Dumplings GuideUpdated
The Best Dumplings in Dubai
We rated 10 spots.
The short answer
Dumplings in Dubai cross a lot of borders: Shanghainese soup dumplings and xiao long bao, Japanese gyoza, Himalayan momos, Korean mandu and Georgian khinkali. It is a dish that spans fine dining and deep value, so this guide weighs the dumpling against the price.
By the Cravd Editorial Team10 spots4 min read
- 6
- dumpling styles (XLB, gyoza, momo, mandu, khinkali, dim sum)
- 2
- Bib Gourmand gyoza spots (REIF, Kinoya)
These tiers are rated honestly from real diner sentiment and verified recognition. No spot in the city is Michelin-starred for its dumplings, so the guide tops out at A, led by the benchmark soup dumpling and the Bib Gourmand gyoza.
What you get for your money
Dumplings spans cuisines and budgets, so the tier weighs the dumpling against the price. There is no S here, because no spot is Michelin-starred for its dumplings, so it tops out at A with the benchmark soup dumpling and the Bib Gourmand gyoza. A C is a deep-value gem like the Karama momo spots, not a mark against it. The Hong Kong stars of Din Tai Fung and Hutong do not apply to their Dubai outlets. There is no D, because the honest story here is range, from fine dining to sub-AED momos.
The picks, ranked
- A · Excellent
Din Tai Fung
Dubai Mall and multiple
The benchmark, the Taiwanese soup-dumpling specialist whose xiao long bao set the standard, listed on World's 50 Best Discovery. Its Dubai outlets are not Michelin-starred. The XLB is still the one to beat.
Benchmark xiao long baoMid - A · Excellent
REIF Japanese Kushiyaki
Dar Wasl, Al Wasl
A Michelin Bib Gourmand whose beef gyoza is a signature, from one of the city's most-loved chefs. The pick for a serious gyoza.
Bib Gourmand gyozaSplurge - A · Excellent
Kinoya
Onyx Tower 2, The Greens
A Michelin Bib Gourmand and MENA 50 Best izakaya whose gyoza in beef, chicken and veg is excellent. A destination izakaya with a standout dumpling.
Izakaya gyozaMid
The rest of the field
B-tier: Hutong
Upscale Chinese dumplings
DIFC · Splurge
Why it’s B: Hutong
An upscale northern Chinese room listed in the MICHELIN Guide, with a steamed dumpling platter among its signatures. The polished Chinese dumpling pick.
B-tier: New Shanghai
Truffle XLB
Dubai Mall · Mid-price
Why it’s B: New Shanghai
A Shanghainese spot doing a strong truffle-chicken xiao long bao, the best alternative to the benchmark. A reliable soup-dumpling fix.
B-tier: Mott 32
Upscale har gao
JBR · Splurge
Why it’s B: Mott 32
An upscale Hong Kong import listed in the MICHELIN Guide, doing a king-prawn har gao and refined dim sum. The glamorous dumpling dinner.
C-tier: Yalla Momos
Best-value momos
Al Karama · Value
Why it’s C: Yalla Momos
The deep-value pick, a Karama spot doing Nepali and Himalayan momos across a big flavour range at sub-AED prices. The best-value dumpling in the city.
C-tier: MOMO & MORE
Steamed and kothey momos
Al Karama · Value
Why it’s C: MOMO & MORE
A longtime Karama momo specialist doing steamed, fried and kothey momos, handmade and cheap. A dependable momo run.
C-tier: Koreana
Korean mandu
Al Barsha · Mid-price
Why it’s C: Koreana
A longstanding Korean institution doing proper mandu alongside its full menu. The pick for Korean dumplings.
C-tier: Qartuli
Georgian khinkali
Downtown Dubai · Mid-price
Why it’s C: Qartuli
A Georgian spot doing khinkali, the giant hand-pleated soup dumplings you eat by hand. A fun, distinctive dumpling worth trying.
