Cuisine In Dubai

Dubai is home to every type of cuisine imaginable, from European to American and Indian to Asian, which is great for anyone wishing to purchase property in Dubai.

Many of the restaurants favoured by foreigners are five star options located in hotels and alcohol is served with your meal at a high price. Other excellent outlets also exist within the city but, in line with the local culture and Muslim religion, alcohol is not available in these local restaurants. Fast food chains also abound in Dubai and you can find the likes of McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut and Burger King on many street corners.

The mix of nationalities in the city also means the supermarkets tend to stock a wide range of products from around the world. Fruit and vegetables often need to be imported so can be quite expensive from supermarkets, while locally grown cucumbers, tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes, green peppers and potatoes can be bought for lower prices at the bustling fruit and vegetable souk. The fish market is also worth a visit and offers a huge range of fresh fish, along with an authentic local atmosphere.

Arabic Cuisine

Widely available in the Emirate, most of the Arabic food in Dubai is based on Lebanese cuisine. Common dishes are shawarmas (carved lamb or chicken carved from a spit and tucked into pita bread with salad and tahina), falafel (mashed chick peas and sesame seeds rolled into balls and deep fried), hummus (creamy chick pea and tahina dip) and tabbouleh (buckwheat mixed with parsley and mint). Most Arabic restaurants offer a good selection of fresh fruit juices to accompany the meal.

Emirati Cuisine

Local Emirati food blends ingredients imported from around Asia and the Middle East. Characteristic spices include cinnamon, saffron and turmeric, along with almonds, pistachios, limes and dried fruit. Dried limes are common in Emirati cuisine and reflect a Persian influence, giving dishes a distinctive tangy flavour.

Pork

Pork is difficult to come by in Dubai as it is taboo in Islamic culture and for this reason it is the priciest meat available. Should a restaurant offer pork, it would need to be kept in a separate fridge and prepared with separate utensils and equipment than the rest of the foodstuffs. Even supermarkets need to sell pork in a completely separate area from other meats.

Alcohol

Akin to pork, alcohol is also forbidden by the Muslim culture but it is available at a high price in licensed outlets such as hotel restaurants and bars, as well as in some leisure clubs such as golf and other sporting clubs.