Good restaurants in Dubai?
Discussion
Guys,
Coming out for a week - staying at the Westin.
Can anyone recommend any decent restaurants - not Gordon Ramsay (we have the kids with us - might go to Verre one night?) - but maybe just one step down from that - sort of Michelin One Star standard - all types - fusion, french, Aisan, etc.
Anything else worth doing with the family for a nice night out?
Thanks!
Coming out for a week - staying at the Westin.
Can anyone recommend any decent restaurants - not Gordon Ramsay (we have the kids with us - might go to Verre one night?) - but maybe just one step down from that - sort of Michelin One Star standard - all types - fusion, french, Aisan, etc.
Anything else worth doing with the family for a nice night out?
Thanks!
Yeah, there's lots of good options.
Peppercrab in the Grand Hyatt is very good. It's Singaporean food, and should be plenty of choice for the family. The Hotel's good a cool rain forest lobby too.
There's a open air, sunken restaurant in the Wafi shopping mall, in the souk area. It's kind of underground, and not in the main mall. It serves traditional arabic food, and has traditional music and arabs in their dish-dash-ah smoking shisha. If you go to Wafi and ask someone they'll be able to direct you.
You should also go to the Souk Madinat. Lots of restaurants there. It's a nice evening out with the family though. Your hotel will be able to recomend somewhere there.
There's also a very good Moroccan restaurant in the top of Harvey Nichols in the Mall of the Emirates. Easy enough to find. Go to the top floor of Harvey Nicks and they'll direct you.
Also, go to the Marina one night, and get dropped off at one end of "the Walk" at the Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR as it's known). There's lots of chain restaurants and cafe's along there, and normally quite a lot going on in the evenings. Nothing flash, but a pleasant wander around for an hour or so and plenty of places for food.
Don't be too put off by most things being in the malls or hotels though. It's just how it is out here.
I'm sure others on here will be able to recomend loads of other places. I've only been here a few months, but the above would be my recommendations.
Peppercrab in the Grand Hyatt is very good. It's Singaporean food, and should be plenty of choice for the family. The Hotel's good a cool rain forest lobby too.
There's a open air, sunken restaurant in the Wafi shopping mall, in the souk area. It's kind of underground, and not in the main mall. It serves traditional arabic food, and has traditional music and arabs in their dish-dash-ah smoking shisha. If you go to Wafi and ask someone they'll be able to direct you.
You should also go to the Souk Madinat. Lots of restaurants there. It's a nice evening out with the family though. Your hotel will be able to recomend somewhere there.
There's also a very good Moroccan restaurant in the top of Harvey Nichols in the Mall of the Emirates. Easy enough to find. Go to the top floor of Harvey Nicks and they'll direct you.
Also, go to the Marina one night, and get dropped off at one end of "the Walk" at the Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR as it's known). There's lots of chain restaurants and cafe's along there, and normally quite a lot going on in the evenings. Nothing flash, but a pleasant wander around for an hour or so and plenty of places for food.
Don't be too put off by most things being in the malls or hotels though. It's just how it is out here.
I'm sure others on here will be able to recomend loads of other places. I've only been here a few months, but the above would be my recommendations.
Have to sy there are some great restaurants in Dubai - When I have a bit more time I'll post up my faves.
Why don't you check out the Dubai Time Out online for some other pointers?
http://www.timeoutdubai.com/
Why don't you check out the Dubai Time Out online for some other pointers?
http://www.timeoutdubai.com/
How old are the kids? I'd suggest going off the beaten track a bit, and having some real fun. Try Ravi's in Karama for real cheap and basic but great curries. Lang Kwei Fong near Lamcy Plaza is the best Chinese (home-cooked) I've found in a long time. Maria Bonita's does fun, basic Mexican. Any branch of Automatic (shame about the name!) does excellent Lebanese/Arabic fare. Even Johnny Rockets burger bars are fun. Stay away from the chains!
Two to enjoy - Verre is just awesome, for me the most technically accomplished and consistent restaurant in this city. Still.
