Taste global cuisine in Dubai at these restaurants

Founded by fitness and nutrition professional Gbemi Giwa, Catfish’s West African cuisine manages to hit all the boxes of joyful, authentic, satisfying – and yes, even healthy. Catfish’s presentation is unpretentious and its menu is relatively small, but diners rave about its jollof rice and the Dancing Waist featuring sticky and tangy peri peri chicken, as well as its great vegan dishes. Enjoy Catfish’s Nigerian-influenced dishes in-person at Jumeirah Lakes Towers or Arjan Dubailand, or order delivery throughout most of New Dubai via Careem’s delivery service – and try these fantastic African dishes for yourself.

Smorrebrod are traditional Scandinavian open-faced sandwiches, and Dubai’s Smorrebrod restaurant, with branches near Dubai Butterfly Garden and in Al Quoz,  serves them up alongside a wide variety of other Nordic nibbles. Enjoy toppings including smoked salmon, shrimp, roast beef, cheese, falafel, pickled or fried fish and many more, served on delicious rye bread. Smorrebrod also offers Scandinavian stews and soups, along with pasta dishes – but the highlight for many will be the Swedish fika, or coffee and cakes, with brownies, almond tarts and cinnamon buns available, and beautifully presented. And yes, they do have meatballs: choose from Swedish or Danish.

Explore the flavours of Central Asia at Osh, located in the beachside La Mer development. The restaurant prides itself on the authenticity of its Uzbek dishes, not altering the traditional recipes – but presenting them in a modern way. Enjoy Uzbek vegetables including tomatoes and cucumbers, either pickled or fresh, along with dishes such as shurpa, a traditional Uzbek lamb soup, or khinkali dumplings. The main event is Osh’s range of Uzbek plov (think pilaf) dishes, famous for bringing out the flavours of the ingredients, including the special Uzbek rice Osh uses.

Hidden away on a side street in Al Karama, just around the corner from BurJuman, Zagol has a steady stream of hungry visitors. This is thanks to its reputation as one of the best Ethiopian restaurants in Dubai; it serves up traditional stews, grilled and slow-cooked meat, and a great range of vegetarian dishes – all accompanied by injera, the flatbread which serves as table, cutlery and starchy accompaniment all in one. Ethiopian food has a habit of converting those who try it for the first time, so make sure you return to get your next delicious helping.

 Originally from the Kenyan capital Nairobi, Hashmi Barbeque blends Indian flavours with east African grilling and barbecue techniques. The result is a menu packed with dishes which would be right at home in any northern Indian restaurant, such as chicken, fish or paneer tikka, lamb chops, chili-lemon prawns and more – all featuring Hashmi Barbeque’s special twist. This popular Al Barsha restaurant doesn’t take bookings, so you might wait for a table at peak times – but it’s sure to be worth it. Alternatively order for delivery or collection, and enjoy Hashmi’s fusion at home.

With its large Filipino population, Dubai boasts a lot of restaurants from the archipelago – but Hot Palayok in Al Karama is often cited as one of the best. Head there any evening for a sumptuous buffet, offering favourites such as batchoy, stir-fried kangkong, totsong bangus, vermicelli crab, barbequed chicken, honey-lemon shrimp and more. Hot Palayok also offers dishes from across the rest of Asia, including sushi, beef kare kare and Thai green curry. Make sure to leave room for the sweets, with delicacies such as buko pandan and maja blanca regularly on offer.

Offering authentic cuisines from across South-East Asia, including Thai, Vietnamese, Malay, Singaporean, Burmese and more, Innlay Asia can show you all around the region from the comfort of its site in Jumeirah Lakes Towers. Enjoy kyay ohe, a noodle soup from Myanmar, Singapore-style chili crab, Malaysian dry chicken curry and the universally popular crispy duck. There’s also tomyum and luksa soup, Malay char kway teow noodles, and delicate Vietnamese spring rolls. Desserts include traditional Myanmar pancakes and chilled sago pudding from Malaysia.

Just over the road from BurJuman shopping mall, Rasoi Ghar is an institution in Dubai’s vegetarian dining scene – and a great place to explore how delicious meat-free meals can be. The restaurant specialises in thali-style meals offering a little of everything, with a different theme for every day of the week. Enjoy unlimited starters, then the staff will bring small samples of each dish available that day, and you can choose your favourites. Rasoi Ghar also has a great dessert selection, and altogether should be enough to satisfy even the most ardent of meat eaters.

On the outside it’s just a restaurant in Al Ghurair Centre. On the inside, Romantic Baka is a slice of Korea, complete with jaunty K-pop tunes, fun décor, soft drinks served in Korean tea kettles – and of course, absolutely authentic Korean food. The highlight is the Korean barbeque, where you can cook your meat directly over an open grill, getting it exactly as tender (or as well-done) as you like. Romantic Baka’s atmosphere is also a one-off experience in Dubai, with the highly enthusiastic staff ready to help you out with anything – and prepared to burst into their signature birthday song at a moment’s notice.

Occupying a prime Creekside position in the redeveloped Al Seef district, Chokhi Dhani has a self-appointed mission to serve the finest authentic Rajasthani food in Dubai. Originating in north-west India, Rajasthani cuisine has a focus on pulses, daal and tandoor dishes, with rich flavours and luxurious textures – and plenty for vegetarians to enjoy as well. Try the maharani thali for a one-meal tour of Rajasthan, or Chokhi Dhani’s acclaimed Rajasthani Kadhi, a yoghurt-based curry with a sumptuous texture, deeply flavoured with garlic, cumin and chili.