order: Mezze, mixed grill
Pan-Arabian $$$
Pan Arabian dining in an atmospheric tented space near the Burj Khalifa.
What to order: Mixed grill, mezze
To eat where you are, start here. Emirati cooking is subtle and rice forward, while the wider region brings Levantine mezze, Persian grills and Pan Arabian feasts. Many of these places double as a lesson in local culture.
Emirati $$
Emirati classics like machboos, harees and thereed in an old Dubai setting.
What to order: Machboos, harees, thereed
Emirati $$
Emirati dishes inside a restored courtyard house in Al Fahidi.
What to order: Machboos and harees
Lebanese Levantine $$$
Modern Lebanese and Levantine mezze in a relaxed, leafy room.
What to order: Mezze spread
Pan-Arabian $$$
Pan Arabian grills and mezze in a Bedouin inspired tented space.
What to order: Mixed grill, mezze
Lebanese $
Lebanese street food, shawarma and fresh juice in Satwa.
What to order: Shawarma and fresh juice
Persian $$
Long running Persian kebabs and saffron rice on the Creek.
What to order: Chelo kebab, saffron rice
Persian $
Historic Iranian kebab house in Bur Dubai.
What to order: Special kabab with rice
Emirati $$
A tranquil Al Fahidi courtyard for Emirati breakfasts and mezze.
What to order: Emirati breakfast, balaleet
Levantine $$
Homestyle Levantine cooking in Jumeirah Lakes Towers with a personal touch.
What to order: Homestyle kibbeh, warak enab
Levantine $
A casual, reliable stop for falafel, manakish and Levantine street snacks.
What to order: Falafel and manakish
With the Gulf on its doorstep, Dubai does seafood at every register, from a beach shack frying the day's catch to a pier restaurant with skyline views. These picks put you close to the water in one way or another.
Seafood $$$$
Seafood at the end of a wooden pier facing the Burj Al Arab.
What to order: Oysters, seafood platter
Seafood $
A beachside shack frying fresh catch in signature masala with paratha.
What to order: Fried catch in masala with paratha
Seafood $$$$
Seafood tasting menus beside a floor to ceiling aquarium.
What to order: Aquarium tasting menu
Asian small plates $$
Inventive Asian influenced small plates by the fishing harbour.
What to order: Butter garlic prawns, wagyu
Persian $$
Persian grills and seafood with Creek views in Deira.
What to order: Grilled kebabs, seafood
Pakistani $
Not seafood led, but its fish curry is a longtime favourite in Satwa.
What to order: Fish curry
Shellfish $$
A hands on, bib and bucket shellfish spot along the marina.
What to order: Bucket of crab and prawns
Seafood $$
Fresh grilled fish and seafood platters in a casual waterfront format.
What to order: Grilled fish platter
Cantonese $$$$
Coastal views to pair with dim sum and seafood plates.
What to order: Dim sum, seafood plates
Mediterranean $$$
Contemporary Mediterranean with a strong seafood lean in DIFC.
What to order: Grilled octopus, seafood
Some of Dubai's most cherished meals cost very little. These are the institutions locals return to for decades, where the queues, the value and the consistency tell the whole story. Come hungry and bring cash to be safe.
Pakistani $
The Satwa Pakistani canteen that residents have loved for generations.
What to order: Mutton curry, dal fry
Persian $
Charcoal kebabs and buttered rice in a photo covered Bur Dubai room.
What to order: Special kabab, buttered rice
Lebanese $
Satwa's classic corner for shawarma, falafel and fresh juice.
What to order: Shawarma, falafel, juice
Seafood $
The fried fish shack that became a Jumeirah rite of passage.
What to order: Fried fish masala with rice
Persian $
A historic Bur Dubai kebab house with decades of loyal regulars.
What to order: Special kabab with rice
North Indian $
An old Meena Bazaar favourite for hearty North Indian curries.
What to order: Butter chicken, dal
Emirati cafe $
A casual stop for the city's beloved spiced karak tea and snacks.
What to order: Karak chai, snacks
Levantine $
Reliable Levantine street food across several convenient locations.
What to order: Falafel, manakish
Persian $$
Generous Persian grills in a relaxed garden setting in Satwa.
What to order: Mixed grill, koobideh
Keralan $
Well loved Keralan and Malabar cooking with a strong seafood menu.
What to order: Malabar fish curry, biryani
Dubai was built for the long view. These rooftops and elevated dining rooms trade on skyline, sea and sunset, so time your booking for golden hour and dress for a stylish crowd.
Cantonese $$$$
A rooftop scene with coastline views at Atlantis The Royal.
What to order: Dim sum, seafood
Asian International $$$$
Sky high dining and a pool lounge overlooking Downtown and the Burj Khalifa.
What to order: Black cod, sharing plates
Nikkei Brazilian $$$$
Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian plates high up at the Palm.
