Dining in UAE
Hotels and Restaurants in UAE aims to provide great value to customers for dining in the UAE. Restaurants plans to provide a concierge experience for customers to be able to pre–reserve their dining requirements as an option. Many restaurants are providing a comprehensive rewards program with top restaurants, in the UAE. By top restaurants, we mean the best, most upmarket restaurants in the UAE.
Every type of food is available in the hotels and restaurants of UAE, which includs some of the finest restaurants in the world. This is not entirely surprising since over 200 nationalities live and work here and millions of visitors holiday the country, influencing its sophisticated and innovative food culture.
In recent years, celebrity chefs have launched a variety of fashionable restaurants in the Emirates' five-star hotels. The most notable include Rhodes Mezzanine, Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire, Rang Mahal, Nobu, Table 9 by Nick and Scott, Verre by Gordon Ramsay, Maya Modern Mexican Kitchen, Indego by Vineet, Ronda Locatelli, Rhodes Twenty10, Jamie’s Italian, Toro Toro, Options by Sanjeev Kapoor, Rostang - The French Brasserie, Frankie's Italian Bar & Grill, STAY by Yannick Alléno, Signature by Sanjeev Kapoor and Carluccio's etc.
Gourmet food can also be experienced at two unique festivals in the UAE: the Taste of Dubai Festival, which usually takes place in March at Dubai Media City and Gourmet Abu Dhabi, a culinary extravaganza held in the capital in February each year.
International fast-food chains, dishing up the standard fare of hamburgers, chips and pizzas, are located in the larger cities and international theme restaurants such as TGI Friday’s, Planet Hollywood, Fashion Café, Burger King, Mcdonalds, KFC are all represented in the Emirates.
In between these extremes are numerous restaurants serving authentic ethnic cuisine from every corner of the globe. Gulf and Middle Eastern food is also available in a wide variety of venues, from expensive restaurants to local cafés, many taking advantage of the excellent seafood available in the locality.
One of the most exciting aspects of travelling to a new destination is the opportunity to sample local food and an increasing number of restaurants and cafés are now serving traditional Emirati food. Try Mezlai at Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, Milas in Dubai Mall and Al Fanr in Dubai Festival City.
Some cafés (Mama Tani, Majilis, Café2go) have a contemporary take on traditional ingredients, serving camel burgers as a healthy alternative to beef and highly nutritious, low-fat, camel milk is being used to make cheese, ice-cream and delicious chocolate.
The organic and slow-food movement has also taken hold with popular farmers' markets springing up in the urban centres and some restaurants and cafés focusing on local and organic produce.
Alcohol is generally only served in hotel restaurants and bars (but not in Sharjah). Exceptions are some clubs (e.g. golf clubs) and associations. Restaurants that are not associated with hotels are not permitted to serve alcohol.