Where to Eat in Dubai: Dishes, Neighbourhoods and Budget Tips

Dubai is one of the easiest cities in the world for an Indian traveller to eat well. You can have a cheap shawarma at a street counter, a long Lebanese lunch, a familiar thali or biryani, and a waterfront dinner in the same trip. The city's food scene reflects its population, which draws from many countries.

The key to eating well here is to pick the neighbourhood first and the restaurant second. Each part of the city has its own character, and walking around in the evening usually beats booking something far from where you are staying. Portions in many casual places are generous, so it is worth ordering a little less than you think and adding more if you are still hungry.

What to try

• Shawarma and falafel: Grilled meat or chickpea fritters in flatbread, found at small counters across the city and often cheap.
• Lebanese and Levantine mezze: Hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh and warm bread are good for sharing and have plenty of vegetarian choices.
• Emirati dishes: Look for machboos, a spiced rice dish with meat or fish, and sweet treats such as luqaimat, small fried dumplings with date syrup.
• Karak chai: Strong, sweet, milky tea that many local cafes serve in small cups. Indian visitors usually take to it at once.
• Arabic coffee and dates: Often offered as a welcome gesture and best accepted politely.

Old Dubai: Deira and Bur Dubai

This is the best area for cheap, real, filling food. Around the Creek, Al Ras and Naif you will find small restaurants serving Iranian kebabs, Pakistani and Afghan grills and Yemeni rice. Bur Dubai, near Meena Bazaar, has a large Indian community, so South Indian meals, Gujarati thalis and North Indian curries are easy to find, usually at modest prices.

Combine a meal with a walk through the spice souk and an abra ride across the Creek, which fits well with our Dubai first-trip guide. Evenings are livelier and cooler, so plan your food walk for after sunset, and carry small change for the abra and for street counters that do not take cards.

Downtown and the Marina

Near Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa, restaurants lean towards polished, international dining, with fountain-view terraces that get busy at night. Prices here are higher, and reservations are wise at weekends. Dubai Marina and JBR have a long row of waterfront restaurants, from casual burger and pizza places to upscale seafood, with views of the yachts and skyline.

If you want a special dinner, choose one tied to a view, such as a rooftop or a harbour-side table, and book early.

Brunch culture

Dubai is known for its weekend brunches, which are long, set-price affairs with unlimited food and, in licensed venues, drinks. If you want to try one, ask about vegetarian and non-alcoholic packages when you book, since many venues offer them. A brunch is a meal rather than a snack, so skip breakfast and plan a slow afternoon.

Vegetarian, halal and dietary needs

Vegetarians are well catered for, thanks to the large Indian population and the Lebanese tradition of vegetable mezze. Jain and strict dietary needs are harder to manage outside Indian restaurants, so say clearly what you do and do not eat. Halal food is standard in most restaurants, and if you avoid particular meats, ask how a dish is prepared. If you have a food allergy, ask the staff before ordering and carry a note in English.

Budget tips

1. Eat at local cafeterias for lunch, where a plate of rice, curry and bread is filling and inexpensive.
2. Share mezze and mains, since portions are often generous.
3. Drink water rather than soft drinks and bottled juices, which add up quickly.
4. Check whether a service charge is already added to the bill before tipping.
5. Use delivery or hotel breakfast on days with early starts.

Prices, opening times and licensing rules change, so check current details before you plan a particular venue. Alcohol is available only in licensed places, and rules about public behaviour apply, so read up on local etiquette before you go.

For more ideas about the country itself, visit our UAE page. Families and friends who like the idea of food stops built into a trip may enjoy our group tours, and we can shape a custom trip around the kind of eating you like.

Have a look at our Dubai trips if you would like the sightseeing and the eating planned together.