25 editor picks across United Arab Emirates.
25 hidden gems worth the trip across United Arab Emirates, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All United Arab Emirates guides.
Barbassi, from the team behind Marmellata, serves stuffed focaccia sandwiches and coffee in the M39 creative district of Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi.
OrderOlive, tomato and oregano focaccia, or the melted ham and cheese sandwich with veal rump and mustard pickle.
TipWhat's On put the plain olive, tomato and oregano focaccia at AED 25 and the filled focaccia sandwiches at AED 45.
Abu Al Afwal has served Sudanese foul and falafel in Al Zahiyah, Abu Dhabi, since 1975, opening each evening and named an Urban Treasure in 2023.
TipFoul is an evening dish here: the cafeteria opens in the late afternoon and runs to 23:30 daily, so a lunchtime visit finds it closed.
Dubai Special Kabab Grills has served kebabs in Abu Dhabi since 1987 and trades near the Ministry of Finance on Al Falah Street, an Urban Treasure.
OrderTikka bil roub, saffron chicken, kebabs and the sultani kebab that Khaleej Times names.
TipKhaleej Times says the yoghurt-based tikka bil roub recipes have stayed unchanged for generations, and some diners drive four hours from Liwa for it.
Kabab Erbil Iraqi Restaurant grills Kurdish kebab and masgouf fish on Al Muraqqabat Street in Deira, Dubai, a room busiest on Thursday nights.
TipWatch the masgouf grilling on slow flames behind the glass panel; meals start with salads and lentil soup, and Iraqi tea is refilled free.
Sthan cooks Pakistani, Afghan and Indian frontier dishes named for Kabul, Peshawar and Karachi on Zabeel Road, a Karama, Dubai room built for sharing.
TipCover all three countries: a Kabuli chicken shorba, Lahori gosht seekh and a slow cooked rogan josh.
Bosnian Hut serves cevapi, haji kebab and burek in a cottage-style room on Hazza Bin Zayed The First Street in Al Danah, Abu Dhabi, open daily from noon.
OrderCevapi with somun and kaymak, haji kebab, klepe and warm burek, the dishes Best Bites names.
TipYalla suggests starting with Bey soup, an okra soup in a chicken broth, then Sitni Kebab served in somun bread.
Fonda Colombiana serves empanadas, arepa de choclo and patacones con carne desmechada from a colourful villa on Al Mihtham Street in Al Manhal, Abu Dhabi.
OrderEmpanadas, arepa de choclo with cheese and patacones con carne desmechada, as Best Bites advises.
TipSeating runs from inside with air conditioning to outside among hammocks, and the restaurant takes reservations on WhatsApp.
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.
TipAsk which curries are on the counter that day for the nasi padang.
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.
TipPair the camel burger with the camel milkshake, the combination regulars order most.
Mina Creamery scoops ice cream in weekly-changing flavours such as blueberry earl grey and halwa salted saffron at its first shop in Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi.
OrderWhichever flavour is new that week, or olive oil with za'atar and halwa salted saffron.
TipBest Bites says each week brings a new flavour, with past ones including blueberry earl grey, white choco matcha and a cheeseboard ice cream.
Nowhere Cafe serves speciality coffee, pastries and all-day breakfast at the West Entrance of Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Leisure Drive, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
OrderSpeciality coffee with a pastry, or the all-day breakfast served from 08:00 until 17:00.
TipThe Huntr lists breakfast from 08:00 until 17:00 daily, and the cafe is the official coffee partner of Etihad Arena.
Art House Cafe in Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi, is furnished with recycled pieces, and guests can paint a plate for AED 20 or a miniature brick for AED 10.
TipThe shakshuka is What's On's pick of the brunch menu, and mask painting costs AED 30 if you want a longer sit.
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.
TipAsk for a floor-seating cabin; mandi comes with soup, salad and a spicy tomato sauce.
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.
TipOrder the bolani as a starter while the chapli kebab finishes on the grill.
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.
TipOrder injera with doro wat to share.
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.
TipGo for a thali, and try the dabeli and the South Indian snacks too.
New City Palace cooks Peking duck, dumplings and noodle dishes by Al Falah Street in Abu Dhabi, and is open every day from 11:00 until 23:00.
OrderPeking duck, the dumplings and a rice or noodle dish, the three things Best Bites recommends.
TipBest Bites counts New City Palace a community favourite for its low-priced Peking duck, dumplings and rice and noodle dishes.
Pandecia bakes Filipino pandesal and ladles Vietnamese pho from one counter in SBO Tower on Al Barsha Road, opening at five each morning, daily.
TipBuy the pandesal warm from the morning batch, before the lunchtime pho crowd arrives.
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.
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.
TipBite a small hole in each manti and sip the broth before dipping it in the yogurt sauce.
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.
TipOrder the kitfo raw if you want it traditional, or ask the kitchen to sear it lightly.
Hankook serves Korean hot pot, cook-at-the-table meals and fried chicken on Defence Road in Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi, open daily from 11:00 to 23:00.
OrderCook-your-own hot pot or a big bowl of Korean fried chicken, both named by Best Bites.
TipBest Bites says the dishes it tried cost AED 56 to AED 68, and that the room has eight private booths and tasting menus.
Africana Home Restaurant serves Nigerian jollof rice and grills from a mezzanine room near Al Sabkha Street in Deira, Dubai, open until 02:00.
TipOrder the jollof rice with grilled tilapia.
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.
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.
TipIt opens at 07:00 and runs until 23:30, so it works for a South Indian breakfast as well as a late dinner.
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