| Car Rental Dubai Airport | | | | three-course lunch specials offer excellent value. |
| Dubai has a fantastic assortment of | | | | Hilton Dubai Creek, Beniyas Road |
| international-standard restaurants catering to all | | | | Tel: (04) 212 7551. |
| budgets and tastes. With a large expatriate | | | | Website: |
| community from the Sub Continent, it's little | | | | Moderate |
| wonder there are some truly world-class Indian | | | | Café Chic |
| restaurants among the top-billings. | | | | Top quality ingredients, smooth service and a |
| As Dubai is a Muslim city, many restaurants, | | | | menu that cuts deftly between the classics and |
| especially at the cheaper end of the market, are | | | | some daring variations make this is a top dining |
| not licensed to serve alcohol. In contrast, | | | | choice. Relax afterwards in the cigar bar for |
| restaurants in tourist and business hotels almost | | | | supreme decadence. |
| always serve alcohol. | | | | Le Méridien Hotel, Garhoud |
| The restaurants below have been classified into | | | | Tel: (04) 217 0000. |
| three pricing categories: | | | | Website: |
| Expensive (over Dh500) | | | | India Palace |
| Moderate (Dh150 to Dh500) | | | | The emphasis at this popular restaurant is on |
| Cheap (under Dh150) | | | | Rajasthani cooking backed up by themed décor |
| These prices are for a three-course meal for one | | | | and artefacts shipped in from the region. The |
| with a bottle of house wine or equivalent, including | | | | open kitchen is a nice touch, as are the family |
| tax. | | | | booths upstairs, with privacy available at no extra |
| Sales tax at 10% is added to all bills. Service | | | | charge. The excellent-value menu features |
| charges at 10 to 15% are also frequently added | | | | starters such as lentil soup and prawn bisque with |
| but, if they are not, a 10% tip is expected. | | | | fresh vegetables, while mains include chicken and |
| Expensive | | | | vegetarian kebabs and a range of delicately spiced |
| Al Mahara | | | | curries. Alcohol is not available but the lassis |
| Making a fair stab at being the most expensive | | | | (yogurt-based drink) are excellent, especially the |
| restaurant in Dubai, the Al Mahara often divides | | | | unusual lassi seasoned with salt. |
| local opinion. Some say it is overpriced for what | | | | Opposite Dubai Marine Hotel, Bur Dubai |
| you get, but others swear by it, especially if | | | | Tel: (04) 286 9600. |
| someone else is paying. The experience begins | | | | Pierchic |
| with a three-minute mock submarine ride to the | | | | Seafood-loving trendies are flocking to Pierchic, in |
| restaurant, located alongside a giant aquarium. This | | | | the glamorous Madinat Jumeirah development, the |
| puts diners in the mood for savouring the | | | | place to be in Dubai at the moment. Located on a |
| high-quality seafood that has won the restaurant | | | | wooden pier, with views of the expansive Arabian |
| numerous awards, including the What's On | | | | Gulf, the venue is perfect for trying some local |
| category for Best Seafood Restaurant in 2008. | | | | and international seafood dishes. Mains include the |
| Burj Al Arab Hotel, Jumeirah Beach | | | | likes of poached Atlantic lobster with snow peas, |
| Tel: (04) 301 7600. | | | | enoki mushrooms and passion fruit dressing, or |
| Website: | | | | Arabian chilled seafood platter laced with Iranian |
| Al Muntaha | | | | caviar. |
| Al Muntaha, meaning ‘The Ultimate' or | | | | Al Qasr Hotel, Madinat Jumeirah |
| ‘The Top', in Arabic, has the best location in | | | | Tel: (04) 366 6730. |
| Dubai, suspended 200m (656ft) above the | | | | Website: |
| Arabian Gulf, at the top of the Burj Al Arab hotel. | | | | Cheap |
| Service is immaculate and the slanted glass | | | | Cactus Jacks |
| windows give the restaurant the feel of a great | | | | It may never win any culinary awards but Cactus |
| ocean liner heading out to sea. Al Muntaha also | | | | Jacks seldom disappoints a hungry stomach. A |
| delivers on the plate: try the roasted prime beef | | | | Mexican theme for the décor includes Aztec |
| rib with mustard crust. Reaching the restaurant in | | | | fabrics and bright designs, as well as multicolour |
| one of the world's fastest panoramic elevators is | | | | tiled pillars. The restaurant has a live DJ at |
| almost - but not quite - enough to put you off | | | | weekends and things can turn quite wild after |
| your dinner. | | | | 2300, when the spicy Tex Mex food and the |
| Burj Al Arab Hotel, Jumeirah Beach | | | | tequila kick in. Parties of eight diners or more |
| Tel: (04) 301 7600. | | | | receive a 30% discount on their bill. |
| Website: | | | | Millennium Airport Hotel, Al Garhoud |
| La Baie | | | | Tel: (04) 282 3464. |
| This fine dining restaurant would not be out of | | | | Website: |
| place in a major European capital, with its mellow | | | | Deira City Centre Food Court |
| piano music, unfaltering service and elegant table | | | | Of the many food courts that are dotted all |
| settings. One of the most exotic starters is the | | | | around Dubai, this is one of the most popular. On |
| marinated sturgeon carpaccio with caviar and | | | | sale is the full smorgasbord of international foods, |
| yoghurt sauce, while a highlight among the mains | | | | with the only unifying feature being that all the |
| (and rumoured to be the chef's favourite) is the | | | | stands are cheap. The most popular stands serve |
| grilled hammour fish on a bed of green lentils. | | | | up simple Chinese and Indian specialities |
| Ritz Carlton Dubai, Jumeirah Beach | | | | accompanied by boiled rice. They also have a play |
| Tel: (04) 399 4000. | | | | area for kids. |
| Website: | | | | Deira City Centre Mall, Deira |
| Verre | | | | Tel: (04) 295 1010. |
| Gordon Ramsay's Dubai venture has proved a | | | | Thattukada |
| resounding success and is firmly established as the | | | | The excellent South Indian restaurant at the Palm |
| best place to eat in Dubai. The minimalist décor | | | | Beach Rotana Inn serves great-value food. Diners |
| might not suit all tastes but the simple surrounds | | | | sit on long, wooden benches and are surrounded |
| and the well thought-out lighting help focus | | | | by film posters on the walls. The Kerala-influenced |
| deserved attention on the food. A nice touch is | | | | dishes include kappa erachi (tapioca and chicken |
| the chef's specialities - tasty morsels of food that | | | | curry) and karimeem porichathu (fish fry) and are |
| come between the impressive courses. Mains | | | | guaranteed to fill diners up without breaking the |
| include ravioli of lobster, salmon with a fricassee | | | | bank. |
| of peas and horseradish or poached chicken on a | | | | Palm Beach Rotana Inn |
| bed of tagliatelle. The desserts are divine. The | | | | Tel: (04) 393 1999. |