Attend Festival

Visitor Information

01. Festival Venue
02. Festival Delegate Badge Pick Up
03. Opening Times
04. Awards Dinner
05. Travel To And From Dubai Airport
06. Visa Information
07. General Information
08. Tourist Information
09. Things To Do And See
10. Where To Eat And Drink

10. Where To Eat And Drink

Eating
Drinking

Eating

Regardless of what your choice or particular culinary delight, there is no doubt that your appetite will be handsomely rewarded by the fabulous choice of restaurants and eateries that abound in Dubai.

Chic Eats
Michellin-Starred
British chefs Gary Rhodes and Gordon Ramsay have culinary outposts in the Grosvenor House Hotel and the Hilton Dubai Creek, respectively, both offering Michelin-stared cuisine. They are joined at the top of the tree by the excellent Chinese restaurant Noble House in the Raffles Hotel. In any one of these gilt-edged places you'll sample sensational fare in a high-end setting, paying about AED 500 ($140) per person for the privilege.

Burj Al Arab
The only way to get inside 7-star rated Burj Al Arab without paying for a room is to book a table at one of the hotel's costly eateries. Best of the lot is the beach-based Majlis Al Bahar. From here you can admire the Burj's impressive exterior (the hotel's beauty is on the outside) before instructing the maître d' that you'll be taking your nightcap in the top-floor cocktail bar, where you can gaze at the city.

Emirates Towers
The Emirates Tower Hotel boasts 14 exclusive restaurants, bars and lounges, each characterised by unique decor, cuisine and entertainment. The restaurants serve a variety of cuisines ranging from Italian to Japanese to American and Tex-Mex. Vu's location on the 50th floor is a big attraction with tourists, offering breathtaking panoramas while serving delicious French and Italian cuisine.

Mid-Range
Century Village is located right next door to the Irish village. It is a small oasis of fine dining restaurants in a relaxing atmosphere of fountains and greenery.
The village boasts Da Gama, La Vigne (see below for both,) a Japanese sushi bar, coffee shop and an Arabic restaurant. It encompasses a small courtyard offering outdoor seating and it is one of the very few places in the city where you're allowed to sit outside while having an alcoholic drink.

Da Gama
Da Gama has been built to resemble a Portuguese farmhouse and its detailed design infused with rich colours has achieved a very authentic European feel, all produce is imported from Europe and the service is exemplary.

La Vigne
La Vigne - owned by Umberto who is also part owner of Da Gama - is a famous Italian chef and this venue offers authentic Italian cuisine providing indoor and outdoor dining. The food is excellent, plentiful and well priced; the pasta is homemade and all of the wines are of excellent quality. Reservations are definitely recommended.

The Irish Village
The Irish Village is a very popular addition to the social scene. It is in essence one huge pub providing indoor and outdoor seating and serves traditional pub food at good prices.

Ashiana
One of the most famous and most highly respected Indian restaurants, Ashiana serves northern Indian specialities. Situated in the Sheraton Dubai Hotel and Towers, it offers a very convivial ambience, service is excellent and waiters are more than willing to recommend speciality dishes. The evening sees the appearance of the equally famous Ashiana resident band.

Al Qasr (Independent restaurant)
For a languorous meal of Lebanese and middle Eastern cuisine, take your taste buds for a visit to Al Qasr in Dubai Marine Beach Resort and Spa, where culinary delights are accompanied by belly dancers and Arabic music. The restaurant overlooks a beautifully landscaped garden, swimming pools, and the beach.

The Blue Elepahant
Widely regarded as one of Dubai's finest Thai restaurant, The Blue Elephant, like its counterpart in London will not disappoint. Royal Thai dishes include herbs, spices and produce imported from Thailand while the aromas of basil and lemongrass flow through the air.

Hotel Restaurants
The Madinat, Al Qasr, Jumeirah Beach and Royal Mirage are all hotels offering a spectrum of restaurants designed to cater for a wide range of budgets, tastes and moods.
http://www.jumeirah.com/ 

Johnny Rockets
Johnny Rockets is nestled amongst high-rise towers, luxury villas, scenic parks and a variety of retailers within Dubai Marina and offers simple, great-tasting food from a menu of all-American favourites, including juicy hamburgers, hand-dipped shakes and malts and freshly-baked apple pie.
http://www.johnnyrockets.com/aboutus/press.php?id=62

Family Run Restaurants
The Dubai restaurant scene has all the usual national chains and fast food joints, but part of the fun of travelling is sampling the local cuisine. With that in mind, branch out and give a few locally-owned Dubai restaurants a shot.

