Street Food in Dubai: What to Eat & Where to Try It

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When it comes to food, Dubai is perhaps best known for its lavish hotel buffets, boozy brunches, and Michelin-starred restaurants, but where the city’s culinary scene really shines is on its streets and in its humble restaurants. Wander around the more “authentic” areas of Old Dubai – like Deira, Karama, or Satwa – and not only will you find some of the best street food in Dubai but some of the very best food in the whole city!

As a city comprised largely of expats hailing from all around the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and beyond, you’ll find cuisines from around the world being prepared on the streets of Dubai. From Iranian kebabs and Palestinian knafeh to Emirati rigag, Lebanese shawarmas, Ethiopian beyaynetu, Chinese dumplings, and Filipino halo-halo, it’s possible to eat around the world while wandering around Dubai.

Famous Street Foods in Dubai

If you’re on the prowl for some seriously good Dubai street food, here are a few of the many must-try dishes!

All the shawarma

When it comes to street food in Dubai, shawarma is a dish you’d have to try really hard to miss. You’ll see street food stands and restaurants shaving thin slices of expertly spiced meat (chicken, beef, or lamb) off of a spit, loading them onto freshly baked saj or pita bread, and topping the whole thing off with garlic sauce, pickles, and even french fries before wrapping it all up.

This Middle Eastern dish may not originate from the UAE, but spend a little time here, and you’d never know it!

Where to try it: Shawarma is ubiquitous in Dubai. But if you find yourself near the Gold Souk in Deira, Ashwaq Cafeteria is always buzzing with customers chowing down on shawarmas. Over in the Al Barsha neighborhood, Al Mashawi Al Halabya is famous for its shawarmas and other Syrian delights.

Manakish

Manakish (aka manakeesh, manaeesh, etc.) are delicious flatbreads hailing from the Levant region. And they are found everywhere in Dubai.

You’ll usually find manakish topped with za’atar, cheese, lebneh, or bits of meat – or some combination thereof. Although you will find different, less traditional versions at restaurants around the city, with toppings ranging from muhammara (a mixture of roasted red peppers, walnuts, and breadcrumbs) to hot dogs.

Where to try it: You can’t go wrong with the za’atar and cheese combo at Al Mallah in Satwa or the famous Akkawi cheese manaeesh at Al Mukhtar Bakery in Al Barsha. But wherever you can find it, this is definitely a must-eat Dubai street food.

Rigag

Rigag or regag is an Emirati dish that’s made from paper-thin rigag bread. The rigag is prepared like a crepe over a piping hot circular pan and topped with ingredients of your choice before being folded over into a triangle. Most places serve it with eggs, cheese, and honey – or a combination of these ingredients – but you’ll find places adding things like Nutella or Lotus, too.

Where to try it: But if you want to try this Dubai street food the way the locals do, seek out Al Labeeb Grocery in Jumeirah. This place prepares it with eggs, cheese, Chips Oman, and hot sauce or fish sauce. Chips Oman are a huge thing in the UAE, and there’s nothing quite like having them crushed up in their bag and poured onto your fresh rigag!

All things Indian

Indian food plays a huge role in the UAE’s food scene, so don’t be surprised when you see deep-fried Indian snacks, delicious dosas, and fragrant curries wherever you go – from the delis in grocery stores to casual cafeterias to upscale restaurants.

Where to try it: If you’ve got a craving for Indian food and you’re on the prowl for cheap eats in Dubai, head over to Meena Bazaar in Bur Dubai, and you’ll find vendors and no-frills restaurants slinging out fresh samosas, pakoras, dosas, curries, and more for super affordable prices. Food by Punjabi Restaurant is a popular choice for their Punjabi-style dishes, but there are also loads of pure vegetarian options in Satwa, too.

Insider tip: When you’re traveling in the UAE and you see a sign reading “cafeteria,” there will be loads of cheap Indian snacks for you to choose from.

