The Best Food and Restaurants in Emirates Experience combine Emirati heritage, world-class fine dining, and vibrant street food across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. For Singapore travelers planning a UAE week, a 7 days UAE or complete UAE trip, this guide highlights must-try dishes, trusted restaurants, and practical tips to enjoy food safely and confidently, while subtly connecting your travel planning to long-term lifestyle and property decisions with Homejourney.
How food fits into your complete UAE trip (and Homejourney’s role)
This article is a focused cluster guide within Homejourney’s broader UAE tour and travel content, complementing our main pillar guide on the full Emirates experience UAE 7 Day Itinerary: Complete Emirates Experience | Homejourney Guide . While that pillar covers attractions, neighborhoods and trip planning, this cluster zooms in on where to eat, what to order, and how to plan a food-first Dubai Abu Dhabi week that is safe, value-conscious, and aligned with how Singapore travelers really move, spend, and think about lifestyle and property.
Homejourney’s real estate lens means we do more than list restaurants: we connect food districts to neighborhoods, rental or investment potential, and day-to-day convenience, so that repeat visitors, expats, and investors can see how a dining experience today could become a lifestyle or property decision tomorrow.
Destination overview: Emirates Experience for Singapore food lovers
Why visit the Emirates for food
Dubai and Abu Dhabi have evolved into serious global food cities, with everything from Emirati home cooking in restored heritage quarters to Michelin-starred tasting menus in luxury hotels.[4] For Singaporeans used to hawker centres and mall dining, the Emirates offers a similar convenience – many top spots cluster around malls, waterfront promenades, and integrated developments – but with a broader spread of Middle Eastern, Levantine and North African flavours.
In a single 7 days UAE itinerary, you can go from eating lamb machboos in Old Dubai to ceviche in Dubai Marina, then finish with a modern Middle Eastern tasting menu at a MENA’s 50 Best restaurant.[1][2][3] This breadth makes food a central pillar of any complete UAE trip.
Best time to visit for a food-focused UAE tour
- November to March: Cooler temperatures (often low 20s °C in the evening) make alfresco dining by the creek or the beach comfortable. Outdoor terraces at Dubai Marina, JBR, and Abu Dhabi Corniche are most pleasant then.
- Ramadan: Daytime dining is more restricted, but hotel restaurants still serve, and iftar buffets offer excellent value and a deep cultural experience. Book early for popular iftars in major hotels.
- Summer (June–August): Very hot outdoors, but indoor dining remains strong. This period can bring dining promotions and hotel deals, which budget-conscious Singapore travelers often use to upgrade to higher-end restaurants.
Getting there and currency basics (from Singapore)
From Singapore, nonstop flights to Dubai with Emirates or Singapore Airlines take about 7 hours, with multiple daily departures. Many travelers then connect by road to Abu Dhabi (about 1.5 hours by private transfer or intercity bus) for a smooth Dubai Abu Dhabi week split.
The local currency is the UAE dirham (AED), which is pegged to the US dollar. As a rough guide, 1 AED is usually around 0.35–0.40 SGD, but rates vary. Many mid-range restaurant mains in Dubai run about AED 60–120 (roughly SGD 22–45), with casual shawarma or manakish from AED 10–25 (around SGD 4–9).
Homejourney supports multi-currency browsing and comparisons, so if you later explore Singapore property while based in the UAE or vice versa, you can easily translate AED budgets into SGD across listings and mortgage estimates Bank Rates Property Search .
Must-try food and restaurant areas in a Dubai Abu Dhabi week
1. Old Dubai & Creekside: Emirati and regional heritage
If it is your first UAE tour, start with Old Dubai around Al Fahidi / Bastakiya and Dubai Creek. Seek out Arabian Tea House in Bastakiya, often cited by local food writers as one of the few places to find solid Emirati fare in Dubai.[1] Go for breakfast platters with regag bread, grilled halloumi and lamb kebabs marinated with lumi (black lime), then stroll the narrow lanes and museums.
