SEARCH BY TYPE

AMWAJ

Seafood Cuisine Restaurant at the Shangri-La Hotel.

In a city where many restaurants have all the atmosphere of an out-of-favour morgue, Amwaj boasts chatter, plenty of people and that all-too-elusive factor, ambience. Virtually every table was full when we last visited, always a good sign, but intelligent table spacing and moody low lighting means the setting is paradoxically intimate.

 

---

• Further Info

AL NAFOORAH

Arabic / Lebanese Cuisine Restaurant at the Emirates Towers Hotel.

When your daily diet typically consists of runny supermarket hummos, watery tabbouleh and towel-dry vine leaves, it’s easy to start feeling ambivalent about the region’s dominant cuisine. Luckily, the occasional visit to a restaurant like Al Nafoorah reminds the falafel-fatigued just how unique and fantastic Lebanese food can be.

Tel: +971 4 319 8088. Address: Shk Zayed Road, Dubai. Taxi Directions: Emirates Towers Mall.

 

---

CHINA CLUB

Chinese Cuisine Restaurant at the InterContinental Hotel.

Juxtaposed with the brash charms of Yum! noodle bar, you’ll find one of the InterContinental’s best-kept secrets. The name ‘China Club’ is particularly apposite, describing not only the cuisine (which must rank among the most authentic gourmet Chinese food in the city).

Tel: +971 4 205 7333. Address: Deira, Dubai. Taxi Directions: Inter Continental Hotel.

 

---

GLASSHOUSE

International Cuisine Restaurant at the Hilton Dubai Creek.

It’s hard not to feel sorry for Glasshouse. A mere lobby’s width away from Gordon Ramsay’s Verre, this artfully-lit, stylishly modern restaurant has the unenviable task of playing second fiddle to an eatery often considered one of Dubai’s finest.

Tel: +971 4 227 1111. Address: Deira, Dubai. Taxi Directions: Hilton Dubai Creek.

 

---

INDEGO

Indian Cuisine Restaurant at the Grosvenor House Dubai.

London-based Vineet Bhatia, the first Indian chef to be awarded a Michelin star, is consultant chef at Indego where his haute curry – using first-class ingredients and European methodology to give a contemporising tweak to Indian food – goes down a treat.

Tel: +971 4 399 8444. Address: Jumeirah, Dubai. Taxi Directions: West Marina Beach.

 

---

LEGENDS STEAKHOUSE

Legends’ sweet and tender stalks of asparagus topped with a lightly browned and bubbling hollandaise sauce are meltingly, mouth-wateringly perfect. Creamily decadent but with a seriously fresh bite, they are a wonderful accompaniment to the feast of rich red meats and sauces which dominate the menu.

Tel: +971 4 295 6000. Address: Garhoud, Dubai. Taxi Directions: Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club.

 

---

MARRAKECH

Moroccan Cuisine Restaurant at the Shangri-La Hotel.

This upmarket Moroccan joint is effortlessly elegant. The décor is clean-cut North African — lots of graceful arches, subdued lighting, plenty of pottery, and an imposing, tiled and tomblike central feature bedecked with artfully arranged twigs.

Tel: +971 4 343 8888. Address: Shk Zayed Road, Dubai. Taxi Directions: Shangri-La Hotel.

 

---

MEDZO

If post-modernity is your bag, you’ll be blissed out by the Medzo experience. You’re likely to be served at your terrace table by a French speaking Filipino who can advise on the subtleties of Italian haute cuisine amid faux Egyptian artefacts, proving that (quirky) style doesn’t always come at the expense of substance.

Tel: +971 4 324 0000. Address: Garhoud, Dubai. Taxi Directions: Wafi Pyramids.

 

---

MEZZANINE

European Cuisine Restaurant at the Grosvenor House Dubai.

Jacques Chirac joked you can’t trust the British because, after Finland, their food is the second worst in Europe. Surprising then that the latest Dubai venture by a made-in-France hotel chain boasts exemplary British credentials: Mezzanine’s chef patron, Gary Robinson, spent seven years as personal chef to Prince Charles.

Tel: +971 4 399 8888. Address: Jumeirah, Dubai. Taxi Directions: Dubai Marina.

 

---

SARBAND

Sarband is a pretty little place, more Mediterranean chic than conservative Iranian dining room, with bright blue and yellow walls, sparkly pottery, a smart bar and a pleasant outdoor terrace.

 

Tel: +971 4 283 3891. Address: Garhoud, Dubai. Taxi Directions: Aviation Club.

 

---

HARD ROCK CAFE

The Hard Rock Cafe sits beside the main junction of Mall of the Emirates and Dubai marina. The menu is typical American with enourmous portions and a fantastic service from the start. You will see the distinctive guitar standing outside what was a large building in Dubai it is now very small in comparrison to the towering blocks around.

 

 

---

• Visit Website

PLANET HOLLYWOOD

Interior decoration is focused around an extensive collection of movie memorabilia highlighting each theme. The Planet Hollywood tour begins with Schwarzenegger's 'Terminator' watching over the main lobby area. In the 'Adventure room', you are confronted with the alligator from 'Eraser' and if you manage to survive then venture into the 'Sky' room and watch the Migfighter from 'Air Force One' cruising overhead and the 1993 motorcycle from 'ConAir'.

 

---

• Visit Website

THE CELLAR

Step into a comfortable and relaxed contemporary restaurant that evokes the décor of a medieval guildhall and delight in our tempting cuisines. To make the perfect wine and dine experience we offer a full service bar created in a rustic character offering Dubai's widest selection of wines. The contrast in the interiors goes from gothic stained glass and rafters, exposed concrete and steel to industrial and modern versus traditional furniture.It offers a splendid view of the lake to The Irish Village as well as a charming open terrace for the cooler months.

 

---

• Visit Website