Have heard great things about the Westin's own steakhouse, Hunters', and Zuma down in DIFC.
There are so many to choose!
Jon
Two to enjoy - Verre is just awesome, for me the most technically accomplished and consistent restaurant in this city. Still.
Have heard great things about the Westin's own steakhouse, Hunters', and Zuma down in DIFC.
There are so many to choose!
Jon
oilydan said:
Without doubt you must take the family to the Friday Brunch at Al Qasr, Medinat Jumeriah. Best Brunch in Dubai.
Zeng He's for Chinese
Vu's at Emirates towers is good too. Great view of town.
I'm not sure that a week is enough to do the full culinary tour of Dubai!!
Ah yes, Al Qasr is a family favourite of ours. Fantastic!Zeng He's for Chinese
Vu's at Emirates towers is good too. Great view of town.
I'm not sure that a week is enough to do the full culinary tour of Dubai!!
OK here's the skinny on the restaurants that we went to :
Spice Emporium (Westin) - 8/10 - Good Asian food - well cooked - fantastic quality ingredients - quite quiet - Must try dish is the Sea Bass fillet in Miso - could do with more atmosphere but coooking was faultless
Verre/Ramsays (Hilton Dubai Creek) - 9/10 - Great Food - Hotel like ambience though - service good - much more akin to Clardiges Ramsays than Royal Hopital Road - best dish - Halibut with lobster/shellfish sauce
Segreto (Al Qasr/Madinat Villas) - 7/10 - Food was standard fayre for upmarket Italian - pricing on high side -Wagyu beef Carapcccio was good but not much of it! Avoid the signature dish of scallops - distinctly average
Hunters (Westin) - 9/10 Very good steakhouse with a good selection of beefs from around the world - Try the US Stripsteak (I know not a normal choice - but better than the other cuts that night) - go here if you are prepared to eat A LOT of food! (Get the Cauliflower side dish - avoid the creamed Spinach)- try the smoked salt and the Himalayan - very nice! Wagyu beef Tataki very nice as appetiser (better than Zumas)
Zuma (Financial District) - 6/10 Not a patch on Knightsbridge - no atmosphere - food average
Bussola (Westin) 7/10 - OK Italian food - nothing spectacular or of note - but not far behind Segreto for half the price.
Al Qasr Friday Brunch - 7/10 - not a big fan of Brunch/Buffet - but admittedly this is a good one - lots of choice (not neccesarily the last word in preparation though)- and you could eat there all day if you had the appetite - included wines are distinctly average (to be expected) - not my cup of tea but kids liked it.
Al Muhana (Burj) - 6/10 - Aside from the location not that much to commend it - food was OK but only middle of the road - waiters were a bit sniffy - getting ahead of themselves - probably better for lunch than dinner (so you can see views) - wouldnt go again (probably only restaurant we went to in Dubai I would say this about) - the SkyBar looked Ok though.
Zheng He - (Al Qasr) 6/10 - typical chinese fayre albeit geared more towards Gwylos than those used to authentic Cantonese/mandarin cooking/dishes - kids liked it (says it all really!)
So based on our limited experience and exposure to Dubai's restauarant scene - there are clealry some very nice places to eat - some are definitley "try once and never go back" locations - others are "repeaters" - the Burj resaturants are not "all that" - some places charge ridiculous amounts for the food they offer.
Overall I can't see how some of these places would be commercially sustainable under normal operating environments (in London for instance)- Dubai is a little different (intrinsic wealth, demogrpahic, overseas visitors and cost of labour etc).
Best restaurant? Definitley Verre - but again based on our limited exposure it's clear that standards are high and fairly consistent at that level - but don't hit the "peaks" that you can experience in London, Paris, or even New York - but again thats to be expected against the backdrop of a still relativley immature industry in the area.
You can certainly eat well in Dubai - but be prepared to pay for it.
