Last Updated on March 18, 2024 by Jamie Marshall
Dubai is a city that loves to eat; the restaurants in Dubai are filled with food lovers who are spoilt for choice from a huge variety of dining experiences ranging from fun and quirky to exotic and opulent. For a city like Dubai, which is a melting pot of people from all over the world, one of the best ways to experience its culture is through a sampling of the cuisine it offers.
Our top 10 best restaurants list isn’t necessary the best restaurants rated by food critics. What we have tried to focus on are restaurants in Dubai that provide unique dining experiences that are fun, coupled with great food, good service and ambience for an overall excellent meal!
Bateaux Dubai
(Approx. USD 140 for two excl. alcohol)
Bateaux is a must-do dining experience unique to Dubai. Offering an array of international gourmet dishes ranging from delectable tiger prawn appetizers to the slow-roasted lamb shank, Bateaux is a fully air-conditioned cruiser with glass ceiling and windows, moored on the Bur Dubai side of the Dubai Creek. Elegantly designed with an outdoor deck for a perfect sunset view, a middle lounge area for families and a more discrete indoor prestige lounge, this cruiser offers all the trappings of a fine restaurant with views of the Dubai Creek.
Al Dawaar
(Approx. USD 110 for two excl. alcohol)
Dubai’s only revolving restaurant perched atop the Hyatt Regency in Deira, Al Dawaar boasts not just splendid views of sunny Deira and Dubai, but also a consistently innovative international buffet that offers a tempting array of appetizers, main courses and desserts. Friday is reserved for traditional Emirati food, which includes a variety of hot and cold mezzeh (appetizers), ayshu abu laham (an Arabic version of pizza with fried mutton, spring onions and a rich sauce) and al harees (traditional porridge consisting of pieces of meat, wheat and water), just to name a few.
Ossiano
(Approx. USD 400 for two excl. alcohol)
Highly rated for its excellent seafood menu, Ossiano is set amidst a sizeable aquarium that surrounds the restaurant. The menu consists of contemporary Catalan cuisine served up by three star Michelin chef Santi Santamaria of Spain. The silver and pearl themed décor creates a romantic dining experience enhanced by the superb food.
BBQ Donut
(Approx. USD 140 for two excl. alcohol)
For a fun, unparalleled meal, check out BBQ Donut, which is literally a donut shaped dinghy with a built-in barbeque station at its centre. Diners are given a box of food, from a set menu, and sent off down the creek to grill their own meats and vegetables while steering their boat; a wonderful way to see old Dubai while navigating the waters of the Dubai Creek.
Hakkasan
(Approx. USD 160 for two excl. alcohol)
This restaurant, opened in 2011, ticks all the right boxes for great food and prompt service in a stunning setting. If possible, try to get a table on the charming terrace, designed with rustic wooden pavilions and Hakkasan’s signature oak latticework set amidst lush greenery. Serving delicately flavoured Chinese cuisine, with special dishes created for the UAE market, the restaurant also offers guests a large selection of world-class spirits and cigars.
Table 9
(Approx. USD 110 for two excl. alcohol)
Located at the Hilton in Deira, Table 9 offers creative culinary dishes prepared by owners and chefs Nick and Scott. The menu is quirky and fun with exquisitely flavoured dishes that will take your taste buds by surprise. A glass wall and a large live projection screen give guests a peek into the behind-the-scenes kitchen plating area. Expect the unexpected in menu options served by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff who are on hand to answer your every question.
Toro Toro
(Approx. USD 220 for two excl. alcohol)
A chic, classy restaurant located in the hip Dubai Marina, Toro Toro provides a blend of Pan Latin flavours in a three tier menu with dishes from the Sea, Land and Garden. The food is served tapas style, with melt-in-your mouth starters and flavourful main courses that have made this a popular dining destination.
Zuma
(Approx. USD 220 for two excl. alcohol)
Unmistakably Japanese in every sense, this stylish restaurant provides exotic Japanese cuisine in understated elegance punctuated with beautiful bamboo, chiselled stone and granite features. The restaurant is split into two levels, with tables packed close together. Offering mouth watering sashimi, expertly crafted sushi and a host of signature dishes, the food is traditionally Japanese with a distinctly contemporary twist.
Asado
(Approx. USD 160 for two excl. alcohol)
This Argentinean grill and steakhouse offers sensationally tender and tasty steak cooked to perfection amidst one of its many taste tingling menu options. Delicious creamy soups offer the perfect compliment to the main course, but don’t forget to leave space for the divine apple tart which comes with a scoop of creamy Vanilla ice cream. Offering live music, this high-end joint also offers spectacular views of the majestic Burj Khalifa from its dining terrace.
Bussola
(Approx. USD 110 for two excl. alcohol)
Overlooking the Gulf, set under the stars, this delightful Italian restaurant is less formal, but no less elegant than some of Dubai’s more elite eateries. With an open, airy interior décor, this no-fuss pizzeria is as popular for its understated elegance as it is for its authentic Italian fare. Served by a friendly, cheerful staff, Bussola provides reasonably priced food in a magnificent setting overlooking the sea.
Selected for their variety of cuisines, mouth watering fare and excellent settings, these restaurants in Dubai are but a small selection of dining options from many that this cosmopolitan city has to offer.