v256.0 · food + cuisine · AE · verified 2026-04
United Arab Emirates food + cuisine
Food + cuisine guide for United Arab Emirates — signature dishes, regional specialties, dining customs, street food, fine dining, alcohol, dietary considerations, ingredient availability, food safety, and recent culinary trends.
Cuisine overview
Bedouin Arab + Iranian + Indian + Levantine + Lebanese fusion · Multi-cultural expat population creates world-class diversity · Strong cosmopolitan Dubai fine-dining scene · Traditional Emirati cuisine grain + dates + camel + lamb based
Signature dishes
Machboos (spiced rice with meat — Emirati national dish) · Harees (wheat + meat porridge, Ramadan) · Thareed (bread + stew, Bedouin) · Madroubah (mashed chicken + rice) · Khuzi (whole-roasted lamb on rice) · Kebabs (Arabic + Persian) · Shawarma (Levantine, ubiquitous) · Manakish (Lebanese flatbread breakfast) · Luqaimat (sweet dumplings) · Aseedat al-bobar (pumpkin porridge)
Regional specialties
Abu Dhabi: traditional Emirati strongest (Mezlai, Asateer) · Dubai: international fine-dining global · Sharjah: traditional + Indian-influenced · Ras Al Khaimah: coastal seafood · Al Ain: traditional Bedouin · Liwa: dates + traditional desert food
Dining customs + street food
| Dining customs | Lunch 1-3pm, dinner 8-11pm · Ramadan: iftar after sunset, suhoor pre-dawn · Right hand for eating (Bedouin tradition) · Coffee (gahwa) + dates welcome ritual sacred · Shisha culture (cafes) · Tip 10-15% (sometimes service included) · No alcohol in public outside licensed venues |
| Street food | Shawarma stands everywhere · Manakish bakeries breakfast · Karak chai street stalls + cafes · Falafel stands · Indian-Emirati fusion (Bombay Chowpatty type stalls) · Lebanese sweets (knafeh) · Iranian/Persian fresh-baked sangak bread street · Camel-milk products (organic ice cream) |
Fine dining (Michelin + acclaimed)
UAE: 26 Michelin-starred restaurants Dubai 2024 (first Michelin Dubai Guide 2022) · STAY by Yannick Alléno (1-Michelin) · Trèsind Studio (1-Michelin Indian) · Tasca by José Avillez (1-Michelin Portuguese) · Hakkasan (Cantonese chain origin London) · Pierchic (Madinat Jumeirah seafood) · Bvlgari Restaurant (Niko Romito) · Nobu Atlantis · Asia de Cuba · Atelier M (Burj Khalifa) · Eddie Wu Sushi Saito-trained
Alcohol + beverages
Permitted in licensed hotels + venues (4-star+) and DFC + zone-restricted bars · Beer (international brands; Maisel + Frans served, no local) · Wine (Old World + New World imported) · Cocktails world-class scene · Alcohol-free option always available · Public-intoxication strict · Ramadan alcohol-service limited (until iftar in licensed venues)
Dietary considerations + ingredient availability
| Dietary considerations | Halal: 95%+ of restaurants halal (default) · Vegetarian: excellent (large Indian + Lebanese populations) · Vegan: growing in Dubai · Pork: clearly marked, sold in pork-shop sections of supermarkets for non-Muslim residents · Kosher: minimal historically, growing 2022+ with Israel-UAE Abraham Accords · Gluten-free: increasingly available |
| Ingredient availability | World-class for cosmopolitan city · Spinneys + Waitrose + Carrefour + LuLu · Almost any global ingredient available · Dubai imports premium quality at premium price · Camel-meat + dates + saffron + cardamom (Bedouin tradition) · Limited fresh-produce local (desert agriculture growing) |
| Food safety | Excellent · Strict food-safety regulations (Dubai Municipality, Abu Dhabi DOH) · Tap water safe though most prefer bottled · Imported food adheres to global standards · Restaurant grades (color-coded) displayed · No precautions needed |
Recent changes (2023-2026)
2024-25: Michelin Dubai Guide continuing expansion · Plant-based growth (Beyond + Lotus + Impossible) · Saudi-UAE-Egypt-Israel-Bahrain new food corridors · Kosher restaurants in Dubai + Abu Dhabi post-Abraham · Camel-milk products commercializing globally (Camelicious Dubai) · Some traditional Emirati restaurants gentrification concerns
Source: official United Arab Emirates tourism authority · Last verified 2026-04
See also: United Arab Emirates country profile · food atlas