Eat in Al Karama, Dubai

City Karachi Darbar ★ 3.9

Karachi Darbar in Al Karama, Dubai, serves affordable Pakistani, Indian and Chinese cooking from 05:00 until the small hours, a busy neighbourhood canteen.

SignatureMutton kabab kadai, Karachi tikka kadai, Kebab biryani

Bikanervala ★ 3.9

Bikanervala in Al Karama, Dubai, is the local branch of the vegetarian Indian sweets and snacks chain, serving everything from burfi to full thalis.

SignatureMasala dosa, Chole bhature, Assorted namkeen

Calicut Paragon ★ 4.0

Calicut Paragon in Al Karama, Dubai, cooks Malabari dishes from Kerala's Calicut coast, heavy on coconut, fresh seafood and slow-cooked biryani.

SignatureChicken biryani, Chicken stew, Paragon pepper chicken

Saravanaa Bhavan ★ 4.0

Saravanaa Bhavan in Al Karama, Dubai, is the local branch of the global vegetarian South Indian chain, serving dosas and idli on steel plates.

SignatureMasala dosa, Idli, Filter coffee

Seoul Garden ★ 4.1

Seoul Garden in Al Karama bills itself as Dubai's first traditional Korean restaurant, open since 1999 and cooking bibimbap, galbi and Korean hot pot.

SignatureBibimbap, Galbi, Korean hot pot

Calicut Paragon ★ 4.0

Calicut Paragon, a Kozhikode name dating to 1939, cooks Malabar biryani, fish moilee and beef fry in a plain Al Karama dining room in Dubai.

OrderChicken biryani with a side of fried Kerala prawns and a bowl of chicken curry.

TipMost dishes come in full and half portions, priced to match, so a table can try more of the Malabar menu.

Karachi Darbar ★ 4.1

Karachi Darbar in Al Karama belongs to the Pakistani group that traces its roots to 1973 and serves karahi and nihari to drivers and families alike.

OrderChicken karahi with tandoori roti and a plate of seekh kebab on the side.

TipFriday mornings bring halwa puri and chickpeas before the karahi menu switches on at lunch.

Bikanervala ★ 3.9

Bikanervala serves pure vegetarian thalis, chaats and sweets behind Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel, a reliable Al Karama room for Dubai's vegetarians.

OrderChole bhature with a side of jalebi and a glass of sweet lassi.

TipThe sweets counter at the front sells by the kilo; buy dessert on the way out rather than at the table.

Saravanaa Bhavan ★ 4.0

Saravanaa Bhavan pours filter coffee and folds masala dosa at its Al Karama branch in Dubai, part of the long running Chennai vegetarian chain.

OrderMasala dosa with coconut chutney and a tumbler of filter coffee.

TipIt opens at 07:00 every day, so it works for an early dosa breakfast.

China Bistro ★ 3.8

China Bistro plates dim sum, sushi and Sichuan noodles in the Al Balorah building on the Al Karama side of Trade Centre Road, open late into Dubai's night.

OrderSteamed dim sum basket followed by a plate of Sichuan style noodles.

TipThe kitchen also rolls sushi alongside the Chinese menu, and the room is open 24 hours.

Zam Zam Mandi ★ 3.9

Zam Zam Mandi cooks chicken and lamb mandi opposite Gate 3 of Zabeel Park in Al Karama, a fast moving Arabic kitchen that stays open until 01:00.

OrderChicken mandi with grilled fish on the side and a glass of fresh juice.

TipIt sits opposite Gate 3 of Zabeel Park, handy after an evening in the park.

Delhi Darbar ★ 3.9

Delhi Darbar is the Al Karama branch of the Mumbai founded chain, a busy North Indian room on Za'abeel Road serving mutton biryani and butter chicken.

OrderMutton biryani with a side of butter chicken and garlic naan.

TipThe menu runs from rumali roti and tandoori chicken to biryani, so a table can cover the tandoor and the rice pot in one order.

Malabar Paris Restaurant ★ 3.9

Malabar Paris Restaurant has cooked coconut fish curry and appam in Sheikh Hamdan Colony since 2010, a trusted Kerala kitchen in Al Karama, Dubai.

OrderFish curry with appam and a side of prawn roast.

TipThe fish pollichathu, marinated and cooked in a banana leaf, is the dish reviewers single out.

Kalpaka A Malabar Restaurant ★ 4.1

Kalpaka A Malabar Restaurant cooks Kerala coastal seafood inside the Regent Palace Hotel in Al Karama, Dubai, with a lunch and a late dinner service.

OrderKarimeen pearl spot fry with kappa tapioca and a Malabar prawn curry.

TipLunch and dinner are separate services, with a break in the afternoon.

Bikanervala Al Karama ★ 4.0

Bikanervala has served Indian sweets and rich vegetarian savouries from its very first Al Karama branch in Dubai since 2005, its original UAE location.

Worth the queueRaj kachori

TipThe Raj kachori and channa bhatura are the dishes regulars order first; sweets are best bought to go.

Habib Bakery and Sweets ★ 3.8

Habib Bakery, a Dubai bakery founded in 1987, sells cakes, Arabic sweets and fresh bread late into the night from its branch on Street 6A in Al Karama.

Worth the queueMilk cake

TipThe milk cake and the cream puffs are the bakery's best known orders.

Chaat Bazaar ★ 4.2

Chaat Bazaar fills small crispy puris with spiced water and potato at outdoor tables on 6A Street, Al Karama's busiest chaat counter in Dubai.

