
Dubai is of course famous for its plethora of high quality shopping outlets, but, as regular visitor Janet Simpson attests, there is so much more to the city that that.
Whether you’re visiting Dubai for business reasons or simply to enjoy its leisure possibilities, food is probably going to be fairly high on your list of priorities.
Your first port of call might well be your hotel, as most in Dubai offer a combination of excellent food and beverage venues. If you happen to be staying at the Al Qasr hotel for example, you should seek out The Hide, a high quality American steakhouse; the Hilton Dubai Creek is home to Gordon Ramsey’s multi-award winning Glasshouse Mediterranean Brasserie (try the classic pork belly dish or the mushroom risotto); and the Radisson Blu Hotel contains the Shabestan, one of the city’s finest Persian restaurants, which boasts none other than Sheikh Mohammed as a regular lunchtime visitor.
Recommendations include the Pars Iranian Kitchen, which serves mouthwatering nutty flatbread smeared with salty cheese and fresh herbs.
If you’re feeling a little more adventurous however, and enjoy combining your love of authentic local food with a spot of exploring, then you’ll probably appreciate a stroll down Al Diyafah Street (recently described by a friend of mine as “the most delicious mile-long drag in the city”) an exciting stretch of eateries between the Satwa roundabout and Union House. Recommendations include the Pars Iranian Kitchen, which serves mouthwatering nutty flatbread smeared with salty cheese and fresh herbs. I would also suggest you try an order of kashk-baadanjan, a combination of fried aubergine, garlic, and caramelised onions infused with creamy kashk (whey).
Lovers of Pakistani food might want to head over to the long-established Ravi Restaurant which is renowned for its ghee- and cumin-heavy dal fry and succulent, well-spiced ground mutton kebabs. Another restaurant with a long history of popularity is the nearby Al Mallah,
which specialises in Lebanese fare such as oven-fresh man‘oushe flatbreads covered with soft white cheese, olive oil and a tart wild thyme.
And for a classic Middle-Eastern dessert, try Firas Sweets for a thick slab of knafeh, a gooey, soft cheese topped with crisp-fried vermicelli soaked in cardamom and rosewater syrup.
For a combination of food and sightseeing you might also try a dinner cruise along the Creek, a great Way to appease your appetite while wafting gently past characterful waterfront houses, shimmering high-rises, and dhows laden with herbs and spices from India or Iran. Try the Al Mansour Dhow, run by the Radisson Blu Hotel, or Bateaux Dubai in Al-Seef road opposite the British Embassy.
Dubai is home to so many fine dining restaurants it really is difficult to decide upon its best, but, when push comes to shove, I would probably vote for The Coya in the Four Seasons Resort at Jumeirah Beach, which serves authentic Peruvian fare such as the to-die-for maki, made with quinoa and shiitake, and the signature gyoza dish filled with sea bass and fresh prawns.