Best Dinner Spots in Dubai, UAE

Choosing a dining place in Dubai can be an overwhelming experience. The golden city celebrates world cuisine and is filled with hordes of restaurants with almost all the cuisines you will find on this planet. The best part is that Dubai has restaurants for nearly everyone. You may want to enjoy a lavish spread to celebrate a special occasion or a quick dinner without spending too much money. On the other hand, you may want to dine at a unique location with a special someone in your life. All these scenarios can be fulfilled in Dubai. Whatever your mood, you will easily find a restaurant that fits your budget and wishes. Here are some of the best dinner spots in Dubai to have a memorable meal.

Dinner in Desert

The desert safari is something that everyone knows about. It is a desert tour that includes entertainment, adventure, and good food. But it is possible to just enjoy a peaceful dinner in the desert safari locations in UAE or Dubai without all the other shenanigans. The beauty of dinner in the desert is that you can have a simple BBQ meal or a lavish fine dining experience. Most evening desert safari tour packages include a 3-course BBQ meal with a combination of international and traditional dishes. Such a dinner usually includes hundreds of people. If you want to enjoy a more exclusive dinner in the desert, there are desert safari companies and desert hotels offering you just the same. The private desert dinners happen in beautiful Bedouin-style tents where you get a glimpse of the culture of the desert along with the taste of the authentic flavors of the region.

Dubai Dhow Cruise

Dubai offers the chance to dine in a floating restaurant in the name of Dubai dhow cruise. You can choose between Dhow Cruise Marina and Dhow Cruise Creek. The major difference between these two is the location. The Dhow, which is a traditional boat, has been converted into a restaurant, which glides on the waters of the Dubai Creek and the Dubai Marina. Most dhow cruises have a 3-course meal comprising appetizers, main course, and desserts. You will get to taste both traditional Emirati dishes as well as the popular international dishes. The dinner on the cruise is served buffet style. You can complete the dinner at your own pace during the 2-3 hours of the cruise. Dinner is also accompanied by entertainment programs in the form of Tanoura dancing. Also, the twinkling lights of the city create a different vibe.

Fine Dining Restaurants

It would be impossible to imagine a luxurious city like Dubai without any fine dining restaurants. Dubai is teeming with restaurants where you can dine in style and luxury, many of them owned by Michelin stars from all around the world. Some of the best fine dining dinner restaurants in Dubai are as follows:

Armani/Amal at Burj Khalifa is the place to visit for delicious Indian kebabs, curries, and beautiful views of downtown Dubai.
Stay by Yannick Alleno, where you will get minimalistic yet the most delectable French dishes. This restaurant is in One & Only The Palm.
A delicious Italian cuisine awaits you at Bulgari Hotel & Resorts' Il Ristorante. The flavorful Italian seafood favorites will take you directly to the countryside of Italy.
For authentic Japanese fare, you must head to Zuma at Al Sa’ada St. The different counters and the variety of Japanese dishes will satisfy your taste buds.
Peruvian cuisine is not something that you get to taste regularly. But you can do it in COYA in Four Seasons Resort Dubai’s Restaurant Village. Be it the flavors, the setting, or the place's vibe, everything about COYA will transport you to the South American country.

Rooftop Restaurants

Dubai is a gorgeous city with some of the best constructions and buildings in the world. And there is nothing better than the aerial view of the city. The best thing is that there are plenty of rooftop restaurants where you can enjoy a hearty meal along with a splendid bird's eye view of the city. Here are some of the popular rooftop restaurants in Dubai:

