The 9 Best Emirati Restaurants in Dubai (2026)

Updated November 2026 · 9 picks

The best Emirati restaurants in Dubai in 2026 are Al Fanar, Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant, Arabian Tea House, Logma and Gerbou. Al Khayma is a Michelin Bib Gourmand and Al Fanar's Al Seef branch is in the Michelin Guide Dubai 2026. For a guided meal with an Emirati host, book a cultural breakfast or rooftop dinner at the SMCCU in Al Fahidi.

Emirati food is built on rice, slow-cooked meat and seafood, spiced with loomi (dried lime), saffron and bezar, and finished with date syrup and luqaimat. The best places to try it cluster in the Al Fahidi and Al Seef heritage districts on the Bur Dubai side of the Creek, with newer, design-led takes in Dubai Mall, Nad Al Sheba and Dubai Design District.

Most of these restaurants are alcohol-free. Dishes worth ordering include machboos (spiced rice with lamb or chicken), harees, balaleet (sweet vermicelli with an omelette), chebab (Emirati pancakes) and karak tea. See also the best restaurants in Dubai, the best brunches and the best cafes.

1. Al Fanar Seafood Market Al Seef — Al Seef

Emirati seafood on the Creek terrace, Michelin Guide-selected.

$$ Mid-range

Al Fanar's Al Seef branch focuses on Emirati seafood in the heritage district on Dubai Creek, open from 1:00 to 10:30 PM daily according to the restaurant's site. The website notes that Al Seef is part of the Michelin Guide Dubai 2026 selection.

Al Fanar has served Emirati food since 2011 and also runs branches at Dubai Festival City and Al Barsha Pond Park.

Good to know: Book a Creek-side terrace table through the website, especially on weekends.

Al Seef Street, Al Seef, Bur Dubai, Dubai, UAE

Google Maps Website

2. Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant — Al Fahidi

Michelin Bib Gourmand for home-style Emirati food in Bastakiya.

$$ Mid-range

Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant serves Emirati dishes in the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. Michelin lists it as a Bib Gourmand in the Dubai 2026 guide, and it won the Michelin Service Award in the 2025 edition.

Dishes commonly recommended include chebab, baidh wa tamat (eggs with tomato), dango and balaleet, plus the Emirati breakfast tray.

Good to know: Come for breakfast or lunch and combine it with a walk through the Al Fahidi lanes.

Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, Al Mussallah Road, Bur Dubai, Dubai, UAE

Google Maps

3. Arabian Tea House Al Fahidi — Al Fahidi

Courtyard cafe in Bastakiya known for machboos and qahwa.

$$ Mid-range

Arabian Tea House sits in a restored house in the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood (Bastakiya), opposite the Musalla Post Office. Guides recommend the laham machboos and Arabic coffee served in a courtyard setting.

The brand's website lists several Dubai branches, so make sure you book the Al Fahidi one for the heritage setting.

Good to know: Reserve through the website, particularly for lunch and weekends.

Bastakiya, Opposite Musalla Post Office, Al Fahidi Street, Bur Dubai, Dubai, UAE

Google Maps Website

4. SMCCU (Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding) — Al Fahidi

Guided Emirati breakfast or rooftop dinner with a local host.

$$ Mid-range

The SMCCU's cultural meals are sit-down experiences in an Al Fahidi house, with an Emirati host explaining customs. Its website lists a 1.5-hour Emirati breakfast on floor cushions in the courtyard, with Arabic coffee, dates and dessert, and a Dinner Under the Stars on the rooftop.

The centre's motto is Open Doors. Open Minds., and the meals double as a primer on Emirati culture.

Good to know: Book through the form on the website or by WhatsApp. The office is open Monday to Sunday, 8 AM to 8 PM, and prices are not listed online.

House 26, Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, Al Musallah Street, Bur Dubai, Dubai, UAE

Google Maps Website

5. Logma — The Dubai Mall

Contemporary Emirati and Middle Eastern cooking over the fountains.

$$ Mid-range

Logma describes itself as a contemporary Middle Eastern restaurant, born in Dubai in 2015, with a terrace overlooking the Dubai Fountain. It serves breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, and its Logma Benedict and khameer sandwiches are often recommended.

It sits on Level 3 of Fashion Avenue in The Dubai Mall.

Good to know: Request a terrace table for the fountain views, and book for the evening shows.

