Showing 1-19 of 19 results
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Afghan Kebab House
Big hunks of meat - lamb, beef, chicken - charred on foot-long skewers come served with rice and bread. That's it. Think caveman food. Eat with your hands. Tricky to find, but locals can direct you.
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Al Mallah
Local-favourite Al Mallah gets packed in its outdoor seating area, even during the scorching summer. The things to order: shawarma (served after ), wrapped or on a plate; falafel dripping in tahini; and fresh juice. Skip the mezze (go to Sidra, across the road). Great for people-watching after a night drinking. No credit cards.
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Al-Baghdadi Home
In Little Iraq, on one of Dubai's best, lesser-known walking streets, Al-Baghdadi spit-roasts whole fish beside an open fire (the traditional preparation) in the restaurant's window, and serves it with bread and lentil salad. (NB: don't order randomly - patchaa is sheep's head.)
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Al-Mijana
The wooden ceiling, keyhole windows and sweeping arches lend the dining room an abbey-like simplicity, but the Lebanese party scene is anything but subdued. Book a table, just before the belly dancer arrives, and fill the table with mezze and kebabs; if you're an intrepid foodie, order the pomegranate-lemon sauté of sparrows. The food's great, but the real reason to come is to whoop it up, spontaneously dance, and laugh too loud. Even the waiters join in.
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Al-Nafoorah
Tucked at the base of Emirates Towers, Al-Nafoorah's clubby, wood-panelled dining room feels like a Wall St power-lunch spot. The mezze stand out - try the kibbeh (raw lamb) - more than the kebabs on the classic Lebanese menu, but really, the kitchen does everything very well, if not beautifully.
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Al-Qasr
For the full-on Lebanese big night out, book an evening - ideally Thursday - at Al-Qasr. The meal starts with bread and veggies, followed by a dozen cold mezze and half a dozen hot. Then comes the meat… the meal goes on for hours. Show up after , when the noisy-fun Lebanese pop band plays and an enthusiastic belly dancer flutters, twirls and spins. By evening's end, the whole place joins in, clapping, dancing and singing. For a quieter meal, sit outside or come before . This is one of few places that carries Al-Maza Beer, which you should drink copiously.
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Al-Tannour
While its traditional village-style décor doesn't excite, the smell of freshly baked bread does. So does the rest of the food - this is some of the most authentic Lebanese food in Dubai. Go with a group that likes to get noisy, and fill the table with mezze from the unusually long list; round out the meal with a couple of grilled dishes (try the chicken). Book for around for maximum fun, when the band and belly dancer really get going.
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Aroos Damascus
Syrian food is similar to Lebanese, but they use more cumin in the fatoush and spice in the kebabs. Our favourite dish: arayees - Syrian bread stuffed with ground lamb and grilled. The sweetness of the bread plays off the gamey flavour of the meat. Great tabouleh, fantastic fresh-from-the-oven bread, huge outdoor patio, cool flickering neon.
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Awtar
Emiratis love the opulent Bedouin tent-like atmosphere and warm welcome of this formal Lebanese restaurant, complete with a Brazilian belly dancer and blaring Lebanese pop - it's not uncommon for women to stand up, clap and sway to the music. The menu lists the usual mezze and kebabs, as well as a full page of raw-meat dishes, all served in mountainous portions.
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Bastakiah Nights
One of the city's most romantic restaurants, Bastakiah Nights occupies a restored home in this historic district, and the old Arabian-style atmosphere is fabulous. It also includes a few Emirati dishes on its Lebanese-based menu. Though you can order a la carte, we recommend the set menu, which includes soup, copious mezze, and choice of entrees, such as mixed grill or lamb stew.
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Grand Abu Shakra
Black-and-white TVs show classics (sound off) from the golden age of Egyptian cinema, a fitting backdrop for Dubai's best-known Egyptian restaurant. Come at lunchtime on Tuesday or Thursday for the classic carb-rich koshary, a combination of rice, lentils and pasta, with chilli sauce, lemon and fried onion.
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Iranian Club
Feast at this Persian-cuisine showcase owned by the Iranian government. Start by rolling cheese and mint in hot bread, then sample soups and marinated salads, followed by tender kebabs and stews from an enormous buffet. Pace yourself. Women must wear headscarves, men long pants, and there's no alcohol, but it's worth altering your habits - especially if you're American - for a culturally rich afternoon and the chance to glimpse Iranians at table.
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Kan Zaman
A trip to Heritage Village is incomplete without a visit to this creekside favourite. During the cooler months, the sprawling outdoor area is the place to leisurely sample mezze and grills, and watch the passing parade of boats. Afterwards, loosen up with some apple sheesha - an obligatory way to end the meal.
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Karam Beirut
Outpost of the famous Beirut restaurant, Karam's extensive menu showcases everything you'll find in Lebanon, including its most ambitious dishes - even lamb's brain - all meticulously presented. There are six types of kibbeh (raw lamb), stellar mezze including a velvety hummus, and creative kebabs, one flavoured with pistachio and white cheese.
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Saj Express
Saj Express is one of Sheikh Zayed Rd's top fast-food joints, and the fresh bread (cooked on the saj, a curved, iron dome-topped oven) is what makes the shawarmas here so special. The rest of the menu doesn't excite, but pair a shawarma with one of the fresh juices and you can't go wrong.
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Shabestan
Shabestan is Dubai's top Persian restaurant, but don't take our word for it. Ask Sheikh Mohammed, who regularly pops in for lunch. We prefer a window table at dinner time, when the window-lined dining room reveals a panorama of glittering lights over the Creek. Hot fresh bread and homemade yoghurt hit the table as you arrive. Mountains of perfumed rice accompany melt-off-the-bone braised lamb. Save room for vermicelli ice cream with saffron and rose water. The Persian house band is first-rate.
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Shahrzad
Shahrzad offers excellent Iranian cuisine and live music surrounded by antiques evoking the feel of old Persia. As soon as you enter the restaurant the enticing aromas of bread baked in the traditional tanour (oven) and meat kebabs slowly cooking on the open grill will make your mouth water.
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Sidra
The top pick for mezze on Al-Dhiyafah St - Dubai's best walking street - Sidra does a great moutabbal (eggplant dip), creamy-rich hummus, tangy tabouleh and fantastic fresh, hot bread. The kebabs are okay, but the dips are what's best. Inside is ugly; sit on the sidewalk and soak up the street scene. Ideal after a night out.
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Zaatar W Zeit
Pick the spicing on your flatbread at this Lebanese fast-food joint: top with cheese, tomatoes, minced meats, or of course zaatar (thyme, sumac and sesame). Think Lebanese pizza. Labneh (salted yoghurt drink) goes best with 'em, not cola. Sit outside and gaze up at the towers.
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Showing 1-19 of 19 results
