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Restaurants We have selected 25 restaurants, which we have divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments. As Dubai is a Muslim city, many restaurants, especially at the cheaper end of the market, are not licensed to serve alcohol. However, restaurants in the tourist and business hotels almost always serve alcohol. Sales tax at 10% is added to all bills. Service charges at 10-15% are also frequently added but, if they are not, a 10% tip is expected. The prices quoted below are for a three-course meal and a bottle of house wine or the equivalent and include sales tax but not service charges. Gastronomic Al Muntaha Al Muntaha has the best location in Dubai, suspended hundreds of meters above the Arabian Gulf, at the top of the Burj Al Arab hotel. Service is immaculate and the slanted glass windows give the restaurant the feel of a great ocean liner heading out to sea. Al Muntaha also delivers on the plate, with starters such as lobster Caesar salad or seared scallops, and mains the likes of grilled hammour (a local fish) or roasted prime beef rib with mustard crust. An unusual dessert option, created by executive chef John Wood, is the Cranachan, a delicious Scottish oatmeal ice cream. Burj Al Arab Hotel, Jumeirah Beach, PO Box 7147 Tel: (04) 301 7777. Fax: (04) 301 7000. E-mail: reservations@burj-al-arab.com Website: www.jumeirahinternational.com Price: Dh500. Wine: Dh250. La Baie Under the expert guidance of head chef Carl Stockenstrom, this fine dining restaurant rather fancies itself to be located in a major European capital, with its mellow piano music, unfaltering service and elegant table settings. The food is similarly impressive and it all adds up to a meal that may stretch the credit card but is guaranteed to be of the highest quality. One of the most exotic starters is the marinated sturgeon carpaccio with caviar and yoghurt sauce, while a highlight among the mains – and rumoured to be the chef’s favourite – is the grilled hammour on a bed of green lentils. Ritz Carlton Dubai, PO Box 26525 Tel: (04) 399 4000. Fax: (04) 399 4001. E-mail: rcdubai@emirates.net.ae Price: Dh350. Wine: Dh130. Palms One of Dubai’s finest venues for high-class French cooking, Palms, at the JW Marriott Hotel, bends over backwards to make the Parisian experience authentic, with immaculately attired waiters and fresh produce that is flown in daily from the French capital. The crème brûlée dessert is rated among many locals as the best in Dubai. The extensive French wine list is similarly impressive. JW Marriott Hotel, PO Box 16590 Tel: (04) 262 4444. Price: Dh300. Wine: Dh100. Sphinx Sphinx has been amongst Dubai’s finest restaurants for a number of years now and its reputation is well deserved. The setting is spectacular in the Wafi Pyramid complex, with Egyptian style decor and candlelight dining. The service is attentive without being overbearing and food presentation is imaginative. Starters include the excellent lobster bisque and the unusual fried goats cheese and beetroot sorbet, served with walnut and blue cheese salad. The first rate ‘surf n’ turf’ is the highlight of a main menu. Pyramids Complex, Wafi City, PO Box 26631 Tel: (04) 324 9603. Website: www.pyramidsdubai.com Price: Dh250. Wine: Dh120. Verre Gordon Ramsey’s recently opened Dubai venture has proved a resounding success and is already regarded by many discerning locals as the best place to eat in Dubai. The minimalist decor may not suit all tastes but the simple surrounds and the well thought-out lighting help focus deserved attention on the food. A nice touch is the chef’s specialities – tasty morsels of food that come between the impressive courses. Mains include salmon with a fricassee of peas and horseradish or poached chicken on a bed of tagliatelle. The desserts are divine. The three course lunch specials offer excellent value. Hilton Dubai Creek, PO Box 30880 Tel: (04) 212 7551. Price: Dh300. Wine: Dh120. Business Al Boom Floating Restaurant This is one of Dubai’s finest seafood restaurants and is located on board a traditional style dhow. Diners choose which fish they want from those on display and the chefs cook it to order. There is also a river cruise every night, creating a unique setting for a relaxed business dinner. Al Boom Tourist Village, PO Box 12650 Tel: (04) 341 0000. Fax: (04) 324 3930. E-mail: abt@emirates.net.ae Price: Dh200. Wine: Dh90. Al Dawaar Dubai’s only revolving restaurant, atop the Hyatt Regency Hotel, has some of the best views of any restaurant in the city. Refurbished in 2002, this restaurant revolves over a two-hour period, offering panoramic views of the entire city and out towards the Arabian Gulf. The most popular dining option is the international buffet, which features dishes from all corners of the globe. Hyatt Regency Hotel, PO Box 5588 Tel: (04) 209 1100. Fax: (04) 209 1000. Website: www.dubai.hyatt.com Price: Dh300. Wine: Dh240. Casa Mia Casa Mia is bit of a local secret. Savvy natives know it as the best Italian restaurant in Dubai – far better than the