Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — Dubai is known for being a center of luxury and innovation, and that applies to its food scene as well.
Whether you are looking for a chain of American fast food restaurants, or an experience inside the most expensive restaurant in the world, there are great options at a variety of costs.
And while there are dozens of new destinations to choose from every month, here are 11 restaurants that are all worth a visit.
Dave’s Hot Chicken
With the financial backing of famous fans such as singer Drake and actor Samuel L. Jackson, Dave’s Hot Chicken has become a huge success since opening in East Hollywood, USA just 5 years ago.
The restaurant’s newest location has just opened at The Walk in Jumeirah Beach Residence, where the chicken is marinated in an array of signature spices, from “No Spice” to “The Reaper”.
“philia”
Sarah Akl was born and raised in Jordan where food was everything to her.
After attending culinary school, Akl worked in famous kitchens around the world before assuming the role of Global Executive Chef for Philia at just 26 years old, responsible for branches in Miami, The Bahamas, Paris and Dubai.
Akl now proudly runs the first restaurant in the Middle East to have an all-female management team.
After working with the famous chef Massimo Bottura, Akl presents dishes from the Italian cuisine, with touches from the Mediterranean region.
Restaurant “Ginger Moon”
Ginger Moon is billed as an “urban beach club” thanks to its expansive terrace and infinity-edge pool that attracts crowds eager to find the perfect picture for their Instagram accounts.
Appetizers on the à la carte and international menu include the “ceviche” dish, which consists of red snapper, beef tartar, or burrata cheese with smoked peaches.
For the main dishes, seafood is the most attractive.
Lolivo at Al Mahara Restaurant, Burj Al Arab
Although Al Mahara has been a fixture at Dubai’s legendary Burj Al Arab hotel for many years, it recently received a booth from Chef Andrea Milicchio of the two-Michelin-starred Lolivo restaurant at Capri Palace Jumeirah in southern Italy.
Whether you choose a meal from the tasting menu, or the à la carte menu, the dishes come straight from Capri.
Demon Duck by Alvin Long Restaurant
Demon Duck is the latest addition to the all-inclusive dining destinations at Caesars Palace Dubai.
Chef Alvin Long’s Peking Duck is the main dish and deserves its place thanks to a time-consuming and thorough preparation process that involves several steps such as blanching, aging and slow cooking, before cooking quickly at high temperatures to ensure crispy duck skin.
The chef serves the dish on bao bread scented with calamansi, a type of citrus.
Orfali Bros Restaurant
Three Syrian brothers, Mohammed, Wassim and Omar Orfali, have created one of the city’s hottest culinary destinations with this small, modern restaurant that celebrates international dining experiences.
The open kitchen allows visitors to see Mohammed working on dishes such as “Guess What?”, which combines local fermented tomatoes with cucumber, herbs, dough and feta cheese, or “Come with me to Aleppo”, which is a sour cherry kebab, pine nuts, cinnamon.
Upstairs, Wassim and Omar work on preparing pastries and sweets, which captured the pioneers of the “Instagram” site.
“Mayabay”
Two Asian cuisines meet at Mayabai, which first opened in Monaco in 2005 and now arrives at Jumeirah Al Naseem Hotel with a mix of Thai and Japanese dishes.
That means a menu that includes dishes from sushi and sashimi to curries and salads, Japanese mochi sweets and Thai pandan cake.
Main dishes include black cod in a sweet miso sauce, prepared over charcoal, or the popular fried noodle pad Thai.
Restaurant
The restaurant’s terrace is set to be a major attraction with its view of the stunning Burj Khalifa, especially given the milder weather in late fall and winter.
The restaurant focuses on Nikki cuisine, which blends Peruvian and Japanese cuisine.
The restaurant was named after the word for “sun” in the Quechua language, which was spoken by the Inca people and is still used today in Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia.
In addition to steaks and grilled seafood, anticucho skewers are also popular.
Splimotion Restaurant, Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Although the “Splition” restaurant is only available for six months, as its residency period ends in May of 2023, it provides a dining experience that everyone desires, or who can afford it.
This 12-seat restaurant is known as the most expensive restaurant in the world.
Dinner can cost up to 5,000 dirhams ($1,361) per person.
The restaurant offers a tasting menu of up to 20 interactive meals, with pictures and music.
Tabo, The St. Regis Downtown Hotel
Surreal stage entertainment is a feature of Tabu Restaurant on the 23rd floor of The St. Regis Downtown.
Sumo wrestlers, human “wolves”, magicians and geisha appear throughout the evening at different times, mingling with the restaurant’s visitors.
When it comes to food, Tabu’s executive chef, Roberto Segura, oversees a Japanese-Peruvian menu that includes sushi, ceviche and salads, as well as steaks.
Restaurant “Avatara”
Avatara is an all-vegetarian fine dining experience that celebrates the diverse cuisines of Northeast India.
Hailing from Rishikesh in the foothills of the Himalayas, Chef Rahul Rana creates dishes that reflect his background and experience while also trying to change perceptions towards vegetarian food.
The restaurant’s dishes include a steamed dumpling called “momo”, which is stuffed with jackfruit.
Fried lentil pancakes served with fermented carrots is another dish traditionally served during the holidays.