Level 3, Fashion Avenue, The Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai, Dubai, UAE

Google Maps Website

6. Gerbou — Nad Al Sheba

Emirati fine dining in a renovated Nad Al Sheba villa.

$$$ Upmarket

Gerbou is owned by the art and design studio Tashkeel and sits in an old Nad Al Sheba 1 villa. Its menu reworks Emirati dishes such as harees, thareed and margooga, and breakfast includes balaleet and omelettes with Akkawi cheese.

Its site lists weekday breakfast from 7:00 to 11:00 AM and weekend breakfast from 8:00 AM to noon.

Good to know: Reserve through the website. Some plates are designed by Sheikha Lateefa bint Maktoum, so look at the crockery.

Street 20, off Nad Al Sheba Road, Nad Al Sheba 1, Dubai, UAE

Google Maps Website

7. SMAT — Dubai Design District

Emirati breakfast and karak French toast in D3.

$$ Mid-range

SMAT is a resto-cafe in Dubai Design District Building 10, billed as Emirati and more. Its menu includes balaleet, chebab, karak French toast and luqaimat.

Its website lists breakfast daily from 7:30 AM, which makes it a good morning stop near Business Bay and Downtown.

Good to know: Go for breakfast. It also works as a co-working cafe, so weekday mornings are busy with D3 workers.

Building 10, Dubai Design District (d3), Dubai, UAE

Google Maps Website

8. Al Fanar Restaurant & Cafe Dubai Festival City — Dubai Festival City

Al Fanar's full menu inside Dubai Festival City Mall.

$$ Mid-range

The Dubai Festival City branch is inside the mall near the waterfront promenade and open from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily, according to the website. It serves the full Al Fanar menu, including the raqaq, khameer and chebab with cheese and date syrup that guides single out.

The dining room recreates the UAE of the 1960s.

Good to know: A convenient lunch stop on a Festival City shopping trip; hours are longer than at the Al Seef branch.

Dubai Festival City Mall, near the waterfront promenade, Dubai Festival City, Dubai, UAE

Google Maps Website

9. Arabian Tea House Mercato Mall — Jumeirah

An easier Jumeirah branch for Emirati breakfast and karak.

$$ Mid-range

Arabian Tea House's website lists a branch in Mercato Shopping Mall on Jumeirah Beach Road, for Emirati cafe dishes and tea. It is a practical option if you are on the Jumeirah side of the city rather than in Bur Dubai.

The Al Fahidi branch has the heritage setting, but this one is closer to hotels along the coast.

Good to know: Use the reservation page on the brand's website to book.

Mercato Shopping Mall, Jumeirah Beach Road, Jumeirah 1, Dubai, UAE

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Emirati restaurant in Dubai?

Al Fanar and Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant are the most consistent picks. Al Khayma is a Michelin Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide Dubai 2026, and Al Fanar's Al Seef branch is a Michelin Guide Dubai 2026 selection, according to its website.

What Emirati dishes should I try?

Start with machboos, harees and balaleet. Chebab (Emirati pancakes) with cheese and date syrup is a common breakfast, and luqaimat (fried dough balls with date syrup) is the standard dessert.

Do Emirati restaurants in Dubai serve alcohol?

Generally no. Heritage restaurants in Al Fahidi and Al Seef focus on food, Arabic coffee and karak tea rather than alcohol.

How much does Emirati food cost in Dubai?

Most places here fall in the $$ band, roughly AED 100 to 250 per person. Gerbou, which describes itself as Emirati fine dining, costs more, and the SMCCU sets prices for its cultural meals separately.

Where can I eat Emirati food in a traditional setting?

The Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood (Bastakiya) has Arabian Tea House, Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant and the SMCCU, all within walking distance of each other. Al Seef offers Creek views and heritage architecture.

Do I need to book?

Book Al Fanar, Gerbou and the SMCCU, which takes bookings through a form on its website. Arabian Tea House and Al Khayma are easier on weekdays.

1. Al Fanar Seafood Market Al Seef — Al Seef

2. Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant — Al Fahidi

3. Arabian Tea House Al Fahidi — Al Fahidi

4. SMCCU (Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding) — Al Fahidi

5. Logma — The Dubai Mall

6. Gerbou — Nad Al Sheba

7. SMAT — Dubai Design District

8. Al Fanar Restaurant & Cafe Dubai Festival City — Dubai Festival City

9. Arabian Tea House Mercato Mall — Jumeirah

Frequently asked questions

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