TryPani puri

TipA palate cleansing puri with potato and crunchy topping, but no spiced water, comes at the end of a pani puri round.

Al Hara Cafeteria ★ 3.8

Al Hara Cafeteria pours strong karak chai around the clock from a corner counter in the Al Shamook Building on 9A Street in Al Karama, Dubai.

TryKarak chai

TipPavement tables fill in the evenings; the counter runs around the clock.

Raju Omlet ★ 4.1

Raju Omlet has cracked eggs onto a hot tawa on 4B Street since 2013, an old school Karama classic that Mumbai style regulars still queue for in Dubai.

TryMasala omelette

TipThe masala omelette with pav bread and a side of karak chai is the standard order here.

Just Vada Pav ★ 4.0

Just Vada Pav fries thirty variations of the Mumbai potato bun on Sheikh Hamdan Colony's 12B Street, a dedicated counter for one snack in Dubai.

TryVada pav

TipWith some thirty kinds of vada pav on the board, ask for a spicy one and a cheese one to compare.

Yalla Momos ★ 4.0

Yalla Momos steams momos and jhol momo behind Park Regis Hotel on 4B Street in Al Karama, Dubai, with an Indo-Chinese menu of noodles alongside.

TrySteamed momos

TipOrder the jhol momos, served in a spiced broth, or the cheese chilli oil dim sum.

Mr. Chaat Cafeteria ★ 3.9

Mr. Chaat Cafeteria fries its samosas fresh and piles them into chaat opposite the BurJuman metro exit, a Khalid Bin Al Walid Road fixture in Dubai.

TrySamosa chaat

TipThe samosa chaat, crushed samosa under yoghurt and tamarind, is the dish to order here.

Chai King ★ 3.6

Chai King pours karak chai from a small Al Wasl building counter on 18A Street, one of Al Karama's many small chai stops scattered across Dubai.

TryKarak chai

TipIt stays open until 04:00 on Friday and Saturday nights.

Ramadan Street Food Festival ★ 4.6

The Ramadan Street Food Festival turns Al Karama's Sheikh Hamdan Colony and Karama Park into an open kitchen for the fasting month, 100 restaurants serving from iftar to 02:00, dishes from AED 5.

Pind Da Dhaba ★ 4.0

Pind Da Dhaba fills its first floor Al Karama room with rustic Punjabi colour, ladling dhaba dal for diners across Dubai who miss a village kitchen.

TryDhaba dal with roti

TipSaleem's of Delhi runs on the ground floor below; take the stairs up for the dhaba room specifically.

Ceylonian Restaurant ★ 4.1

Ceylonian Restaurant chops kottu roti to order at Wasl Hub on 39 Street in Al Karama, a Sri Lankan counter serving from 11:00 to 23:00 daily.

TryKottu roti

TipThe kottu is made fresh on a hot plate to order, so expect a short wait during the lunch rush.

Anaarkali Restaurant ★ 3.7

Anaarkali Restaurant serves Kerala fish curry and biryani inside the Al Habbai building, an all day Al Karama, Dubai canteen open until midnight.

TryKerala fish curry with rice

TipKerala fish curry with rice is the order; the kitchen runs from 08:00 to midnight.

Al Ibrahimi Palace Restaurant ★ 3.8

Al Ibrahimi Palace Restaurant ladles chicken korma and mutton biryani near Yoko Sizzlers, a long running Al Karama, Dubai canteen open to midnight.

TryChicken korma with rice

TipPair the korma with the mutton biryani; it is near Pakistan Supermarket and Yoko Sizzlers.

Raju Omlet ★ 3.9

Raju Omlet has scrambled eggs and poured karak from an Al Karama corner since 2013, a Dubai stop built around breakfast and tea from 08:00 to 23:30.

TryKarak omelette with paratha

TipIt opens at 08:00 and runs to 23:30, so it works as an early breakfast or a late supper.

Hyderabadi Biryani House ★ 4.0

Hyderabadi Biryani House layers dum biryani near Karama Park, a small Karama Shopping Complex counter known across Al Karama, Dubai for its dum pot.

TryChicken dum biryani

TipThe chicken dum biryani is the order; it is in Block L of the Karama Shopping Complex near Karama Park.

Zagol Restaurant ★ 3.9

Zagol Restaurant ladles doro wat onto injera in a ground floor room in Al Karama, Dubai, opposite BurJuman, one of the city's Ethiopian kitchens.

Why locals goA small ground floor Ethiopian room among the Karama blocks opposite BurJuman, easy to walk past among bigger restaurants.

TipOrder injera with doro wat to share.

Sthan ★ 4.1

Sthan cooks Pakistani, Afghan and Indian frontier dishes named for Kabul, Peshawar and Karachi on Zabeel Road, a Karama, Dubai room built for sharing.

Why locals goThe name joins Hindustan, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and first time visitors often expect one national cuisine instead of the frontier menu it serves.

TipCover all three countries: a Kabuli chicken shorba, Lahori gosht seekh and a slow cooked rogan josh.

Karachi Darbar ★ 3.9

Karachi Darbar in Al Karama belongs to the Pakistani group that dates to 1973, serving karahi, biryani, paya and halwa puri from 04:00 until 02:00.

TryPeshawari chicken karahi and halwa puri

TipHalwa puri is a breakfast order, come after midnight instead for the karahi and biryani.

Cowboys Sports Bar ★ 2.4

Cowboys Sports Bar in the President Hotel keeps Karama's old guard happy with cheap happy hour pints, a dart board and every match on its screens.

TipHappy hour runs from noon to six, well before the evening sports crowd fills the pool table.