The return of Dubai Food Festival is loaded with exciting food suspects this time. From the curious hidden gems to highly-acclaimed Michelin restaurants, all are plating up a spread of global cuisines that will leave you wanting for more. We pick the top 7 for you.
A renewed wave of gourmet frenzy took over the United Arab Emirates when the first-ever Michelin Guide finally debuted in Dubai last year, becoming the Michelin gateway to the rest of the Middle East. Over 65 restaurants in the city were awarded for their exceptional culinary métier. Continuing this conversation, the 10th edition of Dubai Food Festival is all set to return in 2023 and lucky for you, the dates for the much-awaited event where food reigns supreme are now out.
From 21st April to 7th May, Dubai Food Festival will bring to the table a fun roster of pop-ups, special cooking showcases, chef’s tables and immersive food-led experiences that will engage the visitors throughout the 17 days of the culinary fiesta. Several global and homegrown restaurants will also be a part of the festival, giving epicureans a peek into Dubai’s best food picks.
We chalk out 7 top restaurants that you must drop by to during Dubai Food Festival and taste the gastronomic marvel of the city first hand.
The Instagram star – She Burger, Dubai
She Burger is one of the hottest burger joints in Dubai with a massive following on Instagram, too! So make sure to jump on the wagon and visit it during Dubai Food Festival. She Burger is local, delicious and a perfect treasure spot for its founder Shaikha Eissa al Lutfi’s secret recipes from her kitchen. Don’t just stop at gorging on its bestselling, cheese-dripping chicken, angus beef and wagyu burgers laden with droolworthy sauces, cross the extra mile and try the Indomie noodle bowl, salads, mac n cheese, messy fries, punchy mocktails, classic cheesecake among other options.
Award-winning – 3 Fils, Dubai
Until a few years ago, 3 Fils had always been one of the hidden gems in Dubai. But last year, when The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ first edition for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region awarded 3 Fils the top spot on the list, it was a game changing moment. The outlet at the Jumeirah Fishing Harbour makes for a must visit during Dubai Food Festival, where you can expect a top-notch fare strongly influenced by Japan summed up into a compact and no-fuss menu – from premium wagyu, sushi variety and signatures like spicy b**f tartare with pickled lime, yellotail tuna kampachi tataki, 72-hour lamb ribs and more.
Award-winning – Tresind, Dubai
Indian food but nothing like how you may have known it before – at the one Michelin-star Trèsind take a step into the world of India’s regional recipes reimagined with dollops of creativity and style. Tucked inside the Arabian Court at One&Only Royal Mirage, a luxury beach resort in Dubai, Trèsind’s menu is chef Himanshu Saini’s product of imagination that offers chef’s tasting specials, lunch set menu and a la carte featuring unique takes on Indian food; think Arugula pani puri, Paan cotton candy, modernist khicdi paired with thrilling gastronomic presentations.
Award-winning – II Borro Tuscan Bistro, Dubai
With a number eleven spot on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants MENA edition, II Borro Tuscan Borro is the restaurant of any gourmand’s dreams who likes the best of modern and heritage, both. A brainchild of fashion mogul Salvatore Ferragamo’s son Ferrucio Ferragamo, this Dubai restaurant borrows influences from its historic wine estate outpost in Tuscany. The food II Borro Tuscan Bistro is organic, sophisticated and authentically Italian, where you’ll discover traditional recipes like homemade pastas and potato gnocchi, pumpkin tortellini, crostini, lemon-dressed artichoke salad, pappa al pomodoro, all of which bring Tuscan to Dubai.
Award-winning – LOWE, Dubai
Fun facts first. LOWE in Dubai was titled the Most Sustainable Restaurant in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants MENA list. Their secret? The food is cooked naturally over fire and the menu includes stellar recipes made with would-be waste or leftovers making it a zero-waste eatery of its kind. With its open kitchen setup of charcoal grill, rotisserie and wood-fired oven, all we can think of is its rustic yet exquisite offerings like Burnt aubergine dip with seaweed za’atar, Leaf wrap with raw fish, shiso, tomato jelly and saffron mayonnaise, Spinach tagliatelle and House aged beef with celery bearnaise and smoked shallots and more such recipes that surprise the palate.
Hidden gem – Fifth Flavour, Dubai
Fifth Flavour at Ripe market in Umm Suqeim might be a new player in Dubai’s famous food arena, but they certainly know what they bring to the table. Launched in 2021, the folks at Fifth Flavour take the fifth taste of umami, besides sweet, salty, sour and bitter, seriously. Head to the outlet this Dubai Food Festival for their highlight Asian-style dishes like Bao’ger, a quirky fusion of bao and burger, chicken or b**f katsu, some Kamote, sweet potato fries layered with cane sugar syrup and yuzu kosho mayo, and the bestselling fifth tacos.
Hidden gem – Padi Village, Dubai
Padi Village in Business Bay, the mixed-use district perched along the Dubai Canal is a potpourri of Southeast Asian cuisines and if your palate appreciates variety, then this is it! Inside this minimal but colourfully setup restaurant, trace the flavours of Indian, Thai, Chinese, Indonesian and Malay food with their menu serving dishes like chicken wontons, shrimp gyoza, spicy fried rice, nasi lemak, Singaporean fish head curry, sweet steamed paos with coconut jam filling, alongside specialty drinks like spiced ginger refresher and red date longan.
Read more:
Chef Himanshu Saini’s 14-course menu at Tresind reimagines modern Indian cuisine