Mediterranean$$$
African Queen
J1 Beach, La Mer, Jumeirah 1
Riviera-style dining with a lively Saturday brunch and DJ sets.
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Restaurant directoryFind a restaurant by occasion, cuisine, area and price, with our ratings for food, welcome, vibe, value and choice.
J1 Beach, La Mer, Jumeirah 1
Riviera-style dining with a lively Saturday brunch and DJ sets.
W Dubai – The Palm, Palm Jumeirah
Korean-Japanese fusion with views over the Gulf.
Dubai Marina
Seafood lounge on Dubai Marina.
DIFC
Latin American flavours with a party atmosphere and live entertainment.
Atlantis The Royal, Palm Jumeirah
Persian home-style cooking at Atlantis The Royal.
Level 122, Burj Khalifa, Downtown Dubai
Breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner on the 122nd floor of Burj Khalifa.
Gate Village 9, DIFC
Athenian-inspired Greek restaurant with a courtyard feel, reliable for relaxed lunches and mezze-style dinners.
Gate Village 1, DIFC
First international outpost of London’s counter-dining tapas bar, good for casual Spanish small plates at the bar.
Gate Village 8, DIFC
Casual three-floor spot for Asian-inspired bites, bowls and barbecue with plenty of vegan options, relaxed for groups.
Villa 531, Jumeirah Street, Jumeirah 3
Turkish restaurant and lounge with lunch menus and Turkish nights.
The Ritz-Carlton DIFC
Chef-led modern tasting menus inside the Ritz-Carlton DIFC, awarded one Michelin star in the 2026 Dubai guide. For serious fine dining.
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
Relaxed dining on a deck over the water.
Gate Village 3, DIFC
Chic contemporary Indian with a small terrace, open all day, good for spicy business lunches and weekend brunch.
Atlantis The Palm, Palm Jumeirah
Gordon Ramsay’s British kitchen at Atlantis The Palm.
Bluewaters Island
Craft beer bar with food pairings and beer flights.
The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi, Dubai Marina
One of Dubai’s best-known big-format weekend brunches.
Waldorf Astoria DIFC
Classic steakhouse with weekly steak and Wellington nights.
The Ritz-Carlton DIFC
Art deco Belgian brasserie inside the Ritz-Carlton DIFC, dependable for business lunches and moules-frites dinners.
Burj Daman, level P5, DIFC
Theatrical modern Indian with playful plating, known for its party-style Saturday brunch and business lunch.
Gate Avenue, DIFC
Opulent Italian with a big wine cellar and late-night live jazz, for date nights and groups.
Gate Village 10, DIFC
Classic Venetian Italian in the Harry’s Bar tradition with white-jacketed service, good for glamorous dinners and set lunches.
Gate Village 11, level 9, DIFC
Rooftop contemporary Japanese with an open kitchen and 360-degree bar, made for skyline-view dinners and late nights.
Al Habtoor Polo Resort, Dubailand, Dubai
Moroccan restaurant and lounge at Al Habtoor Polo Resort with a flamenco show, DJ and shisha every Friday and Saturday night.
The Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai
Dining experience at The Dubai Mall.
Aloft Palm Jumeirah
All-day restaurant at Aloft Palm Jumeirah.
Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Waterfront, Marasi Drive, Business Bay
Grill house serving breakfast, brunch and dinner.
The Lana, Marasi Bay, Business Bay
Waterfront Saturday brunch at one of Dubai’s newest luxury hotels.
Gate Village 4, DIFC
Upscale Greek with a fresh seafood display and terrace, best for special-occasion dinners and long lunches.
Atlantis The Royal, Palm Jumeirah
Lavish buffets with live stations across a grand dining room.
Palazzo Versace Dubai, Jaddaf Waterfront, Al Jaddaf
Breakfast and dinner buffets, including a seafood feast night.
The Ritz-Carlton DIFC
Big Mamma Group’s 1970s-glam trattoria with sharing plates, fun for group lunches and lively dinners.
Gate Village 7, DIFC
First UAE outpost of London’s Gymkhana, serving Raj-era Indian dishes such as kebabs, curries and biryanis. Best for dinner.
DIFC Square, Tower 3, ground floor
New York-style deli serving pastrami Reubens, tuna melts and breakfast biscuits, for quick, casual weekday eats.
Gate Building 6, ground floor, DIFC
Northern Chinese and Sichuan cooking with dim sum and adjustable spice, good for business lunches and lively dinners.
ICD Brookfield Place, DIFC
Lavish Italian high up in ICD Brookfield Place with Burj Khalifa views, good for business lunches and aperitivo.
Palazzo Versace Dubai, Al Jaddaf
Themed Saturday brunch with a jungle setting and entertainment.
