Discover the top 10 street food spots in Dubai

Tucked away on Al Muraqqabat Road in Deira is the city's best Palestinian falafel and hummus spot. No ordinary dry brown-bellied falafels here, the fryers at Sultan Falafel churn out moist, vibrant green falafels loaded with parsley, coriander and dill. The fresh-baked puffy pita (khubz) from its sister restaurant next door is the perfect excuse to play sandwich artist. Order some accompaniments: slow cooked fava beans (foul), chilli sauce (shatta), pickles, deep-fried eggplant and cauliflower. Finally, add some velvety hummus splashed with a zesty green pepper and lemon sauce (tatbeela). The pros know to use their fork to smash and smear the falafels inside the pita pocket before adding all the other ingredients. 

Deep in the lanes of Meena Bazaar is a Punjabi chicken tikka spot that has been a firm favourite of the local Indian community since the '70s. Sind Punjab threads the juiciest skewers of marinated chicken and cooks them over charcoal until smoky and delicious. No one ever left Sind Punjab without a round of some of its other signature favourites – creamy butter chicken and spicy chana (chickpea) masala mopped up with a stack of flaky laccha parathas. Grab a lassi (yoghurt-based drink) or try the fresh-pressed sugarcane juice with a squeeze of lime to drown out the spice.

This old-school Indian vegetarian restaurant in Karama may be a little light on ambiance, but Indian families who know their chaat (street food) will swear by the pani puri here. These one-bite globes (puri) of crunchy dough are filled with mung beans, spicy chili water (pani), and sweet date and tamarind chutney. The entire liquid-filled puri has to be popped into your mouth all at once, and regulars can polish off multiple plates of this explosive sweet-spicy-tart snack within record time. Other favourites include the spicy puffed rice with raw mangoes and chutney (bhel), a tangy potato and peanut bun (dabeli), and sweetened webbed tubes of fried dough (jalebi).

The tiny Afghani/Pakistani bakeries dotted across Old Dubai churn out piping hot breads that are a worthy companion to a spicy lentil stew. They can even be enjoyed solo, out on the street by the blazing ovens. This closet-sized bakery in Deira's Hor Al Anz has two kinds of ovens – a pizza-style one to make tender, flat and pliable rotis and a cylindrical tanoor oven to make more crunchy, chewy, bubbly breads. But I recommend the stuffed bread, shaped like a stocking and slapped against the hot walls of the oven until it gets puffy and golden. Try the savoury one with cream cheese and za'atar, or the sweet kind with sticky honey and cheese (be careful, the honey gets scalding hot!).

You’ll find this place bustling with Ethiopian diners – an excellent sign for a restaurant that serves authentic Ethiopian fare in Deira's Abu Hail area. Al Habasha is owned by the effervescent Sara, who sources choice ingredients like butter and traditional fermented bread (injera) from her home country. Try the fiery red chicken stew (doro wat). It’s the Ethiopian national dish and is ladled directly over the fermented spongy injera. Served without cutlery, the traditional way is to eat with your right hand, using the bread to scoop up juicy bits of food without staining your fingers (a rare feat). There are plentiful options for vegetarians as Ethiopians have many 'fasting days' – and the misir (lentils) and shiro (stew of chickpea powder) are particularly delicious. The food tends to be quite spicy but you can order in some cooling aib (homemade cottage cheese) to dull the fire, or ask for the alitcha (mild or more literally, 'coward') version of stews. While dessert has no place in traditional Ethiopian cuisine, enjoy a post-meal coffee ceremony complete with incense, charming mini-cups, a perky black brew and the Ethiopian coffee snack of choice – popcorn!