If you visit Dubai, you’ll indulge in the absolutely scrumptious Middle Eastern food the amazing city has to offer. Whether it be at high-end, modern Dubai restaurants or more traditional places, you will have your fair share of hummus, mezze, tabouleh, and much, much more.
But when the time will come that you want to change up your cuisine for a meal or two but won’t know where to look. Here’s a list of five trendy Dubai restaurants for five different moods you might find yourself in. Take your pick, and know that no matter which you choose, they’re all delicious and you can’t make a wrong choice.
So, if you’re feeling…
1. Adventurous: Parker’s
Parker’s became a Dubai-wide craze in 2016. Located in the famous Dubai Mall, as well as other pop-up locations in parks around the city, Parker’s is home to truffle burgers, pretzel chicken strips, and spicy toffee shrimp. They are also known for their decadent desserts that include a s’mores pizza, a chocolate chip volcano, and a Biscoff pudding with lotus fudge.
Part of Parker’s charm is that in order to be able to eat there, you have to either find or win a key – no key, no entry. Details for how to do this are posted sporadically on their Instagram page, @byparkers!
2. Quirky and Cartoonish: Manga Sushi
An innovative sushi restaurant overlooking the Burj Khalifa, Manga Sushi serves creative versions of traditional Japanese dishes. From their salmon tartare topped with a mountain of caviar, to their tomato lobster Miso soup, Manga Sushi caters to a wide range of tastes.
Their electric blue walls are lined with Manga comics and Japanese action figures, and every hour their waitresses – whose uniforms are modeled after stereotypical manga character attire – grace guests with a lively dance.
3. Organic: Baker & Spice
A café that only serves food that is organic, homemade, and created with locally-grown ingredients, Baker & Spice is the perfect place for tourists who have eaten too much and would like to spend a day eating as cleanly as possible. For example, their avocado toast, pictured above, is served on sourdough with a dukkah mix and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Their wide selection of fresh juices (kale, ruby grapefruit, and lemon&lime) are invigorating and give you an extra nutritional boost. The café’s high ceilings create an airy, relaxed ambience, great for clearing your head.
4. Posh, but not too posh: The Scene
Situated in Pier 7, the recently-opened building adjacent to Dubai Marina Mall, The Scene is a chic café that serves eclectic meals all day. Their lunch menu includes plates like butternut squash risotto and beer battered cod, but an absolute gem is their high tea stack, pictured above.
With sandwiches, scones and creamy, crumbly pastries, this high tea for two is ideal for light yet delicious nibbles after a long day of being a roaming, sweaty tourist. And the spectacular view of the Marina Bay is a plus, especially when the sun’s out.
5. Retro: Dean & Deluca
Located at Mall of the Emirates, Dean & Deluca Dubai is a fabulous Emirati twist on the classic American coffee shop. The restaurant serves standard plates such as their prawn, mango and avocado salad and their chili lime fried shrimp, but adds a Middle Eastern flare with alternate items such as their lamb shawarma tacos (pictured above) and their fresh-baked fatayer.
For Dubai residents, dining at Dean & Deluca gives us the chance to feel like the title character of the 1990s-early 2000s show Felicity, who worked and hung out at the flagship New York City café. For tourists, dining here will be an interesting experience that perfectly encapsulates Dubai’s multicultural environment.