This was published 13 years ago
Dubai: food file
Come for the hotels and stay for the food, writes Ute Junker of a desert city's culinary delights.
Taste sensations ... Bussola Restaurant.
Favourite flavours
From super-styled celebrity-chef restaurants to authentic Arabian street food, you could spend 1001 nights exploring the extremes of Dubai's dining scene. The city's high-end hotels are home to world-class restaurants boasting both sensational food and stunning decor. At the other end of the spectrum, the influx of blue-collar workers from around the world - 180 nationalities, according to one count - means Dubai's backstreets are filled with cheap-and-cheerful eateries with menus from a bewildering array of countries.
The local drop
Unusually for a Muslim country, alcohol is available at licensed venues, such as hotels - but it's not cheap. Even the least-expensive bottle of wine will set you back about $40. Unless it's a special occasion, you'll be better off making like a local with a fresh fruit juice.
Top tables
Dubai makes a great one-stop shop for those interested in exploring Middle Eastern cuisine. Top of your list to try should be Persian cuisine, one of the region's most flavoursome options. Shabestan (Baniyas Street Radisson SAS Hotel, 971 (4) 222 7171) has the best Persian food in town. Although the melt-in-your-mouth lamb and perfumed rice are hard to resist, leave room for dessert: the vermicelli icecream with saffron and rose water is divine. With a beautiful terrace by the beach, Bussola (Al Sufouh Road, Dubai Marina, Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, 971 (4) 399 3333) offers Italian for virtually every occasion. Head upstairs for a relaxed pizza, or keep it more formal downstairs, where the menu includes both traditional favourites and more innovative dishes. If you want to savour Dubai's grown-up Disneyland ambience, The Edge (Building 6, The Gate Precinct, Dubai International Financial Centre, 971 (4) 363 7770, theedge.ae) - a restaurant without a menu - is a must-visit. Chef Juraj Kalna devises new six- and eight-course degustation menus each night, taking into account diners' individual preferences, to deliver a fine-dining experience.
Budget bite
Expat Indians, Pakistanis and Afghans love the inexpensive Lebanese at Al Mallah (Al Dhiyafha Road, Satwa, 971 (4) 398 4723). Munch shawarmas and falafel as you watch the colourful street life for an insight into a vastly different side of Dubai.
Special night
Housed in a romantic wooden shack at the end of a timber walkway looking out into the deep blue sea, Pierchic (Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah, Al Sufouh Road, Al Sufouh 1, 971 (4) 366 8888) looks as if it should be part of a tropical resort. Fabulous seafood and fantastic service make every meal memorable.
Locals love
Forget Sunday lunch - in Dubai, families get together for Friday brunch, usually in restaurants with elaborate buffets. If you want to experience the family fun, make a booking for the buffet at the chic Warehouse (Le Meridien Dubai, Airport Road, Al Garhoud, 971 (4) 217 0000, diningatmeridien dubai.com), which is considered one of the best (and best value) in town. Warehouse also has great tapas-and-mojito specials in the afternoons.
Don't leave without trying
Dubai can feel like two cities: one a prefab 21st-century metropolis, the other a city featuring typical Arabian street life. Sarai (Jumeirah Beach Residences, Bahar, 971 (4) 438 0640) is one of the few restaurants to straddle both sides of the divide. Although it's located within the shiny new Jumeirah Beach Residences, this Syrian eatery serves authentic, consistently mouth-watering meals.
- Sun-Herald
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