The honest list

The one Dubai food list nobody paid for.

Every “best in Dubai” list is quietly sponsored. This one is not. Here are the 21 S-tier and 65 A-tier spots across 13 cuisines, graded honestly, no restaurant paying a cent.

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The tiers keep moving as we eat. Drop your email and we send the S-tier now, then every new honest pick the moment it earns its grade.

The full list

Dubai’s S and A tier, by cuisine

Brunch

Full brunch guide →

A
Zuma · DIFC
The foodie benchmark
A
Saffron · Atlantis, The Palm
The big party blowout
A
Reif Japanese Kushiyaki (Buranchi) · Wasl 51
Best food, no gimmicks
A
Folly by Nick & Scott · Souk Madinat Jumeirah
Best food-per-dirham
A
Traiteur · Park Hyatt, Dubai Creek
Grown-up and food-first
A
COYA · Four Seasons Resort, Jumeirah 2
Atmosphere and Peruvian plates
A
Cé La Vi · Address Sky View, Downtown
The skyline view
A
Jazz@PizzaExpress · JLT & Dubai Marina
Best value and budget

Burger

Full burger guide →

S
Smash and Sear @ Maxzi · Al Quoz + JVC
The all-round champion
S
Orfali Bros (OB Cheeseburger) · Wasl 51
The taste-test winner
A
Jun’s · Downtown Dubai
Wagyu, done right
A
Eleven Green · Al Wasl
The critics’ repeat winner
A
11 Woodfire · Dubai Design District
Wagyu and woodfire
A
High Joint · Al Manara + Al Khawaneej
Best value, zero pretense
A
JUBN · Multiple locations
The people’s #1
A
Meat Avenue · Multiple
The underdog smash

Shawarma

Full shawarma guide →

S
Automatic · Al Rigga, Deira (+ citywide)
The all-round benchmark
S
Al Mallah · Satwa
The Satwa institution
S
Mashawi Al Halabiya · Al Barsha
The perfectly balanced wrap
S
Belad Al Sham · Al Qusais
Best budget quality
A
Laffah · Al Barsha (+ branches)
Crispy pressed wraps
A
Aroos Damascus · Deira
The old Damascene standard
A
Shiraz Night · Baniyas St, Deira
Iranian-style heat
A
Al Ijaza Cafeteria · Jumeirah 1
Honk-to-order at midnight
A
Beirut Streets · Behind Mall of the Emirates
Lebanese beef done right
A
Ikea · Festival City + Jebel Ali
The AED 5 wildcard

Pizza

Full pizza guide →

S
L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele · City Walk + JBR + Dubai Hills
The most authentic Neapolitan
S
Pitfire Pizza · JLT + Dubai Hills + Time Out Market
The best crust in the city
S
'Za 'Za Slice · Jumeirah Garden City + Creek Harbour
Best cheap slice, late night
A
Rossovivo Artisan Pizza · Internet City + Al Quoz
The Italian crowd's pick
A
Blu Pizzeriá · Umm Suqeim Harbour
Pizza by the sea
A
FALCONE · Galleria Mall, Al Barsha
The Al Barsha local pick
A
Moon Slice · Al Wasl Road
Inventive slices
A
Akiba Dori · Dubai Hills + JBR + Dubai Design District
The most distinctive dough
A
Il Motto · JA Ocean View, JBR
Wood-fired with a view

Steak

Full steak guide →

S
Prime68 · Business Bay (JW Marriott Marquis, 68th floor)
The benchmark, with a view
S
Carna by Dario Cecchini · Business Bay (SLS Dubai, 74th floor)
Real butcher credibility
A
CUT by Wolfgang Puck · Downtown (Address Downtown)
Wagyu connoisseurs
A
Seafire Steakhouse · Palm Jumeirah (Atlantis The Palm)
Classic steak-and-seafood at a resort
A
Hunter & Barrel · Vida Emirates Hills
Best quality for the money
A
The Ninth Cut Butchery & Steakhouse · Dubai (butchery + dining room)
Most steak per dirham
A
Rowley's Steakhouse · DIFC (Central Park Towers)
Honest British steak-frites in DIFC
A
Beefbar Dubai · Umm Suqeim (Jumeirah Al Naseem)
Modern, design-forward beef