second-rate Italian cuisine that many of the big hotels offer. It is run by an Italian couple who lovingly look after all the cooking and tend to the decent wine list. The decor is authentic too, with an Italian style that just manages to avoid looking kitsch. It is advisable to book well ahead for one of the coveted dinner spots. Starters include beef carpaccio or red mullet and fennel salad, with mains of the likes of potato gnocchi or baked veal cannelloni. Behind Le Meridien Hotel, PO Box 10001 Tel: (04) 702 2507. E-mail: casamia@le-meridien-dubai.com Price: Dh150. Wine: Dh70. China Times For diners tired of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel restaurants, China Times offers arguably the finest Chinese cuisine in town. Some of the spicier dishes, like the Szechwan chicken or pork, may be toned down a touch for the palates of visiting businesspeople but China Times usually hits the spot. The decor is modern and the service polite without being too stuffy. Jumeirah Plaza, Jumeirah Beach, PO Box 1038 Tel: (04) 344 2930. Fax: (04) 344 3946. Price: Dh90. Wine: Dh40. Peacock This Chinese restaurant is located in the Sheraton Jumeirah, at the very end of the Beach strip, so it is a good place for business diners to take clients to escape the city. The cuisine of both Shanghai and the Hunan provinces, as well as the fiery tastes of the Szechwan region, are explored in a restaurant that caters for those who may not normally like what is conventionally thought of as ‘Chinese’ food. Service is friendly and efficient, with highlights on the menu being wonton soup as a starter and aromatic crispy duck or the unusual red snapper fillet, Cantonese style. Sheraton Jumeirah Beach, PO Box 12650 Tel: (04) 3995533. Fax: (04) 399 5577 E-mail: sherjum@emirates.net.ae Price: Dh100. Wine: Dh60. Trendy Al Iwan Located at the foot of the world’s tallest atrium, this café and restaurant is one of the most fashionable places to eat in Dubai. Arabian culinary delights are served up along with Arabic coffee just off the lobby area of the Arab Tower. The Lebanese mezze dishes are the most popular starters, while the mains include the divine kaban laban (minced lamb with onion and yoghurt sauce). The ambience may be a little overdone but for a place to relax in the midst of some mindblowing architecture, Al Iwan is difficult to beat. Burj al Arab, Jumeirah Beach, PO Box 74147 Tel: (04) 301 7777. Fax: (04) 301 7000. E-mail: reservation@burj-al-arab.com Website: www.jumeirahinternational.com/baa Price: Dh350. Wine: Dh250. IKEA Scandinavian cool comes to Dubai in this chic eatery (not part of the European furniture chain). It may be housed in a large shopping centre but it could easily be some new breezy style haunt in Stockholm upon entering. The decor matches the simple food, which includes Scandinavian specials, such as prawn smørrebrods and Swedish meatballs. Deira City Centre Mall, Deira Tel: (04) 295 0434. Price: Dh120. Wine: Dh70. Irish Village This truly unique restaurant is part of a whole street that has been built to look like it is has just been flown in from Dublin. The Irish Village serves up hearty pub grub, with fish and chips and Irish Stew on the menu, and also serves the legendary Irish ales Guinness and Kilkenny. Celtic culture is currently en vogue in Dubai making the Irish Village a very popular place to meet people. There are also seats outside. Near Dubai Aviation Club, PO Box 55400 Tel: (04) 282 4750. Fax: (04) 282 4751. Price: Dh250. Wine: Dh70. Spago This Italian restaurant, which has no connection to the Los Angeles venue of the same name, is new for 2001 and is already proving very popular. On the top floor of the Dubai Marine Hotel, this open-plan restaurant allows diners to see the Italian chefs at work. The clientele are young and buzzy and the food authentically Italian with the pasta dishes a speciality. Dubai Marine Hotel, PO Box 5182 Tel: (04) 352 0900. Fax: (04) 352 1035. E-mail: sales@centuryhoteldubai.com Website: www.centuryhoteldubai.com Price: Dh250. Wine: Dh75. Tamasha The restaurant at the Ramada Continental Hotel occasionally has live ‘Tamasha’ evenings. These involve savouring some fine Indian dishes (mainly spicy curries and other South Indian dishes) to the accompaniment of live music and Indian performers. These theme nights have already attracted a cult following after starting early in 2001. Ramada Continental Hotel, PO Box 31999 Tel: (04) 266 2666 or 2000. Fax: (04) 266 8887. E-mail: ramadadb@emirates.net.ae Website: www.ramadacontinental.com Price: Dh250. Wine: Dh90. Budget Cactus Jacks It may never win any culinary awards but Cactus Jacks seldom disappoints a hungry stomach. The restaurant also has a live DJ at weekends and things can turn quite wild after 2300, when the spicy Tex Mex food and the tequila kick in. Cactus Jacks dishes up all of the usual suspects – fajitas, burritos and tortillas – with plenty of meal deals and drinks specials. Airport Hotel, Al Garhoud Tel: (04) 282 3464. Price: Dh100. Wine: Dh70. Da Vinci's Restaurant This popular Italian restaurant offers an