The places in Dubai the guidebooks miss.
The places in Dubai the guidebooks miss. locals-only counters, after-hours rooms and the spots tourists walk past.
Bait Al Mandi serves Yemeni mandi and madfoon from a large Al Muraqqabat branch of the UAE chain in Deira, Dubai, open from 10:00 until 02:00 daily.
Why locals goFrom the street it reads as a plain Deira restaurant, but inside are private floor-seating cabins where families eat mandi the traditional way.
TipAsk for a floor-seating cabin; mandi comes with soup, salad and a spicy tomato sauce.
Kabab Erbil Iraqi Restaurant grills Kurdish kebab and masgouf fish on Al Muraqqabat Street in Deira, Dubai, a room busiest on Thursday nights.
Why locals goA plain storefront on Al Rigga's old strip, where a Thursday night crowd and a grill behind glass are the only signals of its Iraqi and Kurdish kebab.
TipWatch the masgouf grilling on slow flames behind the glass panel; meals start with salads and lentil soup, and Iraqi tea is refilled free.
Afghan Kebab House grills chapli kebab near the Montreal Naif Hotel in Naif, a Deira kitchen most visitors walk straight past on their way to the souks.
Why locals goIt sits on a Naif side street near the Montreal Naif Hotel, a workers' lunch room rather than a tourist stop.
TipOrder the bolani as a starter while the chapli kebab finishes on the grill.
Africana Home Restaurant serves Nigerian jollof rice and grills from a mezzanine room near Al Sabkha Street in Deira, Dubai, open until 02:00.
Why locals goIt trades from a mezzanine near the Al Sabkha Hotel, a floor that most people walking past on the street never notice.
TipOrder the jollof rice with grilled tilapia.
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.
Betawi Restaurant cooks nasi padang, beef rendang and gado gado on the lower ground floor of Lake Terrace in JLT, after years in a Karama shop unit.
Why locals goIt trades from the lower ground floor of Lake Terrace in Cluster D, a level most people crossing JLT never think to visit.
TipAsk which curries are on the counter that day for the nasi padang.
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.
Fujian Snacks looks like a Deira hot pot counter off Al Rigga Road, but its Fujianese chef also cooks poached mutton in numbing Sichuan chili oil.
Why locals goFrom the street it reads as a plain hot pot shop, but the chef from Fujian province cooks a longer regional menu that most passers-by never ask about.
TipOrder from the dishes beyond the hot pot list, and ask for rice with the mutton to take the edge off the Sichuan peppercorn.
Scantic Restaurant serves Kerala-style curries, ghee roast and biryani from 07:00 until 23:30 in the Al Arti Building near the Satwa bus station in Dubai.
Why locals goThe plain Al Arti Building storefront near the bus station blends into the shops around it, so most Satwa visitors never look twice.
TipIt opens at 07:00 and runs until 23:30, so it works for a South Indian breakfast as well as a late dinner.
Pandecia bakes Filipino pandesal and ladles Vietnamese pho from one counter in SBO Tower on Al Barsha Road, opening at five each morning, daily.
Why locals goThe counter sells Filipino pandesal and Vietnamese pho side by side, a pairing unusual enough that most people assume they are two different shops.
TipBuy the pandesal warm from the morning batch, before the lunchtime pho crowd arrives.
Bhavna Vegetarian Delux Restaurant has served Gujarati and Rajasthani thalis inside Meena Bazaar for years, a Bur Dubai, Dubai room locals treat as a canteen.
Why locals goIt sits in a Meena Bazaar lane with the dining hall on the first floor, so from the street it reads as a sweet shop.
TipGo for a thali, and try the dabeli and the South Indian snacks too.
Bangla Darbar Restaurant has cooked hilsa fish curry near Meena Bazaar for years, a Bur Dubai, Dubai room that keeps serving Bengali plates past 1am.
Why locals goIt sits on Al Nahda Street near the Astoria Hotel, feeding Meena Bazaar's traders more than passing visitors.
TipAsk if hilsa is available that day, the Bengali river fish sells out before the dinner rush.
Uzgen cooks Uzbek and Uyghur food in Al Barsha 1, with manti dumplings, wedding pilaf at AED 34 and tandoor somsa at AED 8 on a menu built for a cheap lunch.
Why locals goIt trades from the Al Adnan residential building on a side street of Al Barsha 1, with no frontage on any main road.
TipBite a small hole in each manti and sip the broth before dipping it in the yogurt sauce.
Local House Restaurant in Al Fahidi, Dubai, is a traditional Emirati restaurant known for its camel menu, from camel burgers to camel biryani and milkshakes.
Why locals goIt reads as another Al Fahidi heritage cafe until the camel dishes arrive: burgers, kebabs, biryani and milkshakes.
TipPair the camel burger with the camel milkshake, the combination regulars order most.
Dukem Restaurant has served Ethiopian doro wat and kitfo around the clock from inside a budget hotel on Omar Bin Al Khattab Road in Deira, Dubai.
Why locals goSet on the ground floor of the Paloma Blanca Hotel Apartments, it is easy to mistake for hotel lobby seating rather than a full Ethiopian kitchen open all day and night.
TipOrder the kitfo raw if you want it traditional, or ask the kitchen to sear it lightly.
Private tour · 3 hours
Get a taste of Dubai and enjoy 10 of the best tastings the city offers. This tour covers all grounds with a combination of savory, sweet, and drinks plus city highligh...
Guided tour · 3 hours
Get a taste of Dubai and enjoy 10 of the best tastings that city offers. Dubai is of the best city which offers Alot of different Local Food and Enjoy Local History by...
Private tour · 5 - 6 hours
Discover Dubai’s top sights in a premium business-class vehicle on a private guided tour, including the Frame, Burj Khalifa, Blue Mosque, Bluewaters Island, Old Town, ...