FooDiva’s 28 top restaurants in Dubai (2020)

What makes you return to a restaurant? Yes the food has to be good – but, for me, efficiency and warmth of service draw me back. We’re talking about the hospitality business after all, so hospitable hosts are a prerequisite to an excellent dining experience.

The owner, the restaurant manager, the few traditional maître d’s that are left, the waiter, the hostess, the chefs who venture front-of-house – they all play defining roles in creating memorable moments of hospitality. I want well trained staff with personality and humility. Their camaraderie should be infectious, making for fun, convivial dining, where I am going to have a bloody good time. I can overlook the odd disappointing dish, but ignorant service is tricky to forgive. Mistakes happen though, and that’s when restaurants can excel with customer service recovery kicking in.

So now in its fifth consecutive year, my annual guide of FooDiva’s top Dubai restaurants celebrates haunts that consistently deliver memorable hospitality and where I happily return to spend my dirhams. Whether you’re a resident bored of your usual hang-outs, a holidaymaker in search of a bucket list, or a business traveller looking for a venue to entertain, I hope this 2020 round-up of 28 restaurants helps inspire and inform your choice.

The focus is on homegrown owner-operated concepts, with a staggering 25 out of 28. To make the cut – slick, personalised service is mandatory – so I have used each descriptor to paint a picture of the rest of the dining experience. These are places I choose to visit when I am not reviewing newbies on the block with family, friends and visitors – or solo – covering licensed (with alcohol) and unlicensed venues. Some I have chosen for my #ThreeChefsDinner and #DineAroundDubai experiences.

So here are FooDiva’s 28 top restaurants, cafés and eateries in Dubai – categorised by licensed and unlicensed; subdivided into districts; and subsequently alphabetically. Where restaurants have been officially reviewed on FooDiva, hyperlinks are included. Otherwise the name clicks through to the establishment’s website.

Enjoy reading and, more importantly, happy dining 🙂

LICENSED

Bluewaters Island

• Alici: the team behind Il Borro Tuscan Bistro has created an Amalfi-inspired seafood concept with picture-worthy views and a striking coastal décor to match. The deep-fried anchovies, ‘alici’ in Italian, are a must-eat – as is the sea urchin spaghetti. Walk off lunch by strolling across the pedestrian footbridge from Bluewaters to JBR Walk soaking up Dubai’s scenic skyline.

JLT & Dubai Marina

• Bistro des Arts: this locally developed concept on Dubai Marina Mall’s promenade transports you back in time to an intimate quintessential Parisian bistro offering a genuine taste of simple and authentic French cuisine. Breakfast, a Frenchie brunch, as well as lunch and dinner menus.

• JB’s Gastropub: this gastropub does exactly what it says on the tin, with a menu that differentiates from mundane pub grub by serving quality, flavoursome dishes that are well presented in a relaxed, convivial setting.

• Indya by Vineet: acclaimed chef Vineet Bhatia may as well be a Dubai resident given he seems to spend more time here, than in any of his other restaurant locations. He has created a menu of comfort Indian dishes inspired by his childhood. It’s one of those menus where you want to order every single dish, but don’t dare miss out on the tandoor-roasted cauliflower with tahini and pomegranates. Ridiculously affordable too.

• Mythos: a slice of Santorini in Dubai behind the Armada Bluebay’s carpark in JLT impresses with its no-frills simplicity and charm across both food and décor, despite the lack of a view. A husband and wife team run the kitchen and front-of-house respectively. Always rammed.

• Ruya: one of Dubai’s most talented chefs, an Isle of Man native, Colin Clague, has reinvented Turkish cuisine with a modern, lighter twist on traditional dishes in a location (Grosvenor House overlooking Dubai Marina) that oozes atmosphere and slick service.

• The Maine Oyster Bar & Grill: an independently operated restaurant at the Doubletree JBR. The obscure, low-key entrance in the car park makes a welcome change from glitzy, revolving hotel doors and what’s even more inviting, is the lively brasserie. Given the name, oysters are a-plenty, with Dubai’s most prolific selection.

Palm Jumeirah

• Ibn Al Bahr: the Club Vista Mare development on Palm Jumeirah’s eastern shoreline boasts many restaurants. My top pick is this Lebanese seafood restaurant run by fishermen. Choose your fish from the daily catch on display, along with the cooking style, a selection of meze side dishes from the a la carte menu, and enjoy your meal on the terrace soaking up vitamin sea.

Barsha & Umm Suqeim

• Folly: a hard-to-beat sundowner spot at Souk Madinat Jumeirah overlooking the waterway and Burj Al Arab. Aside from the setting on multiple terraces and creative cocktails (the Folly pop in particular), co-founders and chef patrons Nick and Scott have injected a dose of fun to Dubai’s fine dining scene, throwing out traditional multi-course tasting experiences. Instead, the playful menu boasts 20+ ‘pick and mix’ dishes.

• Il Borro Tuscan Bistro: this concept may have origins in Tuscany, but Il Borro hits the spot with simple, Italian fare focused on quality ingredients with an affordable wine list, including own-label wines from its Tuscan vineyard. Pretty terrace setting overlooking Jumeirah Al Naseem’s Turtle Lagoon.

Downtown, DIFC & Sheikh Zayed

• Avli: a cave-like temple to modern Greek dining, Avli, which translates to ‘courtyard’, ticks the upscale restaurant box from the current Grecian craze in Dubai. A test of any Greek kitchen is the execution of feta saganaki – and Avli’s, with its crisp honey-drizzled filo is the city’s best, rivalling any you will find in Greece.