Technically, Atmosphere Grill & Lounge cannot be called a rooftop restaurant. But perched on the 122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa, it is the world’s tallest restaurant. The restaurant is known for its grill and seafood dishes. You can also opt for the set menu for a complete fine dining experience that compliments the view.
Cou Cou Dubai can be found on the 52nd floor of the Palm Tower and provides a glorious view of the vast Palm Jumeirah. You can enjoy a variety of Mediterranean flavors along with champagne, wine, mocktails, and cocktails. You can also smoke shisha here.
Asia Asia on Pier 7’s 6th floor is where you can devour some Pan-Asian signature dishes and Asian-inspired cocktails. Right from the flavors to the decor, everything about this restaurant has an Asian influence. This rooftop restaurant will give you a fantastic view of Dubai Marina.
Level 43 Sky Lounge is on the 43rd floor of Four Points by Sheraton. This restaurant, with its chic style and ambiance, serves the best authentic modern Japanese cuisine. Plus, you get to admire the views of the Sheikh Zayed Road while sipping on your cocktails.
Al Sharab is a rooftop restaurant with a difference. Rather than looking down into the million twinkling lights of the numerous buildings of the city, here you get to admire the vast, raw beauty of the desert. The simple yet elegant and earthy ambiance of the restaurant adds to its charm. A part of the hotel Bab Al Shams, Al Sharab serves authentic Mediterranean cuisine.

Budget-Friendly Restaurants

Dubai's dining scene may scream luxury, but spending all your money on lavish dinners is unnecessary. This is because the city has plenty of budget-friendly restaurants where you can have delicious meals without burning your budget.

You can enjoy a portion of chicken Mughlai, mutton chops, and stuffed paratha without getting a fat bill at the end of your meal at Ravi Restaurant. Located in Satwa, this restaurant serves its patrons rich and flavorful Pakistani cuisine.
While there are plenty of places in Dubai where you can enjoy Arabic flavors and dishes, Zaroob is among the best on the list. This is a Palestinian eatery that serves all the Arabic classics like falafel, fatayer, and manakish. This eatery is on Sheikh Zayed Road, near DIFC.
Amritsar, a city in Punjab, India, is known for its delicious cuisine and many other things. If you want to savor the juicy koftas and spicy fish masalas, Amritsr Restaurant is something you need to try. Apart from its North Indian fare, Amritsr also has an amazing Indo-Chinese cuisine as well.
If you are at the Mall of Emirates at dinner time, head directly to Taqado Mexican Kitchen. This restaurant has multiple outlets in Dubai and serves the most delicious Mexican cuisine. You must try burritos, quesadilla, Mexicali salads, and soft and crispy tacos here.
Calicut Paragon is a haven for lovers of South Indian cuisine as well as seafood lovers. Be it fish fry, fish curry, or crab dishes, whatever you order here will blow your mind. Do not forget to order the Zafrani tea to close your meal perfectly.

Unique Restaurants

Dubai is a land of unique and exquisite things, which also extends to the restaurants. You are likely to come across restaurants that will take your breath away with their out-of-this-world design and style. Most of these restaurants serve incredible meals as well.

Ossiano is the first on our list. Located inside Hotel Atlantis the Palm, Ossiano is an underwater restaurant. You can savor some wonderful Mediterranean and seafood dishes while admiring an array of marine species swimming in the aquarium tank that makes for the walls of the restaurant.
Considered one of Dubai's most romantic restaurants, the Pierchic is known for its food, ambiance, and view. This unique restaurant is perched on the Arabian Gulf and offers a glorious view of the Dubai skyline and the iconic Burj Al Arab. The specialty here is seafood, and you will get to enjoy an array of seafood dishes containing fish, crabs, lobsters, and oysters.
If you want to mix your dinner with a bit of an adventure, Dinner in the Sky is something you need to try. The hotel comprises a huge table and several chairs suspended 50 meters up in the air. You will be served a gourmet meal made by some of the best chefs in the city.
There is no dearth of beach restaurants in Dubai, but the Jetty Lounge, with its comfortable sofas and lounges right on the sand overlooking the blue sea, din is a favorite for a relaxing dinner. This restaurant is a part of the One&Only Royal Mirage and serves simple, light, and flavorful international foods and beverages.

Your dining experience can go from simple and humble to lavish and opulent, depending on the experiences you are seeking. For a complete experience of the Dubai food scene, you must try one of each to make your Dubai holiday memorable.