What to order: Sushi, anticuchos, samba rolls
International $$$
An elevated rooftop with panoramic city and sea views.
What to order: Sharing plates, sunset cocktails
Latin Mediterranean $$$$
Its upstairs bar brings a lively, leafy view over DIFC.
What to order: Ceviche, cocktails
Pan-Arabian $$$
A rooftop tented setting looking toward the Burj Khalifa.
What to order: Mixed grill, mezze
International $$$
A boho rooftop lounge with skyline views and small plates.
What to order: Small plates, cocktails
Mediterranean $$$
A rooftop bar and dining terrace facing the Gulf at Five Palm.
What to order: Grilled seafood, cocktails
International $$$
A 360 degree infinity pool lounge with light bites at Palm Tower.
What to order: Light bites, cocktails
Mediterranean $$$
Not a rooftop, but airy DIFC dining amid the towers.
What to order: Grilled octopus, seafood
For a date or an anniversary, setting matters as much as the food. These rooms deliver intimacy, whether that means a pier over the sea, an aquarium wall or a candlelit courtyard. Request a good table when you book.
Seafood $$$$
A pier for two with Burj Al Arab views, a perennial proposal spot.
What to order: Oysters, seafood platter
Seafood $$$$
Dim, dramatic dining beside a vast aquarium.
What to order: Aquarium tasting menu
Pan-Arabian $$$
A tented, lantern lit setting that feels worlds away from the city.
What to order: Mixed grill, mezze
Levantine $$$
A lush, garden like room that softens a night out.
What to order: Mezze, grills
Asian International $$$$
Sunset skyline views for a memorable evening.
What to order: Sharing plates, sunset views
Progressive Indian $$$$
An intimate counter experience for food loving couples.
What to order: Tasting menu
Latin Mediterranean $$$$
Moody lighting and greenery for a stylish date.
What to order: Picanha, ceviche
Emirati $$
A quiet, atmospheric courtyard in the historic quarter.
What to order: Machboos, harees
Japanese izakaya $$$$
A polished, buzzy room that still works for two.
What to order: Miso black cod, robata
Peruvian $$$$
Warm, festive and easy to linger in over pisco.
What to order: Ceviche, pisco sour
Planning by area saves time in a city this spread out. Here is a quick orientation to where the standout tables sit, from the heritage lanes of Bur Dubai and Deira to the polished towers of DIFC and the beaches of the Palm.
Area
The fine dining core: Zuma, COYA, Amazonico and BOCA.
What to order: Dining hub, Zuma, COYA, Amazonico, BOCA
Area
Destination dining: Ossiano, trèsind Studio and Ling Ling by Hakkasan.
What to order: Destination dining, Ossiano, trèsind Studio, Ling Ling
Area
Legendary value: Ravi, Al Mallah and Pars Iranian Kitchen.
What to order: Value classics, Ravi, Al Mallah, Pars Iranian Kitchen
Area
Historic kebabs and curries: Al Ustad Special Kabab and Special Ostadi.
What to order: Heritage kebabs, Al Ustad, Special Ostadi
Area
Creekside classics: Shabestan and old spice souk eateries.
What to order: Creekside classics, Shabestan
Area
Beach and pier dining: Bu Qtair, Pierchic and 3Fils.
What to order: Beach and pier, Bu Qtair, Pierchic, 3Fils
Area
Views and atmosphere: Ninive and CÉ LA VI near the Burj Khalifa.
What to order: Views and atmosphere, Ninive, CÉ LA VI
Area
Heritage courtyards: Arabian Tea House and Al Khayma.
What to order: Heritage courtyards, Arabian Tea House, Al Khayma
Area
Modern coastal dining led by Aya.
What to order: Coastal dining, Aya
Area
Neighbourhood gems like Bait Maryam for homestyle Levantine.
What to order: Neighbourhood gems, Bait Maryam
Dubai's food spans Emirati classics like machboos and harees, Levantine mezze and shawarma, Persian, Pakistani and South Indian grills, and high end international dining. Local Emirati cuisine is rice forward and gently spiced.
Yes, book well in advance for marquee names like Zuma, Ossiano, trèsind Studio and Pierchic, especially on weekends. Casual spots like Ravi and Bu Qtair take no reservations, so expect queues.
Try Al Fanar Restaurant, Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant and Arabian Tea House for traditional Emirati dishes, often in heritage settings near the old Al Fahidi district.
For skyline and sea views, try CÉ LA VI near the Burj Khalifa, SUSHISAMBA and Ling Ling on the Palm, and Pierchic on a pier facing the Burj Al Arab.
Value favourites include Ravi in Satwa, Al Ustad Special Kabab and Special Ostadi in Bur Dubai, Al Mallah for shawarma, and Bu Qtair for fried fish. Bring cash at casual spots.
Many hotel restaurants and licensed venues serve alcohol, but many standalone and casual restaurants do not. Check whether a specific restaurant is licensed before you go.
