If you want to sample some of Dubai’s cheapest and best ethnic cooking, hit the backstreets of Deira, and eat beside the working-class expat workers who’ve imported their culinary traditions to Dubai.
The following recommendations are for adventurous travelers. At first glance, some might look scary – Westerners don’t usually wander into these joints – but we’ve sampled all of them, and they’re the real deal.
In a city that embraces artificiality, it’s refreshing to find authenticity. Best of all, you’ll probably get change from your Dh50 note. No credit cards.
Ashwaq Cafeteria (Sikkat al-Khail St) Located in a prime people-watching spot at the junction of Al-Soor and Sikkat al-Khail Sts, this is not much more than a kiosk with a few outside tables serving up excellent shwarma, washed down with a fresh mango juice.
Ashwaq Cafeteria - Deira Dubai
Abesinian Restaurant (Somali St, near 23 St junction; mains Dh12-35; h10am-midnight) The staff are welcoming and warm at this homey Ethiopian restaurant, where the big platters of curry and stews are best sopped up with injera, spongy flatbread of native grain. Tricky to find but worth it.
Afghan Khorasan Kebab House (behind Naif Mosque, off Deira St; mains Dh15-35; h11am-1am) Big hunks of meat – lamb, beef, chicken – charred on foot-long skewers come served with rice and bread. Eat with your hands, but not if you opt for the Afghan curry. Tricky to find but locals can direct you.
Afghan Khorasan Kebab House - Deira Dubai
Al-Baghdadi Home (Al-Mateena St, opposite Dubai Palm Hotel; mains Dh30- 60; hnoon-3am) In Little Iraq, on one of Dubai’s best, lesser-known walking streets, Al-Baghdadi spit roasts whole fish beside an open fire (the traditional preparation) in the restaurant’s window, and serves it with bread and lentil salad. (Note: Don’t order randomly – patchaa is sheep’s head.)
Aroos Damascus (Al-Muraqqabat Rd, at Al-Jazeira St; mains Dh10-30; h7am- 3am; c) Syrian food is similar to Lebanese, but uses more cumin in the fattoosh and spice in the kebabs. Our favourite dish is arayees (Syrian bread stuffed with ground lamb and grilled). The sweetness of the bread plays off the gamey flavour of the meat. Great tabouli, fantastic fresh-from-the oven bread, huge outdoor patio and cool flickering neon.
Aroos Damascus Restaurant - Deira Dubai
Pinoy Grill (Al-Rigga Rd, at Al-Jazeira St; dishes Dh15-30; hnoon-2am Sat-Thu, 1pm-2am Fri; c) A friendly and welcoming intro to the weird, wonderful world of Filipino cuisine, which borrows from Spanish, Indonesian and French, mixing pungent ingredients, such as garlic and chillies, in sweet and savoury combinations not always tastebud-friendly to foreigners. But the menu is in English, and the super-fun staff will guide you.
Source: Dubai & Abu Dhabi 7 Book by Lonely Planet