Hummus

Hummus is another ubiquitous street food in Dubai and you’ll find it everywhere, from modest streetside stalls to high-end restaurants. Because this dish is so popular in the Middle East, you’ll find it prepared in a variety of ways in Dubai.

One of the best versions is Hummus Beiruti, which is prepared with garlic, lemon juice, herbs, and spices. But you can also get your hummus topped with lamb, beef, or chicken, or go vegetarian with the addition of pomegranates, pine nuts, or foul (fava beans). And of course there are always going to be creative flavors ranging from beetroot and jalapeño to red pepper and pesto.

Where to try it: For a taste of “authentic Palestinian street food,” try the Palestinian Hummus (and everything else) at Mama’esh!

Cold mezze

So cold mezze is a range of dips and spreads that all make up some of the most famous foods in Dubai. While you can expect lots of hummus in Dubai, you’d be remiss if you didn’t try a few other mezze dishes or just order a mezze platter – you won’t be disappointed! Mezze is also an excellent option if you’re looking for vegetarian food in Dubai.

Some of the most common mezzes are:

• Mutabbal: Roasted aubergine with tahini, garlic, and lemon.
• Baba ghanoush: Not to be mistaken for mutabbal, baba ghanoush is made with smoked eggplant, tomato, parsley, pomegranate molasses, and olive oil.
• Muhammara: Walnut, roasted red pepper, breadcrumbs, and pomegranate molasses. It’s my favorite Dubai street food!
• Fattoush: Salad with tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, mint, crispy pita chips, and sumac dressing.
• Tabbouleh: A salad made with parsley, bulgar wheat, tomatoes, onion, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Falafel

If you see hummus or cold mezze on the menu, chances are that you’ll find falafel there, too, which is amazing because falafel and cold mezze are always a winning combination. You can find these deep-fried morsels of chickpeas, herbs, and spices being cooked fresh at street food stands all across Deira in Old Dubai.

Whether you prefer them al la carte, dipped in hummus or moutabal, or stuffed in a sandwich with tahini sauce, pickles, and veggies, it’s very easy to find falafel in Dubai.

Where to try it: I love getting falafel and cold mezze dishes from Falafel Frayha in Al Barsha. It may not be traditional, but along with their traditional falafel, they also make stuffed falafel with cheeses, meats, and a spicy mixture!

Kebabs

Kebabs are another Middle Eastern delicacy that is prepared differently all over the region. So, like most of the best street food in Dubai, expect to find a variety of kebabs all across the city.

At its most basic, a kebab is ground meat (lamb, chicken, or beef) marinated with a variety of spices before being packed onto a skewer and getting fired up over coals. But depending on which region the kebab recipe hails from, the results can vary wildly.

Where to try it: In Bur Dubai, go to Al Ustad Special Kebab near Meena Bazaar to sample Persian chicken and mutton kebabs, stop off at Sirali in Al Habtoor City for a spicy Turkish adana kebab, or visit Sind Punjab to try a Punjabi yogurt-marinated chicken tikka – you get the idea!

Knafeh

If you’ve never tried knafeh before, you’re in for a treat! Again, depending on where the recipe originated, you’ll find slight variations throughout Dubai. But generally, it is a sugar-syrup-soaked pastry filled with hot, gooey cheese and topped with ground-up pistachios.

Where to try it: Dubai locals have serious disagreements when it comes to where to find the city’s best. But if you want to try it for yourself, you can find a wonderful Nabulsi version at one of the many Feras Sweets branches throughout the UAE.

Karak chai tea

Remember those cafeterias I mentioned earlier? These are also where you’ll want to stop off to get a fast and affordable karak fix. Because once you try this delicious beverage, you’re going to want more! Karak chai is made by boiling milk, sugar, and black tea with cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger, and it’s part of daily existence here in Dubai.

Where to try it: You can easily get a steaming hot cup for just a few dirhams from cafeterias around Dubai. But you’ll find karak on the menu pretty much everywhere in this city, so there’s no excuse not to give it a try!

What’s your favorite street food in Dubai? Let me know in the comments below!