Dubai
With its loft-like ceilings, concrete floors, red-brick walls and eco-aware attitude, the Pantry may scream 'Shoreditch transplant' but is actually a laid…
Must-see restaurants in United Arab Emirates
Al Zahiyah & Al Maryah Island
All your maki, gunkan and nigiri sushi cravings are satisfied at this outpost of Spain's premier Japanese restaurant. There's plentiful twists on…
Downtown Dubai
Come here for authentic Jamaican food, from the curried goat with coconut rice to oxtail and beans and jerk chicken. The all-time favourite snacks are the…
Ras Al Khaimah
Work your way through a menu of Asian-influenced mains like 'volcano prawns' and spicy lamb curry while kicking back with cocktails made for sunshiny days…
Yas Island
With an indoor play area reserved for little ones, this casual restaurant is a hit with families who come here for lazy breakfasts of berry and maple…
Dubai
This huge and fairly formal mall restaurant with decor inspired by ancient Iraq is locally adored for its excellent masgouf – wood-fired grilled fish, the…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
Located on the 1st floor and with seamless views of the sand and the sea, Seven Sands dishes up generous portions of traditional Emirati cuisine in a…
Umm Al Quwain
This Bavarian restaurant-pub is just the ticket if you're looking for pub-grub comfort food with a German twist; think currywurst and goulash alongside…
Downtown Dubai
This Beirut import serves granny-style rural Lebanese cafe cuisine adapted for the 21st century: light, healthy and fresh. The homey decor more than…
Bur Dubai
At this small and basic joint, Nepali expats soothe their homesickness with platters of tasty momos (dumplings), including a version filled with 'buff' …
Abu Dhabi
Masala dosas (stuffed pancakes served with chutneys) are the speciality at this teensy canteen with just a few tables, which are usually filled with…
Sharjah
If you're with a group all with different tastes, this local UAE chain offers something for everyone – from pizza to lamb chops and pasta to big salads…
United Arab Emirates
It's all about seaside views and breezy Mediterranean style at Al Yamm Villa Resort's restaurant, where the Italian menu runs from porcini pizza drizzled…
Umm Al Quwain
Match your mood to the food at this casual waterfront restaurant where the dishes head from the Middle East to India and then veer into Europe. Munch on…
Al Bateen & Al Mushrif
We can think of few places more pleasant to sit in the early evening than the outdoor terrace here looking over the water while puffing on a shisha. Chuck…
Sheikh Zayed Mosque Area
The rich dishes of the Punjab are re-created here with views out onto the blue waters of the khor (creek). Get your tandoor (clay-oven) fix with chaamp…
Abu Dhabi
For a lunch of stuffed saj (flatbread), sandwiches or salad, the wide veranda here, with its old fashioned, comfy wicker sofas and low tables, is a shady,…
Omani Foods Restaurant & Kitchen
United Arab Emirates
You wouldn't know it from its ramshackle appearance – or its exceedingly snappy name – but this is the best joint on the Omani side of town for a meal…
Dubai
This comfy Euro-style cafe is an expat favourite famous for its luscious cakes (especially the carrot cake), tasty breakfasts, creative sandwiches …
Deira
None of that ubiquitous hazelnut spread here, only the best Belgian chocolate is used in the 35-plus different crêpes, waffles, cakes, brownies, dips and…
Al Ain
This simple, spotless canteen serves reliable Lebanese staples, including succulent chicken shawarmas (meat sliced off a spit and stuffed in a pocket of…
Marina Breakwater
We like this place for its lighter noodle dishes such as spicy prawn yakisoba as well as the sushi and sashimi, but it's also known for its set lunch…
Ras Al Khaimah
Splash out on steaks aged for 45 days in-house, smoked BBQ ribs braised for 12 hours and Wagyu beef cheeks amid the art deco-inspired interior of this…
Al Bateen & Al Mushrif
Classy carnivore eating from LA steakhouse Boa. Choose from wagyu, master kobe or black Angus (aged for up to 35 days) with your choice of rub or sauce…
Bur Dubai
The sister restaurant of the fabled Bu Qtair sits on the corner of a lone gentrified block in working-class Karama, with plastic chairs and tables spread…
Deira
In a city that likes to teeter on the cutting edge, this revolving restaurant on the 25th floor is endearingly old school. After a makeover in 2017, the…
Dubai
This corporate take on the street food truck craze comes complete with a kids' playground, prayer rooms, ATMs and other infrastructure and makes a good…
Dubai
Close to the Mall of the Emirates (next to a Holiday Inn), this local favourite is famous for its kunafeh (cheesy pastry in sugar syrup). Before the sweet…
Al Zahiyah & Al Maryah Island
Nusr'et is part of the steakhouse chain run by Nusret Gökçe (better known as viral video sensation #saltbae), who became famous due to his peculiar…
Dubai
With a simple whitewashed wood pavilion set right on the beach in the shadow of Burj Al Arab, Shimmers is big on atmosphere. The homestyle Greek cuisine…
Downtown Dubai
This Virginia-based chain proves that there is such a thing as guilt-free fast food by serving burgers made entirely from organic, grass-fed and free…
Bur Dubai
Teeming with tourists lured by the romantic Creekside setting, this restaurant occupies one of Dubai's oldest buildings, a 1930s shipping office, and has…
Al Zahiyah & Al Maryah Island
What makes this indulgent cafe in the Galleria Mall an experience is the exceptional view of Abu Dhabi's Al Zahiyah district from the wall of windows in…
Abu Dhabi
This restaurant isn't going to win any prizes for decor, but it does muster up delicious authentic Indian, Pakistani, Iranian and Middle Eastern dishes …
Abu Dhabi
A favourite meeting spot for Emiratis, this old-fashioned cafe deals in coffee and cake, croissants and classic sandwiches with some pasta dishes thrown…
Bur Dubai
Jaffer Bhai, the self-crowned 'biryani king of Mumbai', now feeds his soulful fare to adoring crowds in this modern Karama eatery decorated with a…
Bur Dubai
Look beyond the sun-bleached photos of dishes: the menu may have few surprises but does staples like grills, hummus and tabbouleh (salad of tomatoes,…
Deira
This is not a frontage you can stroll by without a second glance: a scarlet, neon-lit extravaganza of dragons and lanterns with a pagoda-style roof…
Deira
Tucked into a ho-hum hotel (albeit across from the Creek) and incongruously fronted by a red British phone booth, this coffeeshop-type eatery is…
Abu Dhabi
If you want a taste of how seafood is enjoyed locally, nose round the back of the fish market, near the dry-fish section. This tiny Indian restaurant …
