2 Best Restaurants in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

For some grassroots Middle Eastern cuisine without jumping too far out of the box, Al Hallab is perfect. Their pedigree is supreme—more than 100 years of making sweets in Lebanon, and then a foray into savory meals shortly before a very successful expansion all over the region. The Garhoud branch is one of the originals, and serves up excellent quality Levant food every day in plush Arabic surrounds (look out for "grandma's" daily specials and hummus fatteh in particular). Essentially, it's clean, comfortable, and authentic, with plenty of Western options for those who like to keep it simple. There's no alcohol, but a wide range of excellent juices and traditional Middle Eastern beverages. Also look for Downtown and Mall of the Emirates branches. No alcohol served.

We couldn't talk about the beach without mentioning ice cream, and Milkcow has the best available along the JBR stretch. This South Korean chain only serves organic soft-serve ice cream, but they top it with incredible stuff like candy floss with sea salt, pistachio syrup with cashew clusters, and oozing natural honeycomb. They also have some cakes (including gluten free options), milk shakes, tea, and coffee. It's located up the north end of The Walk at JBR, a little stroll from the public beach, but well worth the extra distance. No alcohol served.