[Dubai Series] travel guide for food lovers in Dubai

Author : cymora

Publish Date : 2021-02-14 02:10:50

Dubai is packed with international restaurant – if you want a burger or steak, Brazilian bbq, Turkish food or Thai food – it’s all in Dubai.

But what’s interesting about Dubai is that Emirati food is not all that commonly found at restaurants, the reason being, most Emirati’s still eat local food at home.

However, that scene is changing, and you’ll find some traditional Emirati restaurants, and also restaurants that serve cuisine from the Arabian Peninsula.

Al Fanar Restaurant & Cafe

Al Fanar is one of the few traditional Emirati restaurants, and they have an impressive menu that consists of everything from Emirati rice and meat feasts to desserts, snacks, and even breakfast dishes.

I ate at Al Fanar Restaurant along with my friend Peyman, and we decided to eat mostly breakfast dishes and some dessert snacks, all of which were fantastic.

What I ate: My favorite dishes were luqaimat (sweet donuts) and tharid (thin spongy bread, sauce, chicken)
Address: Ground Floor, Dubai Festival City Mall, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (they have multiple locations around Dubai)
Open hours: 8:30 am – 11:30 am daily
Prices: Dishes range from 20 – 50 AED ($5.44 – $13.60) or more if they are big sharing dishes

AMAZING MANDI, LAMB DRUMSTICK AT AL MARHABANI RESTAURANT

Al Marhabani Restaurant

Mandi is originally a Yemeni dish of rice topped with meat that’s traditionally cooked in an underground oven until it literally falls apart.

Al Marhabani Restaurant in Dubai is at the top of their mandi game, and they served what was easily one of my favorite meals in Dubai – that lamb drumstick will melt in your mouth!

What I ate: Mandi platter with lamb, chicken is good too
Address: Villa # 575, Jumeirah Road, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Open hours: 12 Noon – 11 pm daily
Prices: Our total price for 4, that entire platter of food came to 200 AED ($54.44)

REGAG BREAD AT AL LABEEB GROCERY

Al Labeeb Grocery

This is a little Dubai gem that Peyman brought me to. It’s a small Iranian grocery and convenience store, but the real reason you want to come here is to get your hands on regag bread.

Regag bread is similar to a crepe or dosa, and I enjoyed the original the best, topped with egg, cheese, and Persian Gulf fish sauce.

What I ate: Original regag bread (Iranian dosa)
Address: Jumeirah Road, Dubai, opposite Jumeirah Beach
Open hours: Usually mid-afternoon until night, but can be a little unpredictable
Prices: 6 AED ($1.63) each

AL Ustad Special Kabab

Legendary is an understatement when it comes to the food at AL Ustad Special Kabab – they’ve been around since before the development boom of Dubai – and they’ve remained a hugely popular local restaurant throughout Dubai’s history.

It’s an Iranian restaurant, known most famously for their selection of kebabs, which are insanely delicious. I especially loved the yogurt marinated kebabs, but everything was outstanding. There’s no doubt it’s a meat lovers paradise.

What I ate: All the kebabs
Address: Al Mankhool Road, Bur Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Open hours: 12 Noon – 4 pm and 6:30 pm – 1 am on Saturday – Thursday; 6:30 pm – 1 am on Friday
Prices: Our total meat feast for 3 came to 100 AED ($27.21)

WHOLE FISH FRY AT BU QTAIR

Bu Qtair

When I reached out on social media (by the, if you’re interested in current food updates, follow out my Instagram!) and asked where I should eat during my trip to Dubai, the overwhelming most recommended place was Bu Qtair.

It’s a restaurant that started off as a street food shack along the ocean, but has since developed into an indoor, yet still local and bare-bones, restaurant. You choose your fish and prawns, which are all marinated south Indian style. Then everything is deep fried, and it’s seriously tasty.

What I ate: Fish fry and prawns
Address: Old 32B Street, Fishing Harbour 2. Umm Suqeim 2, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Open hours: 6:30 am – 11:40 pm daily
Prices: My total price for everything came to 170 AED ($46.27)

DELICIOUS EMIRATI FOOD AT SHEIKH MOHAMMED CENTRE FOR CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding

Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding is a cultural centre located in the preserved old town of Al Bastakiya. You can book for a chance to learn about Emirati / Middle Eastern culture, and also enjoy a meal while you’re there.

The food was actually fanatic I thought, my favorite dish for lunch being their machboos – a dish of rice and in this case chicken with spices.

What I ate: It’s a lunch buffet
Address: Al Hamriya,Bur Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Open hours: They offer a variety of different programs, check their website
Prices: For this meal I didn’t pay as I got complimentary tickets thanks to Visit Dubai, but prices are reasonable if you inquire on their website.

Ravi Restaurant

Ravi Restaurant is known in Dubai for serving outstanding Pakistani food.

Unfortunately, this is one restaurant in Dubai I didn’t have a chance to eat at due to scheduling and simply running out of time and effort. But I wanted to include it in this Dubai travel guide because many people recommended it to me, and it looks amazing.

Address: Shop # 245, Al Dhiyafa Rd, Opp. Emirates Co-operative Society، Satwa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Open hours: 5 am – 3 am daily

Catagory :world