unpretentious setting and menu in a friendly environment. All of the usual pasta and pizza dishes are on offer and, although there are no real highlights, most dishes are consistently good. The dark decor and red, white and green chequered tablecloths may be a touch on the garish side but, for an evening meal that does not break the bank or challenge a delicate palate, this is a good choice. Airport Hotel, Al Garhoud Tel: (04) 7039 1233. Price: Dh95. Wine: Dh90. Deira City Centre Food Court This is one of the most popular of the many food courts that are dotted all around Dubai. On sale is the full smorgasbord of international foods, with the only unifying feature being that all the stands are cheap. The most popular stands serve up simple Chinese and Indian specialities accompanied by boiled rice. They also have a play area for kids, which takes some of the pressure off harassed mums and dads. Deira City Centre Mall, Deira Tel: (04) 295 1010. Price: Dh80. Unlicensed. Thattukada This excellent South Indian restaurant serves great-value food. Diners sit on long, wooden benches and are surrounded by film posters on the walls. The Kerala-influenced dishes include kappa erachi (tapioca and chicken curry) and karimeem porichathu (fish fry). Palm Beach Rotana Inn, PO Box 5822 Tel: (04) 393 1999. Price: Dh120. Unlicensed. Woodland Avenue This ultra-cheap South Indian restaurant has to be one of the best-value places in town. The menu is mainly vegetarian and there are few frills but, for value for money, an Indian meal at Woodland Avenue seldom This ultra-cheap South Indian restaurant has to be one of the best-value places in town. The menu is mainly vegetarian and there are few frills but, for value for money, an Indian meal at Woodland Avenue seldom disappoints. The vegetable thali is one of the most popular dishes and deservedly so. Al Karama, PO Box 7529 Tel: (04) 336 6632. Price: Dh60. Unlicensed. Personal Recommendations Al Mansour This old double-decked dhow (a traditional trading ship) has been converted into one of Dubai’s most unusual restaurants. It can seat over 150 diners on busy nights, however, booking ahead is still essential for the good food, which is eaten facing the lights of the Dubai skyscrapers glimmering across the waters of Dubai Creek. Intercontinental Hotel, PO Box 476 Tel: (04) 222 7171. Fax: (04) 228 4777. Website: www.dubai.intercontinental.com/dining.html Price: Dh300. Wine: Dh100. India Palace India Palace opened in late 2001 and has already become popular with the local ex-pat community. The emphasis on Rajasthani cooking is backed up by themed decor and artefacts shipped in from the region. The open kitchen is a nice touch, as are the family booths upstairs, with privacy available at no extra charge. The excellent value menu features starters such as lentil soup and prawn bisque with fresh vegetables, while mains include chicken and vegetarian kebabs and a range of delicately spiced curries. Alcohol is not available but the lassis are excellent, especially an unusual lassi seasoned with salt. Opposite Dubai Marine Hotel, Bur Dubai Tel: (04) 286 9600. Fax: (04) 286 5355. Price: Dh100. Unlicensed. Noodle House New for 2002 is this funky, laid-back Noodle House. In contrast to the stuffy business restaurants that tend to be associated with this part of Dubai, the emphasis here is on light, tasty food served up in relaxed surrounds. Patrons can forget table reservations and join the rest of the diners at the long communal tables in enjoying some delightful Asian noodle soups. Also served are spring rolls and more substantial dishes, such as sweet and sour chicken. The desserts are a bit hit and miss but, for a quick and cheerful meal, Noodle House is hard to beat. Emirates Towers Shopping Boulevard Tel: (04) 330 0000. Price: Dh85. Wine: Unlicensed. Splendido Splendido, located at the Ritz Carlton, is arguably the city’s finest Mediterranean restaurant, with a fresh and innovative menu. The setting is luxurious without being overbearing and there is a terrace for days when the sun is not too strong. Starters include marinated salmon with quail egg, pesto and pine nuts, or potato leek soup with lobster. Impressive main courses include rolled homemade pasta filled with ricotta and spinach, or black ink tagliolini with pesto, truffle oil and sautéed prawns. The delicious chocolate crème brulee is legendary. Ritz Carlton Hotel, Jumeirah Beach, PO Box 26525 Tel: (04) 399 4000. Fax: (04) 399 4001. Website: www.ritzcarlton.com Price: Dh250. Wine: Dh110. Venezia There is no restaurant in Dubai quite like Venezia. The recreation of all things Venetian, with mock Venetian buildings, classical musicians and real gondolas drifting around the indoor canal is truly bizarre. The standard Italian cuisine on offer is nothing special but with patrons invited to pick their own wine from their cellar and the sheer surreal ambience of the place make it worth a visit. Metropolitan Hotel, Sheik Zayed Road Tel: (04) 343 0000. Fax: (04) 343 1146. Price: Dh95. Wine: Dh65. |
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