Our Top 7 Dubai Restaurants You Should Really Try …. Like Really

Marhaba! The city of gold awaits!  

Did you know that Dubai has a Minister for Happiness? Stick around and we’ll tell you all the fun and incredibly rich (just as the country) things about the thriving cultural melting pot in UAE.  

Dubai, once known for being a small fishing village has grown into the ultimate vacation spot with grand hotels, shopping malls, and more. We would be remiss to mention that Dubai has a hotel whose ATM machine is made of pure gold. It also houses the world’s tallest building that is currently open to visitors. Honestly, it seems like Midas just spread his palms all over Dubai, and guess what? The entire city is tax-free!  

So if you’re hoping to take your Habibi to this luxury-filled world and you just happen to fancy sinking your toes in the sand, which by the way we can tell you is pretty nice. Then why don’t you try the Amaseena? Located at the Jumeirah beach, it is open from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. with its signature dishes being live kibbeh and kabab cooked by Chef Rami. Treat your Habibi like a queen or king (yes ladies, take that lovely man out) to a tasteful journey at this restaurant designed in the form of Bedouin tents, as you relish your meals with the company of melodious Arabian music that is played live by musicians. No, it is not Adele or Ed Sheeran, but you’ll find it just as “perfect” to dine with “someone like her”.   

You can also try the Barasti if you love to pop those liquor bottles, which we know is just… You just got to do it! It is open from 9:00a.m to 10:30p.m. Hey guys! If you’re still looking for authentication, this is an award-winning bar with great music and lip-smacking cocktails. Is that good enough for you? Or do you want to head to The Beach and Bar Grill, or Captain’s open from 9: 00a.m to 11:00 p.m. (which has a glorious view with nautical themes) and provides a romantic feel enhanced by undulating waves and starry skies, located at the JA Jebel Ali Golf Resort, near Jaffa, open from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., happy hours from 5: 50p.m to 6:30 p.m. or you want to try the Villa Beach or the Chill Beach Lounge. We can keep going on and on, just take a pick. 

We know that for some of us, we like great views. That perfect spot you can get down on one knee to tie your shoelace… we’re just kidding, to pop the big question and place that 24 Karat gold ring on her finger with your red bottoms on. Then you should definitely check out these Dubai Restaurants with a view.

Dubai Restaurants With Amazing Views  

The Penthouse Five Palm Jumeirah – a rooftop bar located on the 16th floor with an incredible view over Dubai Marina, is open from 4:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. This venue offers both indoor and outdoor open-air seating, making it one of the best Palm Jumeirah restaurants with a great view. Have you also heard about the Pure Sky Lounge, Hilton? Two words “drop-dead gorgeous”. This rooftop bar has incredible views over the Dubai eye and toward the sea. Also being located in The Walk, it’s a lovely place to have a walk around either before or after your meal. However, the food menu is limited as it’s a lounge, to mainly tapas and small bites, but the view here will definitely compensate for it. You just have to be a minimum of 21 years old and put on a shirt! The dress code is smart casual.   

The sky view bar and Restaurants is another place we can never talk too much of. Located on the 27th floor, you’ll surely get a great view of the calming deep blue of the ocean, except you’re scared of heights.   

You can also make another trip to Highest View Lounge, Gevora Hotel – Trade Centre, it is the world’s tallest hotel, standing at 1’167ft with 75 floors. We can just picture what the view up there will be like, not to mention they also offer a wide range of food, unlike most lounges.  

The Most Popular Restaurants In Dubai

If you’re looking for the most popular restaurants in Dubai to dine, maybe you’re visiting Dubai for the first time and you want to check out the hotspots. We urge you to try either of Ristorante L’Olivo at Al Mahara, a restaurant that brings a taste and style of Italy to the city.  

Fi’lia, a restaurant that offers a stunning Cityscape view and beautiful food from its rooftop view on the 70th floor.  

The Eauzone, La Petite Maison, trust the French to treat you to a fine selection of their national cuisines. Zheng, He’s pricing themselves on creating a blend of modern Western dishes with old Chinese flavors, Nobu Dubia, and lots more. These popular restaurants serve virtually every national cuisine, including Dubai’s very own Arabic delights.   

Don’t take our word for it? Take a trip and taste some of their most popular dishes like the Ghazi, also called Ouzi, or Khuzi, a dish made from whole-roasted lamb or mutton and is often served on Kebab skewers with vegetables and hazelnuts over rice.  

If you’re already in Dubai and you haven’t had the Ghuzi, we’ll advise you to check your map again. It is possible you’re in the wrong city. If lamb is not your thing, we guess you could try the stuffed camel. Let’s take a pause here.

Fun fact, this meal has been named by the Guinness World book of records as one of the largest foods you can eat in the entire world. 

You can also go for the regular shawarma, although available pretty much everywhere, hell! You could be eating one right now. Eating shawarma in Dubai is an experience that should not be missed. There is also the Al Harees, known as the “labor of love.” It really is because this dish literally takes hours to make even though its ingredients are remarkably simple. 

There is also Mehalabiya. How would we describe it? – “like an oasis in a desert – healthy, life-giving and peaceful”.  

Matchbous – another lamb recipe, spiced with loomi which is made from dried, ripe limes and saltwater. A traditional Dubai dish or you can try the Esh Hasarya, also known as “the bread of the Harem” – a caked that almost melts in your mouth and you in your seat.  

In the city of gold with a friend and neither of you can decide where to go? Don’t worry, we’ll give you a list of options you can go for an all-out decadent group dinner.

Try Coya – known for its Peruvian food trend, located near the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, we guess it’s fitting that seafood dishes are the stars here. No one in your group should leave without trying at least the grilled octopus with olive tapenade.  

Qbara – if you like Hollywood hotspots and NYC mega clubs, then merge them into one and you have Qbara. If you’re lucky, you might just see DJ Khaled during the weekends as this restaurant features a DJ spin every weekend. Perfect for that trendy hip friend group.  

You can also go Japanese with Zuma, a restaurant flooded with natural lights and designed with a pleasing neutral color palette, or if you and your buddies fancy the London/Cantonese restaurant, we’re sure you will enjoy Hakkasan.  

The Best Restaurants In Dubai To Go To On A Date

How are you feeling? Down on your luck with love? You’ve finally met that one person and you’re nervous about ruining it? Where you go on your first date is a memory you both will always treasure, but relax, don’t be nervous, we got your back with these top restaurants to go on a date, from underwater dining to dining at the tallest building in the world, here are a few options for you:  

Ossiano – located at Palm Jumeirah. This restaurant offers a dream-like underwater setting, surrounded by Atlantis, the Palm’s famous aquarium. Sea Fu restaurant and bar. It is a beachside sanctuary with stunning views of the Sparkling Arabian Gulf Beyond. It is an ideal spot for a special date right for you and your special someone.  

You can also check the Armani/Amal if you want to wow your date with delicious Indian food and an ambiance that will have you thinking you are dining in an Indian Palace or you can try the Thiptara, which translates to “magic at the water”, it is literally what the name suggests guys. This restaurant has a stunning view of the Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa making it one of the best spots for a date night.