Day-by-day eating plans for Dubai. weekend classics, family routes, vegan plans, on-a-budget editions.

Day-by-day plans

Old Dubai in two days ★ 4.7

First-time visitor, two days, no car2 days

Two days on either side of the creek, eating the way Dubai ate before the towers: Emirati courtyard houses, the spice and gold souks, an Iranian charcoal grill and a Satwa shawarma counter.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: Al Fahidi breakfast, Deira souks, Emirati dinner

    Morning
    Arabian Tea House at 08:00, in the Al Fahidi courtyard under the big tree. Order the Emirati breakfast tray: khameer bread, chebab pancakes, balaleet and a karak chai. Then take the 1 dirham abra across to Deira and walk the Deira Spice Souk while the sacks are still open to the lane.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Al Ustad Special Kabab from 12:00, on the Bur Dubai side near Al Fahidi. Chelo kebab with saffron rice and grilled tomato, under walls of photos of its famous patrons. Walk it off along the Bur Dubai Souk arcade afterwards.
    Evening
    Dinner at Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant, in a courtyard villa in Al Fahidi. Machboos to share, dango to start, luqaimat and date syrup to close. Bread is baked in view of the courtyard tables.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: Al Seef, the fish market, Satwa shawarma

    Morning
    Al Fanar Restaurant & Cafe at Al Seef from 09:30, a reconstruction of 1960s Dubai with the creek outside. Harees and a plate of chebab, then a walk along the Al Seef waterfront.
    Afternoon
    Cross to Deira for the Waterfront Market, where the fish halls run all day and the market's restaurants will cook the fish you buy. Buy loomi and bezar spice in the dry goods hall to take home.
    Evening
    Shawarma at Al Mallah in Satwa, at a pavement table facing Al Diyafah Street, then dinner proper at Shabestan on the Deira creek front for Persian grills and the house eggplant dish, kash e bademjan.

Dubai on a budget, three days ★ 4.6

On a budget, three days, under AED 100 a day on food3 days

Three days in Al Karama, Satwa and Deira: Pakistani tandoors, Kerala biryani counters, Yemeni mandi trays and a karak chai stop each day.

  1. Day 1: Monday: Karama breakfast, Satwa lunch, Yemeni tray dinner

    Morning
    Raju Omlet in Al Karama from 08:00 for a masala omelette off the hot plate with pav bread, with a glass of karak beside it.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Ravi Restaurant in Satwa, open since 1978. Chicken karahi, tandoori roti and dal fry. Afterwards take a karak at Al Ijaza Cafeteria by Mercato Mall in Jumeirah.
    Evening
    Al Yemen Mandi in Hor Al Anz for lamb mandi over smoked rice, served on one tray for the table with green sahawiq chilli relish and a bowl of broth.

  2. Day 2: Tuesday: Hor Al Anz bakery, Karachi lunch, Karama chai

    Morning
    Habib Bakery in Hor Al Anz, open around the clock, for fresh bread and a slice of its milk cake before the heat builds.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Karachi Darbar in Al Karama: seekh kebab, nihari and tandoori roti from a Pakistani group that dates to 1973. Then a karak chai at Chai King on 18A Street in Al Karama.
    Evening
    Al Ustad Special Kabab reopens at 18:30. Take the koobideh with saffron rice and a raw onion.

  3. Day 3: Wednesday: Karama sweets, Kerala biryani, fish shack dinner

    Morning
    Bikanervala Al Karama, open around the clock, for chole bhature and a tray of Indian sweets picked by the piece from the glass counter.
    Afternoon
    Calicut Paragon for the Malabar side of Dubai: thalassery biryani with kaima rice, fried Kerala prawns and a bowl of fish curry. Walk the Waterfront Market fish halls in Deira afterwards to see what the boats landed.
    Evening
    Bu Qtair behind Umm Suqeim beach from 18:00. Pick your fish from the tray, pay by weight, take a table and eat the fried fish with rice and curry sauce.

Dubai's new dining rooms, a weekend ★ 4.5

Return visitor, weekend, booking ahead and spending on dinner2 days

A Friday and Saturday across Al Quoz, Umm Suqeim, Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina: warehouse coffee, a beach fish shack lunch, two of the city's tasting menus and the boozy weekend brunch Dubai made its own.

  1. Day 1: Friday: Al Quoz coffee, a beach lunch, Palm Jumeirah tasting menu

    Morning
    Boston Lane in Al Quoz for a flat white and the Australian side of Dubai's cafe scene, then a walk through the Alserkal Avenue galleries, also in Al Quoz.
    Afternoon
    Bu Qtair opens at 13:30 on Fridays, after prayers. Order the fried fish by weight with rice and curry sauce, then head for the beach at Umm Suqeim.
    Evening
    Trèsind Studio at St. Regis Gardens on Palm Jumeirah for the tasting menu, booked ahead, then a nightcap at Alma Bar in DIFC, which runs until 03:00 on a Friday.

  2. Day 2: Saturday: farmers' market, brunch, a Burj Khalifa dinner

    Morning
    The Alserkal Avenue Farmers' Market runs on Saturdays only. Buy Emirati dates and local greens, then take pastries at BKRY, also on Alserkal Avenue.
    Afternoon
    Bubbalicious at The Westin Mina Seyahi from 13:00 to 16:00, a buffet and champagne drawn from three of the hotel's restaurants.
    Evening
    Row on 45 for a tasting menu on the 45th floor of Grosvenor House in Dubai Marina, then Luna in DIFC for a cocktail and a view of the Burj Khalifa lighting the block.

Dubai with children, a food weekend ★ 4.2

Family with kids, two days, air conditioning and early dinners2 days

Two days built around what children will actually eat and how long they last in the heat: an Emirati breakfast tray, a dumpling counter, a park-side pancake stop and a mandi dinner by Zabeel Park.

  1. Day 1: Sunday: Emirati breakfast, souk morning, early dinner

    Morning
    Al Fanar Restaurant & Cafe at Al Seef from 09:30. Chebab pancakes with cream cheese and date syrup sell the meal to children, and the 1960s dining room is a distraction in itself. The abra ride across the creek afterwards costs 1 dirham and is the cheapest boat trip in Dubai.
    Afternoon
    Bur Dubai Souk for the covered arcade, which stays walkable in the heat, then Arabian Tea House for a karak chai in the courtyard.
    Evening
    Zam Zam Mandi for an early dinner at 18:00. Order the chicken mandi with a fresh juice; the restaurant faces Gate 3 of Zabeel Park.

  2. Day 2: Monday: park pancakes, dumplings, Global Village dinner

    Morning
    Lazy Cat at Al Quoz Pond Park for fluffy pancakes and a blue matcha, with the park beside it for a run around before the heat builds.
    Afternoon
    Yalla Momos for Nepali steamed dumplings, which children eat without argument, followed by Last Exit Al Khawaneej, a food truck park with ranch style seating and space to run.
    Evening
    Global Village from 16:00 between mid October and May. The pavilion food kiosks run to 170 or more counters, so let everyone pick their own dinner.

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1.5 hours

Dubai: Dinner in the Sky Experience

Feast on a 3-course meal of your choice 50 meters above the streets of Dubai, and enjoy a unique dining experience in the sky. Eat at a table suspended by a crane abov...

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