Dubai
ChI Eats 
Restaurants – where to lunch, where to dine

Lunch

The Eau Zone in the Royal Mirage – perfect for an after-massage light lunch, with superbly delicate East Asian-fusion food.

 
Image courtesy of www.timeoutdubai.com

The Noodle House in the Emirates Towers – a fast food-meets-Asian-fine dining experience. Go early (or late) on weekdays, for a casual lunch, as the business crowd hits it bigtime at one pm. Tel 04 3300000

Salmontini in the Mall of the Emirates, overlooking the ski slope. A great business lunch venue.

Shakespeare’s – for saj, manakeesh and all your Lebanese fave raves, as well as Italian salads etc (multiple locations, including on Jumeira Beach Road opposite McGrudy’s; in Emirates Hills…)

Wafi Gourmet, in the Wafi Centre Mall, on the outdoor veranda, in cooler months
Metzos in the Wafi Centre for Mediterranean fusion food.

 
Image courtesy of charlesandmarie.com

A new health conscious restaurant, Magnolia, which is totally vegetarian has opened at the Al Qasr hotel, serving excellent, though pricey food.

Shochos is a place to be seen and hang out, which also has super food. Located at the Dubai Marine Beach Club. Reservations highly recommended - on any day of the week.

Tea

Burj Al Arab Hotel Skybar – for a champagne tea for two. Book ahead!

 
Image courtesy of www.passionwithstyle.com

Leaves – the Chinese-themed tea room in Grosvenor House Hotel. Tel 04 399 8888

Or the lobby lounges of the Ritz Carlton tel 04 399 4000 and the Emirates Towers tel 04 319 8088, for good sofas, good value, and people-watching.

For tea – or indeed, at any time – check out the chocolate café “Chocolate” on Sheikh Zayed road near the Dusit Hotel. ChIs strongly recommend the hot chocolate - served in three small cups, though it is only one order!!

Dinner

Reservations at least one day in advance and more for weekends (Thursdays and Fridays) really are necessary. Many restaurants operate a “no-jeans” policy. Check when you reserve.

For Lebanese
  •   Al Nafoorah in the Emirates Towers, for Lebanese fine dining Tel 04 3300000
      For Glitzy Gourmet European
  •   Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant Verre in the Hilton on the Creek Tel 04 227
      1111. Good food, good service and a particularly good sommelier.
  •   Gary Rhodes restaurant at the Grosvenor House

For Italian
  •   Bice (SO Milan, sweetie-dahling!) in the Hilton on the Beach next to the Ritz
      Carlton

      
       Image courtesy of www.timeoutabudhabi.com

  •   Splendido (it truly is, too) in the Ritz Carlton (which has a nice understated
       beach club, with great facilities including sturdy opaque plastic carrier bags
       for the damp swimmies); and
  •   Segreto in Al Qasr Hotel for another top-quality Italian fine dining experience
 
For Chinese
  •   Shang in the Shangri La Hotel or Zheng He, in the Mina al Salam hotel Tel
      04 3668888

For Seafood
  •   Pier Chic, accessed via the walkway in Al Qasr hotel. Go half an hour early,
      and ask for a boat ride around the astonishing complex of three hotels.
  •   Or if you are tired of 5-star glitz, go for an amazing fish lunch in a lovely,
      unpretentious Syrian family-style restaurant, the Fish Basket, where you
      can feast like a king for a very reasonable amount indeed. Choose your own
      fish from the display, or be guided by the knowledgeable, friendly and helpful
      staff. Grilled hammour, sultan ibrahim (red mullet), crab….its not a place for
      lingering, but if you feel like a blow out….its your place! In Bur Dubai (04 336
      7177). Opposite the Mövenpick Hotel, near the ENOC building, Lamzy Plaza
      and the Bank of Ras Al Khaima. It also does home deliveries.

For the best Persian food in the Emirates outside a private home
  •   the award-winning Shabestan in the Radisson SAS is a perennial favourite,
       in understated yet glamourous surroundings, with beautiful traditional music
       on weekend nights, Their baghali polo is divine.

      
       Image courtesy of eatbma.blogspot.com

For Indian/fusion nouvelle cuisine,
  •   Indigo in the Grosvenor House hotel is a must. Tel 04 3998888
  •   Nina at the Royal Mirage also offers very good fusion food.