ICD Brookfield Place, DIFC
Pastel, Parisian garden-themed French restaurant with live entertainment, best for Saturday brunch and playful dinners.
Four Seasons Hotel DIFC, Gate Village 9
Intimate kaiseki-style Japanese tasting menus and omakase, awarded one Michelin star in the 2026 Dubai guide. For a special-occasion dinner.
Gate Village 11, podium level, DIFC
Counter-style French fine dining from the Robuchon name, best for a tasting menu or a refined business lunch.
Gate Avenue, ground floor, DIFC
Izu Ani’s French boulangerie-café with pastries, coffee, croque monsieur and light meals, ideal for a casual breakfast.
Gate Village 8, DIFC
Long-running French Riviera bistro known for its sharing dishes, lively bar and business lunches.
Gate Village 2, DIFC
Casual all-day spin-off of Beefbar with French-leaning breakfasts and street-food lunches, handy for a quick meeting.
Grand Millennium Dubai, Barsha Heights
Karaoke brunch with private singing rooms, great for groups.
Level 64, Paramount Hotel Midtown, Al Mustaqbal Street, Business Bay
Rooftop lounge known for its After Dark Friday brunch.
Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach
Japanese-inspired dining and a Saturday brunch in a 1920s Osaka-style setting.
Four Seasons Hotel DIFC, Gate Village 9
Michael Mina’s all-day brasserie at the Four Seasons DIFC, well suited to breakfast meetings, business lunches and steak-frites nights.
Maiden Shanghai, FIVE Palm Jumeirah
Pan-Asian brunch and dinner by FIVE.
Hyde Dubai, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai
International restaurant and lounge with MorOcco Nights every Saturday: live Moroccan band, DJ and tagine until 3am.
Level 14, Paramount Hotel Midtown, Al Mustaqbal Street, Business Bay
Tuscan Italian cooking with business lunch menus.
Waldorf Astoria DIFC
Signature afternoon tea at the Waldorf Astoria DIFC.
Atlantis The Palm, Palm Jumeirah
Afternoon tea in the lobby lounge at Atlantis The Palm.
Boulevard Point, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Downtown Dubai
Steaks and seafood with breakfast buffets, business lunches and weekend brunch.
Gate Village 1, podium level, DIFC
Contemporary Italian with a lounge bar, refreshed and reopened in early 2026, suited to glamorous dinners and late nights.
The Slice, Central Park Towers, DIFC
Walk-in Mayfair steak-frites concept with unlimited fries and Burj views, one of the best-value sit-down meals in DIFC.
Atlantis The Palm, Palm Jumeirah
Long-running brunch and dinner buffet with an Asian-inspired spread.
Innovation One, DIFC
Asian seafood-focused dining in a striking, art-filled space.
Gate Village 11, DIFC
Glamorous 1930s Shanghai-styled pan-Asian with dim sum, Peking duck and a terrace, good for business lunch and weekend brunch.
Gate Village 7, DIFC
Tuscan-themed Italian with a terrace from Paris Society: business lunches by day, music-led dinners at night.
Gate Village 5, podium level, DIFC
Open-fire Latin American cooking with a buzzy bar, suited to stylish evening dinners.
REIF, Building 3, Dubai Hills Business Park
An unconventional omakase experience.
ICD Brookfield Place, DIFC
Multi-zone brasserie with a seafood bar, open-fire grill and café, good for after-work drinks and Sunday roasts.
FIVE Palm Jumeirah
Rooftop with a Friday skyline brunch and weekend DJ sessions.
Souk Al Bahar, Downtown Dubai
Food hall with stalls from local favourites, plus classes and tastings.
Palazzo Versace Dubai, Al Jaddaf
Italian fine dining at Palazzo Versace.
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, Business Bay
Travel-themed Saturday brunch with dishes from around the world.
Gate Village 6, DIFC
Buzzy izakaya-style Japanese with a robata grill and sushi counter, a DIFC classic for groups, celebrations and Saturday brunch.
Share your brunches, chef’s tables and special dinners with people planning their week.
Dubai has thousands of restaurants, and the hardest part is not finding one, it is finding the right one near where you are. This directory is our shortlist of restaurants in Dubai that we would actually recommend, sorted by area, cuisine, occasion and price. Use the area pages to see what is close to you, the filters above to narrow by cuisine or budget, and each restaurant page for what it is best for and how to book.
