Downtown Dubai
Every dish speaks of refinement in this perennially popular bi-level restaurant that gives classic Japanese fare an up-to-the-minute workout. No matter if…
Must-see restaurants in Downtown Dubai
Downtown Dubai
A pioneer of the local-organic-fresh maxim in Dubai, this London import offers a seasonal bounty of dishes, prepared in-house and served amid charming,…
Downtown Dubai
Italy's popular shop-cum-cafe has landed in Dubai Mall, bringing artisanal morsels from around the Boot to discerning palates. Stock up on pesto from…
Downtown Dubai
With its live cooking stations, open kitchens, fruit-filled baskets, colourful lanterns and graffiti-covered steel shutters, Zaroob radiates the urban…
Downtown Dubai
The family that introduced Italian ice cream to the UK in 1907 now also serves their wonderfully creamy flavours to gelato fans in Dubai. Order just a…
Downtown Dubai
New Zealander Leon Surynt works directly with cocoa bean farmers, ensuring sustainability and fairness. There is a similar vision behind the menu, with…
Downtown Dubai
Fun is firmly on the agenda at this wildly popular restaurant, which offers a playful take on Indian molecular gastronomy. Behind the smoke and mirrors,…
Downtown Dubai
This always-bustling warehouse-style cafe with concrete floors, exposed pipes and an open kitchen would fit right into Madrid or Melbourne, which is…
Downtown Dubai
Milas is how Emiratis pronounce majlis – the traditional guest reception room. This particular majlis has a sleek contemporary look (wood, glass, neon)…
Downtown Dubai
Downtown residents regularly swing by the downstairs boulangerie (bakery) for buttery croissants, toothsome pastries or petit déjeuner (breakfast) on the…
Downtown Dubai
This two-floor industrial-style and plant-filled cafe with outdoor seating roasts its own beans, bakes its own sourdough bread and serves food that is at…
Downtown Dubai
Warehouse-style decor, floor-to-ceiling windows and an outdoor terrace – overlooking Burj Khalifa, no less – make an instant impression at this casual all…
Downtown Dubai
The decor here hits the spot (along with the cuisine): warm parquet flooring, leather chairs, lofty ceilings and a huge mural of Italian actress Sophia…
Downtown Dubai
The decor here is all drama with floor-to-ceiling windows, edgy artwork and tiered, as well as secluded, dining areas. The imaginative menu is a truly…
Downtown Dubai
The food may not be out of this world, but the views are certainly stellar from the world's highest restaurant (442m) in the Burj Khalifa. Book far ahead…
Downtown Dubai
Look for the large Buddha guarding the dining room dressed in sensuous burgundy with gold leaf accents. The menu hopscotches around Asia with classic and…
Downtown Dubai
Decorated simply in muted earth colours with Torres wine barrels as a nod to Spanish vino, Boca has a menu that includes such chiringuito (beachside…
Downtown Dubai
Along with the daily specials, the menu here celebrates vegan cuisine with tasty dishes using ingredients like cashew cream cheese, courgette noodles,…
Downtown Dubai
Yamanote has the novel idea of combining traditional European bakery delicacies with Japanese ingredients. The results include such irresistible sweet…
Downtown Dubai
Flanked by shelves of glossily illustrated travel books, the concise menu here similarly skips across cultures and continents and is innovative and…
Downtown Dubai
One of Dubai’s premier steakhouses, Exchange Grill has updated its former, rather stuffy decor and now boasts a punchy New York–inspired look with…
Downtown Dubai
Nick and Scott of Folly fame have taken over the (former) Black Lion and updated the name, the decor (a bit) and, most importantly, the grub. The classics…
Downtown Dubai
This comfy Euro-style cafe is an expat favourite for leisurely breakfasts, innovative sandwiches stuffed into their homemade Turkish pide and the…
Downtown Dubai
This is the first of what promises to be a new chain in the 'affordable healthy eating' bracket. The menu includes an all-day breakfast with such Med…
Downtown Dubai
A welcome new restaurant in Fashion Avenue with an extensive menu of sumptuous-sounding choices. For breakfast, try one of the traditional breads, like…
Downtown Dubai
It's a novel idea: dining on three gourmet courses, paired with wines, in the pitch black to savour every flavour, texture and aroma to the full, and…
Downtown Dubai
Turquoise paintwork, stripy red-and-white awnings and a Gaudí-esque mismatch of colourful floor tiles provide the canvas for this rustic-style Italian…
Downtown Dubai
The brainchild of Dubai-based chef Izu Ani, this cafe-shop hybrid is a beacon of good taste when it comes both to hand-selected designer gifts and to…
Downtown Dubai
With an all-Vietnamese team in the kitchen, you can be sure the tastes are lusciously authentic at this upmarket restaurant. It's been around forever but…
Downtown Dubai
Meat lovers will be in heaven at this rustic-elegant lair with stellar views of the Burj Khalifa from the terrace tables. Start with a selection of…
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…
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…
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…
Downtown Dubai
There's nothing like adding a little texture to your cuppa courtesy of a sprinkling of slightly sweet and gummy tapioca. Originally a Taiwanese treat…
Downtown Dubai
Thiptara means 'magic at the water' – very appropriate given its romantic setting in a lakeside pagoda with unimpeded views of the Dubai Fountain. The…
Downtown Dubai
This multibranch pan-Asian restaurant is a reliably good choice for a casual lunch or dinner. There’s great variety – from roast duck to noodle soups,…
