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The Best Restaurants in Dubai
The Dubai food scene has been on fire for many years now, but within the last 5 years, its really been flying in its glory. The best Dubai restaurants are exceptionally world class - and how is this? In 20 years, Dubai has gone from living off the land to providing some of the most exquisite meals that you just wouldn't believe. Every year, you think Dubai's restaurants can't get any better, but the best Michelin star chefs are being sponsored to better their competitors and there it is - competition to be the best restaurant in Dubai and in a city where there is no official Michelin rating, the competition is completely open. That's good for Dubai - but not good for Dubai's waistline!
When eating out in Dubai, you will be thoroughly impressed with all process from booking to leaving the restaurant. The ease and friendly manner, more so in the 5 star outlets will give you an experience you will find in very few places in London and New York. Strict health and safety regulations ensure that food is of the higest quality and you will rarely hear of restaurants being shut down due to bad hygiene. On the flip side, even those 4 and 5 star restaurants which serve fantastic meals can fault on their service manner. This is not true for the majority of Dubai restaurants but because Dubai is a majority tourist destination, the staff are all from abroad and are all a mixed bag of roots. Therefore if you are in an italian restaurant and want to compare your gnocchi with a potential rissoto before ordering, the waiter may not always have the best answer. They are trained as best they can in the core business of service but may lack natural flare when it comes to advising a dish. This is what you will get, and if you are not satisfied, dont tip, unless its a requirement of the restaurant. Or better still, after your meal, give the Manager some constructive feedback. You never know, you may score complementary drinks or discount for next time!
At the other end of the scale, there are the basic, simple outlets selling shawarmas, the vegetarian curries and the idlis. There are places like Karachi Darbar where you can eat some of the best barbecued meat, but at prices that the taxi drivers can afford. We have concentrated on providing you with a best of the best restaurants list so that you know that you have chosen wisely. If you have a week in Dubai, and your budget allows, you should try and treat yourself to some of the upscale restaurants as they quite simply are out of this world. And if you don't like the sound of our top choice, we have provided an alternative.
In terms of tipping, this is not strict common practice like you would get in theUnited States. However a recent law has levied a Tourist and Service charge tax for all restaurants that are classified as ‘Tourist’ establishments. These are normally most restaurants based within hotels. These restaurants will automatically add a 16% tax, so you will not be required to add anymore. Take note though that some ‘non – tourist’ establishments (those restaurants not in hotels such as, independent restaurants in malls, fast food chains, street restaurants etc) are adding an automatic service charge and you are not duty bound to pay this. If, however, a restaurant has not levied an automatic service tax and you still want to pay extra – by all means make them happy, normally a tip of 10-15% will have them grinning from ear to ear. Bear in mind that service staff in the UAE are normally from India and the Phillipines and whatever money they make, a big portion of it will be sent back home. By giving a tip, you will make them very happy.
If you are going to indulge in visiting a number of fine dining establishments over a period of a week or longer, it might make sense to purchase The Entertainer which is a book of discount vouchers giving you offers like buy one get on free. There are many offers, and don’t just cover restaurants, but by just using it once you can save the amount spent on buying the book. ( Dhs 295). The guide is a must purchase for all expats, and are available from most supermarkets. See http://www.theentertainerme.com for more detail.
Please note that alcohol is available at all restaurants based within a hotel. Independent and street restaurants will normally NOT serve alcohol by law. We have clarified those restaurants that don’t serve alcohol as ‘unlicensed’.
Our best restaurants are split into price bands for your convenience and we have an additional category, the Grapeshisha Choice. This is our favourite all rounder restaurant which ticks most boxes in terms of great quality food, ambience, service, family friendly and value for money. We also have a fine dining choice for those extra special restaurants. You may pay a little more for them, but they are the very best that money can buy.
We’ve grouped the cuisine types into High, Mid and Budget and to give you an idea of pricing, we’ve allocated dollar signs for a 3 course meal including a glass of wine where applicable for one person. For non – alcoholic drinkers, the cost would be less.
$$$$ Dirhams 400 +
$$$ Dirhams 250-400
$$ Dirhams 150-250
$ Dirhams 150 and below
All the restaurants we’ve listed below have our thumbs up and if you have enough time on your trip to Dubai – visit them all, or save them for your next trip here. Bon appetit!
The Grapeshisha Choice Restaurants
(See individual cuisine types for the detailed reviews)
1. Nobu, The Atlantis, Japanese $$$$
2. Bateaux, Dubai Bur Dubai, International $$$
3. Pai Thai, Al Qasr Hotel, Madinat Jumeirah, Asian $$$
4. BiCE , Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, Cuisine: Italian $$$
5. Indego by Vineet, Grosvenor House Dubai, Indian $$$$
6. Hukama, The Address, Downtown Dubai, Chinese $$$$
7. Sarai, Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Middle Eastern $$
8. Reflets Par Pierre Gagnaire, Intercontinental Dubai Festival City, French $$$$
9. Rare, Desert Palm Dubai, Steakhouse $$$$
10. Brunch Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah Dubai, Mixed/ International $$$$