Insider tip from a Singapore traveler’s perspective: The vibe feels like a blend of Kampong Glam and Chinatown – walkable, historic, low-rise – but spread out enough that a 10–15 minute walk between cafes and museums is normal. Wear comfortable shoes and plan for slower, early morning walks before the heat builds.
2. Downtown Dubai & Dubai Mall: Iconic views, global dining
Near Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall, food is as much about atmosphere as about taste. Time Out Market Dubai in Souk Al Bahar curates around 17 of the city’s top homegrown concepts, with a terrace facing the fountains and Burj Khalifa.[1] This is a safe, efficient way to try multiple local brands in one place, useful if you are only in Dubai for part of your 7 days UAE itinerary.
Families who like the convenience of Singapore malls will find this format very familiar: clean, air-conditioned, many cuisines in one place, and app-based ordering so you can avoid queues. Prices here lean mid to upper-mid, similar to dining in premium malls like Jewel Changi or Marina Bay Sands.
3. Dubai Marina, JBR & Bluewaters: Seafront social dining
For relaxed evenings, Dubai Marina and JBR Walk are the closest equivalent to Singapore’s East Coast Park mixed with a lifestyle mall. Restaurants line the waterfront promenade, with plenty of outdoor tables in peak season.
- Alici (Bluewaters): Highly regarded Amalfi-inspired seafood with terrace views; locals recommend the anchovy dishes and sea urchin pasta.[1]
- JB’s Gastropub (Amwaj Rotana, JBR Walk): A casual spot praised by Dubai-based food writers for hearty pub classics like roast pork belly and Scotch eggs.[1]
- Bistro des Arts (Dubai Marina Mall promenade): A classic French bistro with escargots, steak tartare and crêpes Suzette, ideal if you want a European change from Middle Eastern food.[1]
Insider tip: From a property perspective, these areas are similar to staying in Singapore’s CBD fringe (Marina Bay or Tanjong Pagar) – lively, convenient, but premium-priced. If you enjoy this lifestyle, later exploring comparable waterfront and integrated developments in Singapore on Homejourney’s Projects Directory can help you benchmark rental yields and cost of living.
4. Jumeirah & Dubai Canal: Boutique and chef-led dining
Jumeirah’s villa districts and canal-front areas hide some of Dubai’s most interesting chef-driven restaurants:
- 3Fils (Jumeirah Fishing Harbour): Modern Japanese-influenced small plates with a casual harbour setting, frequently cited among the city’s best restaurants.[1][2]
- Brix Café: Nearby dessert-focused concept from the same restaurateurs, ideal for a sweet-focused stop.[1]
- Lana Lusa: A praised Portuguese restaurant at Four Seasons Residences by Dubai Canal, known for salted cod with scrambled eggs and matchstick fries.[1]
These venues sit in quieter, more residential pockets – analogous to Singapore’s Joo Chiat or River Valley – where food clusters give you a preview of day-to-day living beyond tourist hubs.
5. Design District & Modern Dubai: New-wave Middle Eastern and global cuisine
Dubai Design District (d3) and newer mixed-use areas showcase the city’s experimental side:
- Orfali Bros Bistro (Wasl 51/Jumeirah 1): A highly acclaimed Middle Eastern bistro with playful, Syrian-influenced dishes, topping regional lists such as MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants.[1][3]
- Jun’s (Downtown): Progressive fusion cuisine weaving Asian and North American influences, noted for accommodating diverse dietary requirements.[1][2]
- Mohalla (Design District): Indian street food elevated with contemporary plating – think papdi chaat and biryani in a sleek, lofty space.[2]
- Teible (Jameel Arts Centre): A fiercely local, seasonal restaurant that emphasises UAE-grown produce and lighter, plant-friendly dishes.[2]
These are the kinds of restaurants that food-focused travelers plan itineraries around, much like destination restaurants in Singapore’s Tanjong Pagar and Dempsey clusters. It is wise to book 1–2 weeks ahead for weekends.
