Eat well in Dubai without overpaying: the locals'-budget edition.
Eat well in Dubai for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Al Mallah has grilled shawarma on 2nd December Street since 1979, a Satwa corner for cheap eating that now runs 24 hours, seven days a week.
TryChicken shawarma and falafel
TipTakeaway is faster than the roadside seats; most regulars eat the wrap standing at the counter.
Al Ustad Special Kabab has skewered koobideh near the Al Fahidi metro since 1978, a family run Bur Dubai canteen that locals return to again and again.
TryKebab koobideh with rice
TipLook under the glass tabletops, where regulars' foreign banknotes are kept, and at the walls of photos of famous guests.
Ravi Restaurant has fed Satwa since 1978, a plastic chair institution for cheap curry and naan that opens at 05:00 and runs until 02:00 each night.
TryChicken curry with naan
TipIt opens at 05:00 and serves until 02:00, so a late curry here is as normal to regulars as lunch.
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.
Ashwaq Cafeteria rolls shawarma and pours karak near the Gold Souk, a bright Deira counter where Al Ras workers grab a fast and cheap lunch.
TryChicken shawarma sandwich
TipTake the shawarma to go and walk it through the souks.
Al Ijaza Cafeteria has poured karak beside Mercato Mall on Jumeirah Street for years, and What's On lists it among Dubai's oldest places to eat.
TryShawarma and karak tea
TipIt serves until 03:00, so it doubles as the neighbourhood's late night stop after Mercato closes.
Operation Falafel fries chickpea falafel to order around the clock at the foot of 29 Boulevard, a quick Lebanese counter near The Dubai Mall.
TryFalafel wrap
TipThe falafel sandwich is the cheap order; the counter runs 24 hours.
Karak & Chapati Cafeteria opens at 4am to griddle fresh chapati and pour karak on 34B Street, feeding Hor Al Anz East, Deira, Dubai before sunrise.
TryChapati with karak chai
TipThe early opening hour makes it a genuine breakfast stop for shift workers, not a late night gimmick.
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.
Kabul Darbar steams mantu and grills Afghan kebabs near Al Ghurair Mosque, a Naif side street kitchen serving Deira, Dubai's Afghan community.
TryMantu dumplings
TipOrder the mantu with a kebab; it is near Al Ghurair Mosque in Naif.
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 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.
Variety Momo Restaurant steams and fries Nepali dumplings beside Portsaid vegetarian restaurant, a small Al Fahidi, Dubai counter for Himalayan food.
TrySteamed chicken momo
TipOrder the jhol momo if you want the dumplings served in soup rather than the drier fried style.
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.
Carinderia ni Tandang Sora ladles adobo and sinigang canteen style in Port Saeed, named for a Filipino revolutionary and serving Deira, Dubai workers.
TrySinigang and adobo over rice
TipPoint at the steam trays to build a plate the way a Filipino carinderia back home would serve it.
Special Kabab Iranian Restaurant grills kafta and chicken kebabs opposite Capitol Hotel on Al Mina Road, a Persian counter in Al Hudaiba, Dubai.
TryChicken and beef kafta kebab
TipAsk for extra grilled tomato with the kafta; the char on it is why regulars keep coming back.
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.
Dhaka Darbar Restaurant cooks ilish fish curry and biryani around the clock on a Naif side street, a Bengali canteen serving Deira, Dubai workers.
TryIlish fish curry with rice
TipIlish, the Bengali river fish, is the dish to ask for if the kitchen has it in that day.
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