Dubai guide · Where to eat
Places to eat in Dubai, with what to order and how comfortable each is for families and older travellers.
Updated
Few cities outside India are as easy for Indian vegetarians. Karama and Bur Dubai have long-established pure-veg restaurants, and they are often the first stop for visiting elders. MyGovinda's in Karama cooks sattvic food with no onion or garlic and says it will prepare Jain dishes; Rasoi Ghar opposite BurJuman serves Gujarati and Rajasthani thalis; and Kamat in Business Bay is the most convenient for Downtown hotels.
Jain families need to ask each time. Very few restaurants publicly confirm that they avoid root vegetables, so say "no onion, no garlic, no potato, no root vegetables" when you order, and repeat it for each dish. Hotels can often arrange Jain meals if you ask well ahead. Note that 'vegetarian' on an international menu may still include egg, so ask if that matters. For vegans, SEVA Table, Planet Terra and Vegan Burger at the Dubai Mall have fully plant-based menus. Indian kitchens tend to cook with ghee and curd, so ask.
At the top end, Trèsind Studio and Jamavar serve Indian fine dining, and Avatara offers a vegetarian tasting menu. Alcohol is served only in licensed venues, mostly in hotels, and many Indian restaurants do not serve it. During Ramadan, check rules about eating in public, though restaurants continue to operate. Listing a restaurant here is not a guarantee: menus change, so confirm with the kitchen on the day.
Menus and kitchens change. If you follow a strict diet or have an allergy, confirm with the restaurant before you order.
Dubai Festival City, near Dubai Creek
A family-run Emirati restaurant, opened in 2011, that cooks from old family recipes in rooms styled after the UAE of the 1960s. The Dubai Festival City branch suits a relaxed lunch with the family.
Al Mankhool Road, Bur Dubai
A family-run Iranian kebab house in Al Mankhool, Bur Dubai, open since 1978 according to two guides. A meat-led place for chelo kebab, with little for vegetarians.
Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, Bur Dubai
An Emirati restaurant and cafe that says it has served traditional Arabic, halal food since 1997, with its original branch in the Al Fahidi historic quarter. A gentle, culture-led meal for a day around Bur Dubai.
Business Park 1, Dubai Hills Estate
A Michelin-starred Indian tasting-menu restaurant in Dubai Hills that describes itself as entirely vegetarian and is reported to cook without onion or garlic. It is a special-occasion booking, not a family dinner.
Ground-floor corner in Karama, Bur Dubai; nearest metro ADCB
A South Indian vegetarian restaurant on a ground-floor corner in Karama, serving dosa, idli, vada, uttapam and an unlimited thali. One review site describes it as 100% pure vegetarian.
Old 32B Street, Fishing Harbour 2, Umm Suqeim 2
A simple seafood restaurant by the Umm Suqeim fishing harbour that grew from a roadside shack, known for masala-fried fish and prawns with rice or paratha. Seafood only, so not for vegetarians.
Karama, near Mabrooka Building
An Indian street-food restaurant in Karama, listed by World of Mouth for chaat including pani puri. Good for a light, snack-style stop; ask staff which items suit your diet.
Rasis Business Centre, Mashreq Road, Al Barsha 1
A vegetarian, vegan and Jain-friendly Pan-Asian cafe in Al Barsha, with dips made in-house, dim sum and a separate vegan menu.
Meena Bazaar, Bur Dubai
A Gujarati restaurant in Meena Bazaar, Bur Dubai, that one roundup calls a vegetarian gem. Dhokla, khamani and a fasting-day thali make it useful for families who follow vrat.
Oud Metha, Bur Dubai side
A Gujarati snack and breakfast restaurant in Oud Metha that one food roundup says has served the local community for over 37 years. Fafda-style savouries, dhokla and thepla make it a light stop away from the Karama crowds.
Wasl Topaz, Shop 13, 7B Street, next to Urban Roots, Al Karama
A vegetarian Indian restaurant in Wasl Topaz, Al Karama, mixing South Indian street food, Indian-Chinese dishes and Punjabi cooking in one menu.
Address Residences Dubai Opera, Downtown Dubai
A Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in the Opera District, with palace-inspired interiors and an à la carte menu of regional dishes. It is easier to book and more flexible than the tasting-menu restaurants.
