Did you believe that Dubai is all about architectural wonders, luxury shopping, and expanses of the desert? Well, now it is time to get a delicious shock. It is also the city where you will taste some of the best Dubai food you have ever tasted, a place of culinary adventures that is a mix of half-Dubai and half-innovation.
Coming on a layover or trying to get the most of a 24-hour stop, you should not miss a chance to taste the best Dubai food. Dubai is a restless destination full of flavors, spices, and surprises, including food. An influence that spreads throughout the Middle East and South Asia and beyond.
Fasten your seat belts, and read this 24-hour guide to trying the most legendary dishes and iconic Dubai gastronomic experiences. This blog is your hour-by-hour, taste-by-taste guide to 24 hours of best Dubai food, because you must be here to eat all the delicious food, so basically you come hungry and leave happy.
Table of Contents
7AM: Arabic Coffee & Chebab Pancakes — Rise & Dine Like a Local
Welcome a day in the Arabic world with Arabic gahwa (coffee): prepare it with cardamom and have it in small cups. Combine it with dense chebab pancakes fluffy golden and saffron flavored discs sprinkled with cheese and dripping in date syrup. This is a flavorful and culturally-enriched combination that you ought to taste whenever you want the best Dubai food.
Try it at: Khan Murjan (Souk Madinat Jumeirah), Logma (Boxpark), or Seven Sands (JBR)
10AM: Souk Stroll & Luqaimat Snacking
Head over to Spice Souk at Deira to get overwhelmed by the senses. As you move through the alleys of the market rich in aroma, give yourself a treat to Luqaimat- sweet dumplings that are crunchy, and soaked in date syrup. Not a local favorite, this pastry ball is a quintessential among the locals, and one of the most outstanding in the list of the best Dubai food.
Try it at: Milas Restaurant (The Dubai Mall) or Siraj (City Walk)
1PM: Lunch Like a Local – Al Machboos & Camel Burger
Check out a taste of al machboos, a smelly rice and lamb meal mixed with spices, such as cumin, cardamom, and dried lemon for lunch. It is just sustaining, soulful and admittedly one of the best Dubai food. In a mood of adventure? Instead of having your usual beef burger, get a camel burger instead. Rich, tender, and juicy, the dish is a signature of Dubai that you will not eat everywhere.
Try al machboos at: Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant (Al Fahidi)
Try camel burger at: Bareburger (City Walk)
4PM: Knafeh & Tea – The Golden Hour Snack
Any best Dubai food would not be complete without knafeh which is a warm, elastic like stretchy cheese dessert baked with semolina crust and soaked in rose-smelling sugar syrup. It is best accompanied by a powerful cup of black tea or delicious karak infused with mint during the mid afternoon tea break.
Try it at: Al Baba Sweets (Al Barsha), Firas Sweets, or Bosporus
7PM: Dinner with a Skyline – Seafood & Steaks at Sunset
The food and the skyline are equally renowned in Dubai. Go to a rooftop restaurant and feed on a plate of seafood or a grilling steak as the sun retires over the Gulf. Now is your chance to revel in jaws dropping views, and in the best Dubai food, which is not only a matter of taste, but also, to a certain degree, beauty.
Try it at: Atmosphere (Burj Khalifa) or Pierchic (Al Qasr)
Also Read: Top 5 Places for Night Swimming in Dubai
11PM: Midnight Munchies – Shawarma Time
The final street food which no list of the best Dubai food can be called complete without is shawarma. Wrapped in soft pita and filled with juicy meat, pickles, and garlic signature sauce, it makes the best conclusion to the food-filled day. After partying or simply because you have been sightseeing all day and you are hungry, shawarma is what fits the spot?
Try it at: Al Mallah (Satwa) or Automatic Restaurant (Deira)
Final Tips for Food-Hopping in Dubai
To enjoy the best Dubai food experience in just 24 hours:
- Hydrate! The heat of Dubai is ready to surprise you.
- Take the Metro to travel between food stops quickly and cheaply.
- Wear modest clothing, particularly when having meals in thetraditional areas.
- Take cash around with you, particularly to small bites and souk snacks.
Conclusion: Eat Like There’s No Tomorrow
Just as at home in Dubai as a traditional Emirati breakfast is some fancy diggings in the form of a midnight shawarma; this fast food tour of the city is how you should kick-start the day! Even having only 24 hours, a true impression of culinary richness of the city can be gained in this time period, and so the best Dubai food is not the one you put on the table, but the one that goes into your countless experiences and endless memories. So, the next time you’re in Dubai – whether for a day or a week – don’t just look at the skyscrapers. Look at your plate too. That’s where the real magic happens.