Restaurants and Bars

Dubai offers an incredibly diverse range of food and beverage choices in its restaurants, cafes and bars. Cuisine from all around the world is served, along with excellent service and decor. However, unlike in many other cities, your best bet might be to eat in your hotel because restaurants located outside hotel and club premises are not permitted to serve alcohol. However, the rest of the city does offer small eateries, which uphold Dubai's high standards of international cuisine. In addition to Gulf, Middle Eastern and Arabian cuisine, you'll find tasty Italian, Spanish, Swiss and Chinese food too.

Dubai Creek

You can try a wide variety of Middle Eastern food at Cafe Arabesque in the Park Hyatt Hotel. Mizaan is located in the Monarch, and has several light and healthy options on its menu, all in the local style. If you like to eat late at night, try Arcadia a cafe that's open 24 hours a day. One on One serves modern local cuisine with live jazz music. Sloane's can be found at the Grosvenor House West Marina Beach by Le Meridien, and has a colorful, seasonal menu. For Mediterranean and Turkish fusion, try Ottomans, also located in the Grosvenor House. Dining at Le Rendezvousis a truly global experience, with items on the menu from all over the world.

Deira

Al Saffa in Deira is a great place to start for local food. In addition to the traditional food, diners are separated in groups of bachelors, women and families. For European food, the most prolific types of restaurants are British, no doubt due to the 50 year-old presence of the British in this region. The Atrium Garden Club serves typical English breakfast fare and offers just what the name implies: a beautiful garden and enchanting atmosphere that comes with it.

Bur Dubai

Other European styles of food are not as abundantly available, but you will be able to satisfy most of your cravings. Seville's, a warm, earthy place where you can get paella while listening to guitarists, is the primary purveyor of Spanish food. For a more active experience, try the Bollywood Cafe, which has a dance floor and music. The Picnic Restaurant brings a unique new twist to traditional Persian cuisine. The Fareast Seafood Market sounds like a grocery store, but it's really a restaurant that serves food from Japan, China and Thailand. It's Mirchi is a pub restaurant that specializes in Indian and Asian cuisine. The owners frequently play the latest Bollywood blockbusters as you eat, and there is sometimes an in-house DJ.

Jumeirah

In the Jumeirah area, Al Iwan is known for its various sampler plates. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Boudoir is the place to go to see and be seen while also enjoying elegant French food and atmosphere. After British, Italian is the most popular form of European food in Dubai and some of your options are Bussola, Ciro's Pomodoro and Luciano.