Oh Dubai. There are few cities as compelling on the culinary front with a thrilling medley of global flavours, viral hits and iconic institutions. We’ve canvassed the latest and the greatest to curate our food guide to Dubai speckled with favourites across the board – from the buzz-worthy new openings to old classics and hidden gems.
A Guide to The Best Food in Dubai
Quick Bites
Za Za Slice
Za Za Slice brings New York to Dubai with its ginormous foldable slices of pizzas crafted with every flavour and topping imaginable from the terrifically-indulgent to Tartufo to a fiery Arrabiata drenched with a sweet-and-spicy hot honey! With its vintage aesthetic chequered with black-and-white tiles and retro photographs – this nostalgic pizzeria has outposts in DIFC and City Walk, making it the perfect pit-stop for a quick pizza fix that hits all the right notes!
🌐 https://www.instagram.com/zazaslice/
Em Sherif Cafe
This Beiruti export to Dubai is an ode to Levantine street-food executed with stylish flair. The two-story café stays true to the original in Beirut with a laid-back vibe that belies the spectacularly sceney setting overlooking the Burj Khalifa. Go for the legendary shawarma – juicy, perfectly-spiced and sheathed by pillowy pockets of pita bread; but stay for their epic homemade ice-cream, served with mini cones to dunk in!
Scalini Cucina
Spinning off from the Grand Dame of Italian restaurants, Scalini, is her more casual yet just as buzzyworthy sister restaurant Scalini Cucina. Nestled by the famous waterfalls of Dubai Mall, this chic eatery champions the elegant simplicity of Italian flavours. You ought not to miss the truffle tagliolini prepared table-side in a giant parmesan wheel, nor the lemon pie for afters!
🌐 https://www.scalinicucina.com
Unmissable Desserts
Parker’s
Finding this insanely-Instagrammable hotspot in Dubai Mall, is half the fun of the experience at Parker’s – a trendy café which first went viral for requiring a secret key to enter! It has effortlessly managed to remain just as relevant and sought-after over the years, with a menu delivering picture-perfect hits from Mac & Cheetos to the devilishly-decadent Matilda Cake.
🌐 https://byparkers.com/social-media-uae/
Public
When it comes to viral trends, Public knows a thing or two about sparking the next Tik Tok sensation. Their tiramisu is the real showstopper, dished out tableside with a deft show of theatrics. You’re here for more than just the dessert, the experience is nothing short of a spectacle set against the sparkling fountain show at Dubai Mall.
🌐 https://www.instagram.com/public/
Home Bakery
An early stalwart among Dubai’s iconic cafes, Home Bakery still draws in a crowd for its ooey-gooey cookies, not to mention it’s outrageously over-the-top cakes. The vibe is cozy-chic, the coffee strong, and the sweets swoon-worthy! 🌐 https://homebakery.ae/
Pool & Beach Clubs
Cloud 22
Stylishly perched 96 meters above the Palm Jumeirah, is a rooftop pool experience like none other at Cloud 22. Situated atop Atlantis The Royal, the infinity pool and lounge have been designed in collaboration with Dolce and Gabbana. The brand’s iconic prints leave a lasting impression everywhere from the tiles of the pool through to the sunbeds idly floating in the water. The menu is every bit as impossibly-extravagant menu as you’d expect, spanning the likes of gold-dusted caviar flatbreads and truffle-heavy pizzas. This is La Dolce Vita at its finest.
🌐 https://www.atlantis.com/dubai/dining/cloud22
Nobu by the Beach
Also nestled within Atlantis The Royal, is Nobu’s first ever beach club with a serene lagoon pool framed by the sculptural majesty of the hotel’s stepped silhouette (an architectural marvel in itself brought to life by the wizardry of Kohn Pederson Fox). Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s inimitable play on Japanese-Peruvian cuisine takes shape in a parade of small sharing plates which segue into sunset cocktails by the beachfront bar. The experience is nothing short of surreal, marrying serenity with spectacle in a style redefined by this marquis new hotel on the Palm.
🌐 https://www.nobudubai.com/nobubythebeach
The Classics
Milos Dubai
Before we get into the classics, we may as well mention Milos Estiatorio – yet another establishment with Atlantis The Royal humming with a chic international set who know good taste – both on and off the plate. A must-visit for seafood enthusiasts, Milos is an ode to elevated abundance. From fresh oregano leaves deftly snipped into glossy little bowls of olive oil to a show-stopping lobster spaghetti – every element of the fine dining experience is curated to celebrate the fresh simplicity of Mediterranean flavours with unabashed abandon.
Zuma Dubai
A fixture on every best-food-of-Dubai guide, Zuma is where sleek moody design meets flawless Japanese cuisine. From robata-grilled vegetables and meats to signature sushi rolls, this is a fine-dining experience which never feels stuffy. An added bonus? The DIFC skyline backdrop is unmatched.
🌐 https://www.zumarestaurant.com/en/dubai/
Il Borro Tuscan Bistro
Not just another gournemt name, Il Borro speaks of a Tuscan establishment steeped in centuries of heritage, having once passed through the hands of the Medici family and the Savoy Dynasty. Managed in present day as a leading Relais and Chateaux, the famed Florentine estate has spun off a glamorous offshoot in Dubai’s Al Naseem hotel. The restaurant is just as elegant as you’d expect of its current custodians (the Ferragamo family) – bedecked with supple leather, marble-topped counters and subtle gold highlights. The menu blends authenticity with luxury through handmade pastas, organic olive oil, fresh market produce and of course, a wine menu showing off the best of Il Borro’s vineyards too!
🌐 https://ilborrotuscanbistro.ae
La Petit Maison
The French Riviera meets DIFC glamour in the timeless surrounds of LPM. The menu is delicate yet restorative. Think meltingly-soft burrata, garlicky escargot, the creamiest mash potatoes and an impossibly-perfect crème brûlée which remains the stuff of legends.
🌐 https://lpmrestaurants.com/dubai/
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