8 Best Restaurants in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

You know that saying about the mountain and Mohammad? Dubai's first pop-up only restaurant opened in January 2016, and brings the world's best chefs to Dubai for three-month stints. The intention is to fill it with "World's 50 Best" and Michelin stars, and so far, it's progressing very well. Expect 14-course dégustation menus, dishes that look like science experiments, stories about the food, quirky fusions, and an intelligent waitstaff. There is an excellent core team, but most of the restaurant staff revolves with the chef in residence. All is set in the confines of the Palazzo Versace hotel, which is appropriately bombastic, but the venue changes slightly with every rotation. Alcohol served.

It's hard to experience genuine Arabic food and ambience in the depths of the Dubai summer, but this sprawling air-conditioned and covered courtyard works a treat. It sits at the center of a modern underground souk, an incongruously classy oasis in the midst of the flamboyant pyramids that make up Wafi Mall. There are marble floors and fonts, trickling water features, roses, shisha pipes, filtered natural light, and enormous authentic Arabic ovens delivering freshly baked khubz bread and kebabs. The menu provides an excellent spectrum of Persian, Gulf and Mediterranean dishes, but it's also a lovely place to sit with a couple of baklava morsels and a Moroccan mint tea. No alcohol served.

For those willing to go out of their comfort zone for a great kebab, Ustad (also known as Ostadi) is definitely worth seeking out. It's a cozy restaurant with insight into everyday life in this part of Old Dubai. Sitting in the same spot for nearly 40 years until 2015, Ustad's patriarch still welcomed diners for lunch specials and mixed grills with an open smile and a "salam alakum." Mohammed al Ansari's passing sent many Dubai residents into mourning, but his spirit lives on in the restaurant now run by his children, who continue to serve great food in an eclectic space filled with souvenirs and trinkets from travelers. No alcohol served.

The food isn't amazing, the service is nothing to write home about, but this is one of the most photo-worthy restaurants in the city of Dubai, and it won't cost you a fortune to sit and watch for awhile. Bayt al Wakeel is a heritage building, and their terrace leans over the water at the perfect position to watch the vibrant procession of abras between the souqs and creaking dhows on their way down to the customs yards. Order mint tea and a plate of mixed sambousek and refuel while you figure out which abra you need to catch to get yourself across the creek to the spice souq. If you have time, pop up to the rooftop to catch a front view over the creek mouth, and backward over the buildings of old Dubai. No alcohol served.

Close to the Karama shopping district, many like to come here for thali, a south Indian meal involving bottomless refills of vegetarian curries, rice, and condiments, but we suggest you opt for their superb appams (lacy, bowl-shape rice crepes), and dip them in a mild and coconut-flavored prawn moilee. Other favorites include pandan chicken, mango fish curry, and frappes. Service is not perfect—you may have to ask for things several times, but the food makes it worth it. No alcohol served.

This part of town is not known for romantic fine-dining restaurants, but Elia gets very close to the more sophisticated offerings in newer parts of Dubai, and it's been ahead of its time for years. The setting is idyllic, particularly when the weather allows eating outside, and you'd be hard-pressed to remember that you are dining within the maelstrom that is Bur Dubai and Mankhool. Elia is about as authentically Greek as you can get in the city, and the Mediterranean menu suits the weather and local palates perfectly. There is a good selection of traditional food and plenty of fine and reasonably Greek wine offered. Music Room, one of the city's better live venues, is also located in the hotel.

When Qbara opened in late 2013, it filled an enormous gap in the Dubai restaurant scene. Its superfluous interior fulfilled all the fairy-tale images of the exotic Middle East (complete with spectacular bar), and the kitchen partnered it with some exceptional modern takes on traditional Levant and Persian dishes. Since then, the crowd and the chef have changed, but Qbara remains an iconic space to visit, and the food and drinks continue to push boundaries and guide trends in the city. It's not a cheap night out, but it will be a full one, with predinner drinks, a gourmet meal, light show, a glamorous crowd and late-night live or DJ tunes keeping guests hanging around for more than just a quick feed. Alcohol served.

Although it's in the sleepy end of Karama, it's best to make a reservation as Zagol only fits about 20 people. The food is authentically Ethiopian, and unless you understand Amharic, forget trying to read the menu. Instead, just order the mesob (vegetarian or non), a table-sized dish lined with injera bread that you then use as cutlery to mop up a range of spicy aromatic stew and salad that sit on top. Finish with traditional coffee and popcorn, then go down the road to Bikanervala (an Indian sweets shop) for dessert. Be warned: service is incredibly slow, but it's worth the wait. No alcohol served.