• BB Social Dining: this owner-operated townhouse of a restaurant hidden in DIFC feels like a cosy speakeasy, boasting a menu that’s Far-Eastern with a nod to Middle Eastern ingredients. The bao buns (vegan by the way), which are freshly baked in-house every night are Dubai’s best. Incidentally, with alcohol pricey here, BB also offers Dubai’s cheapest Champagne by the glass served in an adorable coupe.

• Boca: a homegrown Spanish meets Mediterranean concept where up to 80 per cent of all produce is locally sourced. The sustainable ethos is evident in the powerful flavours that marry tradition with lashings of creativity. You can even eat your meal in the working wine cellar.

• Kizmet: this Dubai Opera restaurant (street level) steers away from pigeon-holing its cuisine with delicious soul food from around the world. Ridiculously affordable for a licensed venue in a key location. An open kitchen overlooks the dining room on the ground floor, whilst the bar sits upstairs.

• La Cantine du Faubourg: authentic French flavours at this independently-operated restaurant in Jumeirah Emirates Towers is guaranteed. I am not typically a Dubai brunch fan, but I adore La Cantine’s, which is held on a Saturday, for its free-flow menu of small plates served at the table to the tune of a retro playlist.

• Ninive: the sibling and neighbour to La Cantine du Faubourg boasts a magical twinkly open-air setting with a modern Middle Eastern and North African menu. The bucket-list restaurant to take visitors for their one starlit night in Dubai. Amongst all the foliage, imagine a plethora of majlis-style alcoves with lounge seating – in warm textures of brass, wood and leather. Ninive is a feast for the eyes – one that oozes atmosphere even early on in the evening when quiet.

• Opa: the one Greek restaurant in Dubai that needs booking well in advance – and the only one to offer plate smashing. A surprisingly intimate setting with its own dedicated entrance at the Fairmont Dubai. The menu may be mostly modern Greek, however, Turkish influences do creep through. A Greek restaurant manager at the helm.

Garhoud

• Fujiya: I know I’ve discovered a good restaurant when a) the place is brimming with natives jovially tucking into their food – in this case Japanese, b) not one, but five menus are scattered across each table – and c) I want to order every single dish. Independently operated and licensed with a dedicated entrance next to the Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai’s ballroom, Fujiya is a traditional Japanese izakaya aka pub. Go here to feast on affordable Japanese comfort food whether kaki oyster fry, ramen or shabu-shabu.

CAFES AND EATERIES

Dubai Marina & Barsha

• Allo Beirut: retro Lebanese street food joint on Hessa street that is always heaving. Order the lamb or falafel shawarma. And the pan-fried cauliflower. Even if you’re not veggie.

• Baker & Spice: go here for breakfast and order Dubai’s best shakshouka. In addition to the original slow-cooked tomato recipe, the green marrow version is my favourite – with ingredients mostly sourced locally. My preferred locations are Dubai Marina and Souk Al Bahar (the latter is now licensed), but there are also outposts at Town Centre, Souk Al Manzil, Gold & Diamond Park and Barsha South.

• Common Grounds: one of my three go-to eateries in Mall of the Emirates. I head to this particular café because they serve my favourite tea – Avantcha. The tacos – both the veggie egg for brekkie, and the prawn filling for lunch – are hits.

• Farzi Café: since the second location opened at Mall of the Emirates (after City Walk), it’s become a dinner go-to when I have to venture to the mall. A contemporary spin on Indian cuisine, with dishes that are light-er on the stomach.

• L’Eto Caffe: a Russian-owned London concept with a number of locations in Dubai (my preferred is at Mall of the Emirates). The highlight is the deli bar where diners can choose tasty protein-based dishes and salads, in a similar fashion to Baker & Spice.

Umm Suqeim

• Jones The Grocer: since the menu revamp, I enjoy returning to the original Al Manara location. Oh and for that walk-in cheese room too, which, thankfully, remains unchanged. The steak, artichoke and avocado salad is my go-to dish.

• Tashas: the branch attached to the Al Jalila Cultural Centre is my go-to for breakfast, and on odd occasions, the Dubai Marina Mall outpost. Try the Greek-inspired and carb-loaded ‘tourlou tourlou’, which might have you hooked.

• 21 Grams: Balkan food is pretty decent wholesome fare full of punchy flavour. Freshly baked goodies are also integral to the menu, including sublime cheese and meat bureks. Operated by a Serbian owner and team, its intriguing name relates to the weight of the human soul, the latitude of the Balkan Peninsula, and the area code of the owner’s Serbian hometown (Novi Sad).

Jumeirah

• Reif Japanese Kushiyaki: a Japanese street food eatery in Dar Wasl Mall from acclaimed Dubai-based Singaporean chef Reif Othman, that has, quite rightly, been rammed with queues since the opening at the end of August. Thankfully, one can now reserve ahead. Reif is a creative soul, constantly adding new dishes to his tick-your-own-order menu. He’s also brought back his ‘The Experience’, a four-seater ‘chef’s table’ where he personally cooks for guests on his kitchen counter – and has recently launched a Japanese-style weekend breakfast too. The majority of his team has worked with him for years, since his early Zuma days.

• 3 Fils: another Singaporean chef, Akmal Anuar’s own concept, where you can watch him in action from the counter seating ‘chef’s table’. His food focuses on a light Far-Eastern cooking style, using quality, quirky ingredients. When Dubai’s weather is at an optimum, the charming, al fresco Jumeirah Fishing Harbour setting with gorgeous view is another draw card.

Which go-to restaurant of yours scores highly on personalised service?

A bientôt.

FooDiva. x

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