Last comment - Wine prices - OMG F'in ridiculous! I don't know if thats because of taxtaion or import duty or what?? - but in most cases wine runs at THREE times the cost of equivalent UK restaurant prices and in one instance (my safe haven 96 Leoville Barton - St Julien) was FOUR times average UK pricing! (The upside of this is that I did end up making a couple of new "discoveries" looking further afield in the wine list!)
Spice Emporium (Westin) - 8/10 - Good Asian food - well cooked - fantastic quality ingredients - quite quiet - Must try dish is the Sea Bass fillet in Miso - could do with more atmosphere but coooking was faultless
Verre/Ramsays (Hilton Dubai Creek) - 9/10 - Great Food - Hotel like ambience though - service good - much more akin to Clardiges Ramsays than Royal Hopital Road - best dish - Halibut with lobster/shellfish sauce
Segreto (Al Qasr/Madinat Villas) - 7/10 - Food was standard fayre for upmarket Italian - pricing on high side -Wagyu beef Carapcccio was good but not much of it! Avoid the signature dish of scallops - distinctly average
Hunters (Westin) - 9/10 Very good steakhouse with a good selection of beefs from around the world - Try the US Stripsteak (I know not a normal choice - but better than the other cuts that night) - go here if you are prepared to eat A LOT of food! (Get the Cauliflower side dish - avoid the creamed Spinach)- try the smoked salt and the Himalayan - very nice! Wagyu beef Tataki very nice as appetiser (better than Zumas)
Zuma (Financial District) - 6/10 Not a patch on Knightsbridge - no atmosphere - food average
Bussola (Westin) 7/10 - OK Italian food - nothing spectacular or of note - but not far behind Segreto for half the price.
Al Qasr Friday Brunch - 7/10 - not a big fan of Brunch/Buffet - but admittedly this is a good one - lots of choice (not neccesarily the last word in preparation though)- and you could eat there all day if you had the appetite - included wines are distinctly average (to be expected) - not my cup of tea but kids liked it.
Al Muhana (Burj) - 6/10 - Aside from the location not that much to commend it - food was OK but only middle of the road - waiters were a bit sniffy - getting ahead of themselves - probably better for lunch than dinner (so you can see views) - wouldnt go again (probably only restaurant we went to in Dubai I would say this about) - the SkyBar looked Ok though.
Zheng He - (Al Qasr) 6/10 - typical chinese fayre albeit geared more towards Gwylos than those used to authentic Cantonese/mandarin cooking/dishes - kids liked it (says it all really!)
So based on our limited experience and exposure to Dubai's restauarant scene - there are clealry some very nice places to eat - some are definitley "try once and never go back" locations - others are "repeaters" - the Burj resaturants are not "all that" - some places charge ridiculous amounts for the food they offer.
Overall I can't see how some of these places would be commercially sustainable under normal operating environments (in London for instance)- Dubai is a little different (intrinsic wealth, demogrpahic, overseas visitors and cost of labour etc).
Best restaurant? Definitley Verre - but again based on our limited exposure it's clear that standards are high and fairly consistent at that level - but don't hit the "peaks" that you can experience in London, Paris, or even New York - but again thats to be expected against the backdrop of a still relativley immature industry in the area.
You can certainly eat well in Dubai - but be prepared to pay for it.
Last comment - Wine prices - OMG F'in ridiculous! I don't know if thats because of taxtaion or import duty or what?? - but in most cases wine runs at THREE times the cost of equivalent UK restaurant prices and in one instance (my safe haven 96 Leoville Barton - St Julien) was FOUR times average UK pricing! (The upside of this is that I did end up making a couple of new "discoveries" looking further afield in the wine list!)
I went to Vista last night at the Holiday Inn Express (doesn't sound very exotic!) but was quite impressed, it has great reviews on Time Out - and I wanted to eat on that side of town so I could make a quick dart home.
Order before 8, and 3 courses were 120dhs with 1litre of house white being 100dhs.
Nice view of the coast, and good food for the price.
Order before 8, and 3 courses were 120dhs with 1litre of house white being 100dhs.
Nice view of the coast, and good food for the price.
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