4 Best Restaurants in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

It's hard to experience genuine Arabic food and ambience in the depths of the Dubai summer, but this sprawling air-conditioned and covered courtyard works a treat. It sits at the center of a modern underground souk, an incongruously classy oasis in the midst of the flamboyant pyramids that make up Wafi Mall. There are marble floors and fonts, trickling water features, roses, shisha pipes, filtered natural light, and enormous authentic Arabic ovens delivering freshly baked khubz bread and kebabs. The menu provides an excellent spectrum of Persian, Gulf and Mediterranean dishes, but it's also a lovely place to sit with a couple of baklava morsels and a Moroccan mint tea. No alcohol served.

If you want an inexpensive feed oozing with local flavor, this heaving establishment is the place to go. Authentic Emirati food might be elusive, but the locals themselves admit to a love of Levant cuisine, and Aroos is often where you'll find them. Either sit out on the terrace with the fans or in with the a/c, and order from mezze, including some of the classics dips like hummus, muhummara, and moutabel, and then try sambousek, falafel, and fatayer for some hot nibbles. For mains, dig into their famous kebabs with a side of exotic Arabic salad, then finish up with sticky baklawa or belly-warming umm ali. Just watch your ordering—there is a plethora of tempting options and staff are prone to overestimate needs. 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.

Positioned a short walk from Umm Suqueim seashore, Surf Cafe is always packed with smiling patrons refueling after some serious beach activity. Sand on your shoes is not a prerequisite though, and you'll also find school mums enjoying a veggie breakfast, travelers chowing down one of the only good steaks in Dubai for under 150 dirhams, and families heading in for some kid-friendly yet healthy food. Offerings include a range of burgers, salads, and sushi, great coffee and smoothies, and plenty of superfoods for those who need more than starch and caffeine. The atmosphere is clean, wholesome and lively, and service friendly, if a little slow during busy hours. No alcohol served.