Dubai eats in neighbourhoods, and each one has its own character. DIFC is the city’s densest dining district, with Michelin-starred tasting menus, business lunches and lively late dinners within a few minutes’ walk. Palm Jumeirah is where the big resort restaurants are, from celebrity-chef dining rooms to family-friendly buffets and beach brunches. Downtown Dubai puts you next to the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountain, with sky-high dining and easy options inside The Dubai Mall. Business Bay has rooftop lounges, canal views and some of the city’s best-known brunches, and Jumeirah mixes beachfront terraces at La Mer and J1 Beach with relaxed villa restaurants along Jumeirah Street.
Dubai’s restaurant scene reflects the people who live here, so almost every cuisine is well represented. Japanese is a city favourite, from izakaya-style rooms to intimate omakase counters. Italian ranges from glamorous Riviera-style dining rooms to relaxed trattorias, and Indian runs from modern tasting menus to classic curry houses. Lebanese and wider Levantine food is everywhere and often excellent value, Greek and Mediterranean restaurants do sharing plates and fresh seafood, and steakhouses are a staple of the hotel scene. Use the cuisine filter above to see every restaurant we list for each one.
Some of the most memorable meals in Dubai come with a view. Restaurants in Downtown Dubai look out over the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountain, rooftop venues in DIFC and Business Bay take in the skyline after dark, and the Palm’s beachfront restaurants face the sea and the city across the water. View tables are limited, so ask for a window or terrace seat when you book, and arrive before sunset in the cooler months for the best of it.
Each restaurant has a price range so you can compare at a glance. One symbol is budget-friendly, two is mid-range and three is premium, based on a typical meal for one person without drinks. Brunch packages, set lunches and tasting menus can sit outside those ranges, so check the restaurant before you book.
Popular restaurants in Dubai fill up quickly from Thursday to Saturday, so reserve a few days ahead for dinner and brunch, and earlier for the most in-demand tables. Smart casual is the norm for evening dining in hotels and DIFC; some venues do not allow shorts, sportswear or beachwear in the evening. Restaurants that serve alcohol are mostly in hotels, DIFC and licensed venues, and the legal drinking age in the UAE is 21, so bring photo ID. During Ramadan many restaurants change their opening hours, and some add iftar and suhoor menus.
We add restaurants that are open, that we can describe accurately and that we would recommend to a friend, from Michelin-starred dining rooms to good-value cafés. Each listing shows the cuisine, the area, the price range and the meals it is best for. Where we have eaten there ourselves, we add our own ratings for food, welcome, vibe, value and choice. We review listings regularly and remove restaurants that have closed.
If you are spending time in another emirate, our guides to Abu Dhabi and Sharjah cover the best areas to eat there, and our weekend guide pairs restaurants with things to do nearby.
Run a restaurant in Dubai? Send us your details and we will consider it for the directory.
Start with the area closest to you: our area pages for DIFC, Palm Jumeirah, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay and Jumeirah list the restaurants we recommend in each neighbourhood, with cuisine, price range and what each is best for. You can also filter this directory by cuisine, meal and price, then open a restaurant page to see its location and how to book.
DIFC has the highest concentration of top restaurants in Dubai, including Michelin-starred tasting menus and many big-name Italian, Japanese and French dining rooms within walking distance of each other. Palm Jumeirah is the best area for resort restaurants and brunch, and Downtown Dubai suits dinners with Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountain views. See our DIFC restaurants page for the full list.
One symbol means budget-friendly, two means mid-range and three means premium, based on a typical meal for one person without drinks. It is a quick way to compare restaurants in the same area. Brunch packages, set business lunches and tasting menus are priced separately, so always check the restaurant’s current menu before you book.
For popular restaurants, yes, especially for dinner from Thursday to Saturday and for Saturday brunch, when tables can go days ahead. Weekday lunches are usually easier, though DIFC is busy at lunchtime from Monday to Thursday. Most restaurants take bookings online or by phone, and many hold a few tables for walk-ins early in the evening.
Smart casual is the norm for evening dining in Dubai, especially in hotel restaurants and DIFC. Some venues do not allow shorts, sportswear, flip-flops or beachwear in the evening, while beach clubs and casual cafés are more relaxed during the day. If you are unsure, check the restaurant’s dress code when you book, as policies vary by venue.
Many restaurants in Dubai serve alcohol, mostly in hotels, DIFC and other licensed venues, but not every restaurant does. The legal drinking age in the UAE is 21 and venues may ask for photo ID. Restaurants in Sharjah do not serve alcohol. Drink-driving carries zero tolerance in the UAE, so plan a taxi or the Metro home.
Yes. During Ramadan many restaurants in Dubai adjust their opening hours, and many add iftar menus at sunset and suhoor menus late at night. Some restaurants in hotels and malls keep serving during the day, but rules and practices can change, so check with the restaurant. Ramadan moves about 11 days earlier each year, following the lunar calendar.
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