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Dubai's best dumpling runs from a benchmark soup dumpling to Bib Gourmand gyoza and sub-AED momos in Karama.
Where they are
The A-tier picks are in Dubai Mall, Al Wasl and The Greens. Dubai Mall has the most spots, 2 of the 10.
Dubai Mall
2 spots
Al Wasl
1 spot
The Greens
1 spot
Karama
2 spots
Elsewhere in Dubai
4 spots
- BHutongDIFCDirections
- BMott 32JBRDirections
- CKoreanaAl BarshaDirections
- CQartuliDowntown DubaiDirections
The honest shape of dumplings in Dubai
Dumplings in Dubai span cuisines and budgets, from fine-dining soup dumplings to sub-AED momos. No spot is Michelin-starred for its dumplings, so this guide leans on genuine diner sentiment, the Bib Gourmand gyoza, and deep value.
One honesty note on the big names: Din Tai FungA and HutongB hold Michelin stars at their Hong Kong branches. Their Dubai outlets are not starred, so this guide does not claim a Dubai star for them. The one Dubai-starred dumpling-adjacent room, Hakkasan, is a Cantonese dim sum house, so it sits in our dim sum guide.
Soup dumplings and gyoza
Din Tai FungA is the benchmark for xiao long bao, listed on World's 50 Best Discovery, and New ShanghaiB is the strong truffle-XLB alternative. For gyoza, the two Bib Gourmand izakayas lead: REIF Japanese KushiyakiA and KinoyaA both do excellent ones.
For the upscale Chinese version, HutongB and Mott 32B do refined dim sum and dumpling platters.
Momos, mandu and khinkali
The deep value is in Karama: Yalla MomosC and MOMO & MOREC do Nepali and Himalayan momos, handmade and cheap, the best-value dumplings in the city. KoreanaC does Korean mandu, and QartuliC does Georgian khinkali, the giant soup dumplings you eat by hand.
For the all-you-can-eat Cantonese side, see our dim sum guide and Chinese hub.
The benchmark, and the value momo
ADin Tai Fung
CYalla Momos
The draw
Benchmark xiao long bao
Himalayan momos
Recognition
World's 50 Best Discovery
No award, deep value
Price
Mid
Value
The verdict
The one to beat
The best value
Din Tai Fung and Hutong hold their stars in Hong Kong, so this guide does not claim a Dubai star for them.
Frequently asked
What is the best dumpling in Dubai?
Din Tai Fung is the benchmark for xiao long bao, listed on World's 50 Best Discovery. For gyoza, the two Bib Gourmand izakayas REIF Japanese Kushiyaki and Kinoya lead, and for deep-value momos, Yalla Momos in Karama is the pick. All are rated in this guide.
Does Din Tai Fung have a Michelin star in Dubai?
No. Din Tai Fung holds Michelin stars at its Hong Kong branches. Its Dubai outlets are not starred, so this guide does not claim a Dubai star. It is listed on World's 50 Best Discovery and its xiao long bao is still the city benchmark.
Where is the best-value dumpling in Dubai?
Yalla Momos and MOMO & MORE in Karama do handmade Nepali and Himalayan momos at sub-AED prices, the best-value dumplings in the city.
Where can I get soup dumplings in Dubai?
Din Tai Fung does the benchmark xiao long bao, New Shanghai does a strong truffle-chicken version, and Qartuli in Downtown does Georgian khinkali, the giant hand-pleated soup dumplings.
How are these rankings made?
These tiers synthesize real diner sentiment and verified recognition, including the MICHELIN Guide, weighed against value.
Get the S-tier by email.
Every S-tier spot from our guides, sent to you right away. Then every Thursday, one pick and the new guides from that week.
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On this list
- A-tier: Din Tai FungDubai Mall and multiple
- A-tier: REIF Japanese KushiyakiDar Wasl, Al Wasl
- A-tier: KinoyaOnyx Tower 2, The Greens
- B-tier: HutongDIFC
- and 6 more