Special Ostadi
A long-standing Iranian family-run restaurant that has been a hectic, bustling and a charming breadwinner for three generations. Ostadi first opened its doors in 1978 and serves some of the best Iranian food in the emirate (the grilled lamb kebabs are a local favourite). The walls and tables are plastered with currency from around the world, including some Saddam-era Iraqi tender. Not to be missed.
Al Mussalla Road, Bur Dubai (04 397 1933)

Yia Yia
With a name like Yia Yia ('grandmother' in Greek), you know you're likely dealing with a family enterprise. This Cypriot restaurant uses family recipes passed down for generations and exudes an atmosphere of warmth and good cheer.
Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa (04 346 1111)

Bacio Gelato
Bacio Gelato is more than your typical family business, partly because it’s run by two families. While partners Lina Bargash and Cesare Cellie are not related, their respective spouses help to run the marketing and accounting behind this diminutive yet popular gelato shop. For those who doubt the family influence in this delightful haven, the walls are plastered with pictures of both Lina’s and Cesare’s children (sometimes you can spot them eating gelato in the corner).
The Baron Hotel, Al Barsha (04 323 2949)

Wild Peeta
Opened less than a year ago, Wild Peeta is unique for several reasons: first, it sells the world’s first ‘fusion shawarma’; second, the business model is entirely fuelled by Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. This means everything about the place, from the menu to the decor, is decided by their online fan base. Not only is all the food made fresh from scratch, but the Al Awadi brothers also work to make the shawarma healthy (there’s even a vegan option).
Dubai Healthcare City, Oud Metha (800 9453)

Bluefields Caribbean Restaurant’s
A brother-and-sister outfit of Wild Peeta, Bluefield’s appeal lies in the family recipes. The two churn out authentic West Indian eats, and have since attracted clientele from across the entire Gulf region.
Near Lamcy Plaza, Oud Metha (04 335 7377)

Cheap Eats
Al Dhiyafah Road
Al Dhiyafah Road is otherwise known as Dubai's cheap-eats street. Here restaurants catering to the city's less affluent residents spill out onto the sidewalk so you can people-watch while feasting on food from Lebanon, Iran and the Indian subcontinent. On the northern end of the street lies Sidra, with zesty salads and a gut-busting mixed grill that gives you a taste of the Levant. On the other end of the Road is Pars Iranian Kitchen, which dishes out succulent lamb and fresh seafood straight from its outdoor grill. Across the street and six lanes of highway traffic, lies one of the city's best regarded (if least presentable) curry houses - Ravi Restaurant.

 

Drinking

Boudoir
If you’re in Dubai, for business or pleasure, there’s one bar you won't want to miss. Boudoir is as opulent as it gets. Nothing is understated or subtle about it, but then this isn't an understated or subtle city. The look of the bar evokes the world of the French Court when luxury was everything, and pleasures were never guilty.

Crystal chandeliers, rich fabrics, plump sofas and oil paintings pepper the venue. With room for around 400, the bar has set itself apart from the rest of Dubai’s club scene, creating a uniquely extravagant atmosphere that has proved popular with the celebrity set and the city’s elite. Music is on the money with lounge sounds giving way to funky house, hip-hop, pop and rock as the night wears on and the dance floor fills with an international crowd.
Jumeirah, Dubai Tel:+9711 4345 5995

360º Bar
The name says it all really. This elegant, laid-back terrace bar boasts superb panoramic views of the ever changing, ever evolving Dubai skyline. Set out in the middle of the Gulf, at the heart of the vast, wave-shaped Jumeirah Beach Hotel, this effortlessly cool spot is a popular hangout with Dubai’s cocktail set. Chic and sophisticated, bathed in desert sun, this is the perfect place to escape the sometimes overwhelming Dubai buzz and relax in a beautiful setting. Cool house tunes set the tone, playing until the early morning. The clientele sink into cosy sofas and sip a drink (or two, or three) as they take in the theatre of the setting sun.
Jumeirah Beach Hotel Tel: +971 4 4068769

Kasbar
Another Jumeirah gem, this one a swanky club-bar with live music, DJs and a hi-tech dance floor. The music is a mix of Arabic and western tunes and you're as likely to hear Natasha Atlas in here as The Clash. Live bands play until midnight when DJs take over and your entrance fee gains you a classic cocktail on the house. The lounge section is all oil lamps, cushions and low tables and there are bar games along the counter. Take a seat with a view of the stage in the main room with its thick drapes, Moroccan tiles and exotic North African ambience and imagine you're in Marrakech. The Mirage is one of South African tycoon Sol Kerzner's babies - if you like the Lost City you'll be bowled over by this.
Jumeirah, Tel: +971 4399 9999

Desert Cocktails
If you want to see some sand without vertigo or nausea that comes with wadi and sand-dune bashing, head out to the plush desert escape Bab Al Shams. Here you can sit on the rooftop and enjoy a cocktail as the sun dips below the dunes.
Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa

Vu’s Bar
Gorgeous sea views greet you from the 51st floor of the space age Emirates Towers - an upmarket mix of guests and soft-cushioned luxury. Enjoy one of the 200 cocktails on offer, the 51st Floor house cocktail comes recommended.

The Address
The Address has an elegant bar on the 63rd floor.
http://www.theaddress.com

Barasti Bar
Barasti is located beachside at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Resort, has a Polynesian theme. Catch some sport on the big screens, lounge on bean bags outside with a Strongbow or Guinness, or head downstairs for a dance where you’ll find a live DJ on the weekends. Whatever you choose, you’re bound to have fun.