Restaurants in United Arab Emirates
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Sukh Sagar at the Beach
This buzzy Indian vegetarian chain has been in business since 1962 but has kept pace with current food trends by offering light, fresh and healthy cuisine. Sidle up to the counter for dosa teppanyaki: as many freshly prepared mini-dosas (a type of crêpe) with different fillings as you can manage (Dh39). Alternatively, the flaky samosas, creative curries and saffron-scented biryani will make your tummy just as happy.
reviewed
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Kiku
It’s a good sign when the patrons in a Japanese restaurant are Japanese. Sushi is Kiku’s primary focus, with fugu the signature, and here they’re done right, with thick slices of off-the-boat-fresh fish. The classic shoji-screen decor is crisp and clean, but reserve a tatami room for more elbow room and maximum romance. For drama – and hot food – book a teppanyaki table.
reviewed
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Hoi An
Teak latticework, plantation shutters and spinning wooden ceiling fans evoke a très civilisé colonial-era Vietnam at this upmarket restaurant where the flavours are lively and bright. Start with the crispy crab rolls, then move on to the signatures: lotus-leaf-wrapped sea bass with ginger-lemon sauce, or tamarind-spiced rack of lamb. Not a bad date spot, thanks to deliciously low lighting and genteel service.
reviewed
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Chutneys
The hotel lobby setting does not impress and neither does the decor, but the food, oh the food, is well worth the trip to Chutneys. It’ll be a first-class culinary journey at economy prices to northern India, home of Hafeez and Hasib Qureshi, whose family traces its gastro lineage to the kitchens of the Moghul emperors. Tuck into toothsome kebabs and fluffy biryanis as Ghazal singers croon smoothly in the background.
reviewed
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Indego
Michelin-starred Vineet Bhatia is the consulting chef at this gracious Indian restaurant with a spacious and open dining room, lorded over by big brass Natraj sculptures. Recommended dishes include the house-smoked tandoori salmon, prawns poached in coconut and chilli masala, and the chocolate samosas. Note: unlike most Indian cooking, plates here are delicately composed and not designed for sharing.
reviewed
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Ashiana
This oldie but goodie is still one of the city’s top Indian restaurants. Presentations of the northern Indian fare are brilliant: dum biryani is cooked in a pot sealed with bread, elegantly perfuming the meat. Sophisticated, complex curries justify the prices, as do the solicitous service, atmospheric dining room and live sitar music. Plan to linger long. Good vegetarian food, too.
reviewed
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Royal Orchid
Perennially popular, the tasty Thai cuisine here is the best in Abu Dhabi. The gaeng phed lynjee (duck with lychees in a red curry sauce) is our favourite. The restaurant is rather stylish for an eatery not located in a five-star hotel - there's a fabulous glass walkway in the entrance over a large aquarium - and the service is friendly and efficient. The restaurant is unlicensed.
reviewed
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Rajdhani
With a pedigree going back to 1947, it’s no surprise this Mumbai-based chain has a huge fan base among Indian expats, visiting Bollywood stars and other clued-in foodies. The speciality here is vegetarian Thali, a selection of small dishes (curries, dhal, rice) served on a stainless steel platter. Everything’s made from scratch using authentic recipes that have stood the test of time.
reviewed
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Grand Grill
Wine racks line the walls of this South African steakhouse, a favourite of carnivores in search of half-kilo slabs of perfectly grilled meat and boerewors sausage. Detractors point to disappointing appetisers and overly inventive mains that just don’t work, but there’s no denying the pleasure of biting into a juicy steak the size of a fat man’s thigh.
reviewed
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Tagine
Cosy up between throw pillows at a low-slung table in the shadowy-dim dining room, then take your tastebuds on a magic carpet ride while tapping your toes to the live Moroccan band. Fez-capped waiters jump in and dance between dashes to the kitchen for big platters of tagine and couscous. This is the real deal. Book ahead and request a table near the band. Reservations essential.
reviewed
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Karma Kafe
This gorgeous space is another Midas-touch venture by the people behind the Buddha Bar. As in the mothership, a large Buddha oversees the dining room, which in this case is intimate and drenched in sensuous crimson. The food caters for adventurous palates: ahi pizza and sashimi tacos are typically experimental flavour combinations that work surprisingly well.