Sushi

Full sushi guide →

S
Hoseki · Bvlgari Resort, Jumeirah Bay Island
The definitive Dubai omakase
S
TakaHisa · Bluewaters Island
Toyosu-grade edomae sushi
A
Tomo · Raffles Dubai, Wafi (17th floor)
Real sushi, less spectacle
A
KIGO · Four Seasons DIFC
Seasonal kaiseki and omakase
A
Zuma · DIFC
The reliable benchmark
A
Nobu · Atlantis The Palm
The signature-dish pilgrimage
A
KEN by Kamatsuda · The Dubai EDITION, Downtown
The new high-end omakase

Restaurant

Full restaurant guide →

S
Tresind Studio · St. Regis Gardens, Palm Jumeirah
The most decorated tasting menu
S
Orfali Bros Bistro · Wasl 51, Al Wasl
The best restaurant in Dubai, full stop
S
FZN by Bjorn Frantzen · Atlantis The Palm
Nordic fine dining at the very top
A
Ossiano · Atlantis The Palm
A view spot that actually earned a star
A
Row on 45 · Grosvenor House, Dubai Marina
The rising two-star tasting menu
A
Il Ristorante - Niko Romito · Bvlgari Resort, Jumeira Bay
Benchmark Italian fine dining
A
STAY by Yannick Alleno · One&Only The Palm
Two-star French classicism
A
Kinoya · Wasl 51, Al Wasl
Top-ranked comfort Japanese
A
Jun's · Downtown Dubai
Modern Asian-American storytelling
A
3Fils · Jumeirah Fishing Harbour
The best value fine food in Dubai

Biryani

Full biryani guide →

S
Khadak · Business Bay
The fancy biryani actually worth it
S
Pak Liyari · Meena Bazaar (Al Fahidi Street)
The best cheap mutton biryani
A
Ravi Restaurant · Al Satwa
The tourist-famous Satwa institution
A
Jaffer Bhai's Delhi Darbar · Karama + Naif, Deira
Rich Mumbai-style dum biryani
A
Gazebo · Karama + Deira
Mughlai dum-pukht, sit-down
A
Calicut Paragon · Karama + Al Barsha
Kerala Malabar biryani
A
Student Biryani · Karama + Al Nahda + Deira
Nostalgic Karachi-style, cheap

Breakfast

Full breakfast guide →

S
21grams · Umm Suqeim (Jumeirah)
The all-day cafe breakfast with a Michelin nod
S
Arabian Tea House · Al Fahidi (Old Dubai)
The iconic Emirati breakfast spread
A
LOWE · Al Barari
A grown-up seasonal breakfast
A
Josette · DIFC
French pastries and a proper coffee
A
The Sum of Us · Trade Centre
The benchmark homegrown cafe breakfast
A
The Espresso Lab · Dubai Design District
Serious specialty coffee

Mall Dining

Full mall dining guide →

A
Din Tai Fung · Lower Ground, Waterfront Atrium
The best-value proper meal in the mall
A
Cipriani Dolci · Fashion Avenue
Polished classic Italian
A
Gia · Fashion Avenue (fountain terrace)
A fountain-view lunch worth the markup
A
OPSO · Fashion Avenue
Modern Greek with a view

Marina Dining

Full marina dining guide →

S
Row on 45 · Grosvenor House, 45th floor
The one world-class occasion
A
Indego by Vineet · Grosvenor House
Refined modern Indian
A
City Social · Grosvenor House tower
A grown-up tower-view dinner
A
Atelier M · Pier 7, 7th floor
A rooftop dinner that delivers

Mall of the Emirates Dining

Full mall of the emirates dining guide →

A
XU · Kempinski Hotel, Level 2
The one destination meal here
A
Din Tai Fung · Level 2, near VOX Cinemas
The best-value proper meal
A
Cipriani Dolci · Fashion Dome, under the glass dome
Polished Italian and a Bellini

Festival City Dining

Full festival city dining guide →

A
Pierre's TT · InterContinental, Creek-facing
The one destination meal here
A
Al Fanar · Festival Bay, waterfront
Proper Emirati food by the Creek

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