Executive Towers G, Bay Avenue, Business Bay
A long-running vegetarian chain with an extensive menu of North Indian, South Indian and Indo-Chinese dishes. The Business Bay branch is a practical choice for families staying around Downtown.
Near BurJuman Mall, Al Karama
A Karama thali restaurant near BurJuman Mall whose roundup entry describes an all-vegetarian menu with vegan-friendly options, built on dal, kadhi and khichdi.
Ground level, A Block, Hamsah Mall, next to Ansar Gallery, Al Karama
A vegetarian thali restaurant in Hamsah Mall, Karama, known for a rotating unlimited Rajasthani and Gujarati thali. Its own site advertises 30 days of different menus.
Opposite BurJuman Centre, Al Karama
A small Karama restaurant opposite BurJuman Centre that sells a vegetarian thali alongside chicken, mutton and fish combos, so it suits mixed-diet groups.
Burjuman Centre Street 4A, behind Regent Palace Hotel, Al Karama
A home-grown UAE restaurant that has served pure vegetarian sattvic food since 2001, with its first branch in Karama. It is the most reassuring first stop for Jain and strict-vegetarian families in Dubai.
Jumeirah 1 (D92)
A casual Syrian bistro at D92 in Jumeirah 1, named by World of Mouth for vegetarian-friendly dining and in a further guide seen only in search results. Ask about meat-free dishes.
Panorama Building, Street 6, The Greens
A home-grown vegan, all-organic restaurant in The Greens, serving plant-based mains, desserts, coffee and cold-pressed juices. It is most useful for vegans staying around Marina or Media City.
Zainal Mohebi Plaza, opposite BurJuman, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Road
A vegetarian Indian restaurant opposite BurJuman that is best known for a large Gujarati and Rajasthani thali, served in stages. It is the place for a homely, filling lunch.
Al Dhiyafa Road, Satwa, Old Dubai
A long-running Pakistani restaurant in Satwa, Old Dubai, named by three independent food guides for cheap, quick, generous meals. Best for meat-eaters, with dal worth asking about for vegetarians.
Villa 5/1B, 27B Street, off Jumeirah Beach Road, Jumeirah 1
A long-standing plant-based café in a villa on Jumeirah Beach Road, serving organic, gluten-free food in a quiet garden setting. It is the most relaxed vegan option in the older part of the coast.
Branches include Al Karama and Meena Bazaar
A South Indian restaurant chain with several Dubai branches, including Karama and Meena Bazaar, listed by Khaleej Times for its rice, sambar, rasam and filter coffee meals.
Al Khaleej Street, Bur Dubai
A dhaba-style Kathiyawadi restaurant on Al Khaleej Street in Bur Dubai, listed for bajra rotlo with ghee, Gujarati dal rice, sev tameta and methi thepla.
Bur Dubai
A vegetarian Indian restaurant in Bur Dubai, listed by Property Finder for thalis and dishes such as Shahi Paneer Pasanda. A sensible pick for vegetarian families staying near the Creek.
St. Regis Gardens, Entrance B, Palm Jumeirah
A three-Michelin-star Indian tasting-menu restaurant at St. Regis Gardens on Palm Jumeirah, and the first Indian restaurant in the world to reach that rating. It is a very expensive, heavily sought-after booking.
Lower Ground Floor, The Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai
A plant-based burger outlet on the Dubai Mall's lower ground floor, with vegan burgers, fries, salads and drinks. It is a quick, no-questions meal for vegans in the middle of a long mall day.
Meena Bazaar, Bur Dubai
A vegan and Jain Indian restaurant in Meena Bazaar, Bur Dubai, named by Property Finder for dosas, chole bhature and pav bhaji. Useful for vegetarian and Jain travellers.
Saabrin Building, Shop 6, Al Mina Street, Mankhool, Bur Dubai
A family-owned Indian vegetarian restaurant on Al Mina Street, Bur Dubai, serving Udupi and Mangalorean-style South Indian dishes with some Jain options listed.
Gold Souq area, Deira
A Gujarati street-food restaurant near the Gold Souq in Deira, named in a roundup for fafda-jalebi made in pure desi ghee, bajra rotlo, thepla and chaats.
