Dining and Eating out in Dubai
"There is a difference between dining and eating. Dining is an art. When you eat to get the most out of your meal, to please the palate, just as well as to satiate the appetite, that, my friend, is dining."
Yuan Mei (1936)

Eating Out in Dubai
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Dubai's restaurants provide cuisine of every nationality possible, ranging from typical Arabic food, European, Indian to Far Eastern and American- the list is endless. Whether it's fine dining or fast food you want, Dubai has an outstanding choice of restaurants to choose from. Local and Arabic food is available in the smartest hotel to the humblest café. Locally caught seafood is plentiful and the quality unbeatable. Only restaurants in hotels and leisure complexes are licensed to sell alcoholic beverages.
Many restaurants provide a buffet where you will find an array of Middle Eastern dishes from Lebanon, North Africa, Iran and neighbouring Gulf countries. Typical dishes are hoummous, tabbouleh, stuffed vine leaves, roasted meats such as lamb or chicken, spiced rice dishes, stuffed vegetables such as courgettes and for dessert, the popular Umm Ali a type of sweet bread pudding or many desserts made of nuts. |
There are numerous international fast food chains such as McDonalds, Burger King, Hardee's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, Round Table Pizza and Pizza Corner. Theme restaurants such as TGI Friday's, Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Café and Henry J Bean's can also be found around the city. Recently, international coffee outlets have sprung up such as Costa Coffee and Starbucks plus hundreds of local tea and coffee shops.
Tipping
Sales tax at 10% is added to all bills. Service charges at 10-15% are also frequently added but, if they are not, a 10% tip is usually expected. Porters and bellboys expect modest tips. Do not feel pressured to tip Taxi drivers as they do not expect a gratuity.
Popular Restaurants In Dubai
As Dubai is a Muslim city, many restaurants, especially at the cheaper end of the market, are not licensed to serve alcohol. However, restaurants in the tourist and business hotels almost always serve alcohol.
Thursday marks the beginning of the weekend and restaurants are always very busy, so we advise that you book in advance, especially in the Summer months as a lot of restaurants will close their outdoor dining areas because of the extreme heat.
There are literally 1000's of restaurants in Dubai, below we have provided details of the most popular restaurants that offer different cuisines and that vary in price.
The following restaurants are listed in Alphabetical order.
| Restaurant Name |
Cuisine |
Location |
Telelphone |
| Alamo |
Friday Brunches, Mexican and Tex-Mex |
Dubai Marine Beach Resort and Spa |
(04) 346 1111 |
| Al Boom Floating Restaurant |
Arabic |
Al Boom Tourist Village |
(04) 324 3000 |
| Al Dawaar |
Arabic/Lebanese, Continental, International |
Hyatt Regency Hotel |
(04) 209 1100 |
| Al Mansour |
Continental |
Intercontinental Hotel |
(04) 222 7171 |
| Al Muntaha |
European, Mediterranean |
Burj Al Arab Hotel, Jumeirah Beach |
(04) 301 7777 |
| Al Qasr |
Arabic/Lebanese |
Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa |
(04) 346 1111 |
| Antique Bazaar |
Indian/ Sub-Continental |
Four Points Sheraton Bur Dubai |
(04) 397 7444 |
| Ashiana |
Indian/ Sub-Continental |
Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel and Towers |
(04) 228 1111 |
| Ayam Zamam |
Lebanese |
Century Hotel Bur Dubai |
(04) 352 0900 |
| Benjarong |
Friday Brunches, Thai |
Dusit Hotel |
(04) 343 3333 |
| Cactus Jacks |
Mexican and Tex-Mex |
Millennium Airport Hotel, Al Garhoud |
(04) 282 3464 |
| Cafe Chic |
French |
Le Meridien Dubai |
(04) 282 4040 |
| Cappana Nuovo |
Italian |
Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa |
(04) 346 1111 |
| Casa Mia |
Friday Brunches, Italian |
Le Meridien Hotel |
(04) 282 4040 |
| Cascades |
European |
Fairmont Dubai |
(04) 332 5555 |
| China Times |
Chinese |
Jumeirah Plaza, Jumeirah Beach |
(04) 344 2930 |
| Da Vinci's Restaurant |
Italian |
Millennium Airport Hotel, Al Garhoud |
(04) 7039 1233 |
| Deira City Centre Food Court |
Fast Food |
Deira City Centre Mall, Deira |
(04) 295 1010 |
| India Palace |
Indian/ Sub-Continental |
Princton Hotel |
(04) 286 9600 |
| Indochine |
Vietnamese |
Grand Hyatt, Al Qutaeyat Road |
(04) 317 1234 |
| Irish Village |
Irish |
Aviation Club |
(04) 282 4750/2 |
| La Baie |
French/ European |
Ritz Carlton |
(04) 399 4000 |
| Legends |
n/a |
Dubai Creek Golf Club, Garhoud |
(04) 295 6000 |
| Noodle House |
Chinese |
Emirates Towers Shopping Boulevard |
(04) 330 0000 |
| The Peacock |
Chinese |
Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort & Towers |
(04) 399 5533 |
| Signatures |
French |
Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa |
(04) 883 6000 |
| Spago |
Italian |
Century Hotel Dubai |
(04) 352 0900 |
| Splendido |
Italian |
Ritz Carlton Hotel, Jumeirah Beach |
(04) 399 4000 |
| Sphinx |
Arabic/Lebanese, Continental, Friday Brunches, International |
Pyramids Complex, Wafi City |
(04) 324 9603 |
| Thattukada |
Indian/ Sub-Continental |
Palm Beach Rotana Inn |
(04) 393 1999 |
| Thai Bistro |
Thai |
Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa |
(971-4) 461 111 |
| Manhattan Grill |
American |
Grand Hyatt, Al Qutaeyat Road |
(04) 317 1234 |
| Venezia |
Italian |
Metropolitan Hotel, Sheik Zayed Road |
(04) 343 0000 |
| Verre |
International |
Hilton Dubai Creek |
(04) 227 1111 |
| Woodland Avenue |
Indian/ Sub-Continental |
Al Karama |
(04) 336 6632 |
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