reviewed
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Spice Island
With dishes from China, Japan, India, Italy, Mexico and Mongolia, plus seafood and loads of desserts, Spice Island is not just a visual feast, it’s one of the best all-round buffets in town. Its recession-friendly prices give it an edge with young expat families; the kiddie play area with supervised activities like face painting doesn’t hurt either. Friday brunch is busiest.
reviewed
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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 trousers, and there’s no alcohol, but it’s worth altering your habits for a culturally rich afternoon.
reviewed
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Royal Orchid
Never mind the mall setting, the terrace with a view of the bobbing boats is a delight on a balmy evening. Though the Peking duck is a standout, it’s probably a good idea to stick to Thai here, including the fun build-your-own curry. The food, while tasty, won’t win any awards, but the fall-over-backwards staff and gut-busting portions give this place an edge nonetheless.
reviewed
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Eauzone
This jewel of a restaurant is an inspired port of call drawing friends, lovebirds and trendy families. The poolside setting is sublime, with decks jutting out over illuminated blue water like little islands, while the menu is a winning fusion of European cooking techniques and Pacific Rim flavours. This is smart cooking, some of the best in Dubai. Reservations essential.
reviewed
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Antique Bazaar
As the name suggests, this deservedly popular Indian eatery resembles a wildly coloured antique bazaar, with dynamic Indian cooking to match. The preparations are classics, and they’re deftly prepared. What really makes this place special is the combination of the food, raucous house band and Indian dancer. Note: bring earplugs if you’re sensitive to noise.
reviewed
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Chandelier
You'd be forgiven for thinking that Chandelier was the only restaurant around - to most Lebanese expats, it is! This stylish slice of Beirut is known for its excellent mezze, grilled haloumi cheese and tasty sausages, such as makanek (spicy Arabic sausage with tomato, garlic and onion sauce). Meals usually finish with a marathon sheesha session. Great fun.
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Finz
With a divine waterfront location in a wooden A-frame beach house with verandas over the azure sea, Finz serves up some of the finest seafood in town. Highlights when we visited were the tuna tartare with lemon capers, crème fraiche and oestra caviar; the sesame crusted oysters with miso; and the grilled sea scallops with tomato and basil ice cream. Sublime.
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Cafe Arabesque
Snag a table on the Creekside verandah, then dip into a pool of pleasurable dishes from Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey at this classy yet low-key eatery at the Park Hyatt. A tantalising selection of mezzes and salads jostles for attention on the beautiful buffet, although it’s just as tempting to have the chef prepare a juicy kebab in the wood-burning oven.
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Creekside
Despite its name, there are no Creek views at this austere Japanese restaurant with overly bright lighting. But sushi cuts are thick and hearty, the chef’s signature rolls inventive, and the tepanyaki table great fun for watching chefs throw knives as they cook. The expansive bento box is great at lunchtime (Dh90), but at dinner the service needs help.
reviewed
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Peppercrab
If you’ve never had Singaporean food, Peppercrab is perfect for surrendering your virginity. Prepare your palate with plump wonton and crunchy baby squid, then don an apron and get ready to do battle with the main event: the eponymous ‘peppercrab’ – a succulent, flaky, tender crustacean paired with a feisty, pepper-laced sauce that’s a virtual flavour bomb.
reviewed
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Blue Elephant
While the Thai village interior (complete with fish-filled lake) is disconcertingly kitsch, the warm Thai welcome and menu removes any lingering doubts that this is the real thing. The Blue Elephant may now be part of a global franchise but refined Thai cuisine is welcome in any city. Go for a Royal Thai Banquet, or just choose your favourites. Book ahead.
reviewed
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Aroos Damascus
Syrian food is similar to Lebanese, but uses more cumin in the fattoosh 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 tabouli, fantastic fresh-from-the-oven bread, huge outdoor patio, cool flickering neon.
reviewed
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Curry Leaf
Hoppers (crispy rice-flour pancakes with fried egg) go well with the smoky-hot, spice-rich curries at this Sri Lankan place in an electronics mall food court. A few Dutch colonial dishes round out the menu; try the lumpries (spiced rice baked with meat, egg and aubergine). There’s zero atmosphere, but kids love to play in the adjacent fountain.
reviewed
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Pars Palace
Tucked away in a Khalidiya backstreet behind Corniche Towers, this excellent Persian restaurant in Oriental surroundings is a hidden gem. Local favourites include the delicious zereshk polo-ba-morgh (chicken and saffron with pomegranate seeds, and spicy kebabs. The complimentary home-baked flat bread with sheeps'-milk cheese is scrumptious.
reviewed