Skip to main content
Gate8 GLOBAL 🇦🇪Your destinationDubai▾
Home› Dubai›Food

Dubai Food — What to Eat and What It Costs

From $2 street shawarma to Michelin-starred towers — what to eat and what it costs.

Dubai's food scene runs from $2-4 shawarma wraps in Deira to $200+ tasting menus with a Burj Khalifa view — genuinely one of the most diverse food cities on Earth, reflecting a population that's roughly 85% expatriate. Halal is the default almost everywhere, which makes dietary planning easy. Don't miss: shawarma, mixed grill, karak chai, and a Friday brunch (an all-you-can-eat-and-drink weekend institution unique to the Gulf).

Because Dubai's population is overwhelmingly expatriate — Emiratis are a genuine minority in their own city — the food scene reflects basically the entire world: excellent Lebanese, Indian, Filipino, Iranian, and Pakistani food sit a few blocks from three-Michelin-star towers. Here's what to actually order and what it costs, in a city that can empty your wallet as fast or as slowly as you let it.

Dubai Food: What to Eat and What It Costs
Food

Dubai Food: What to Eat and What It Costs

From $2 shawarma to Michelin-starred towers, and everything worth trying between.

Questions people actually ask

Is Dubai food expensive?
It can be, but doesn't have to be — a full meal in Old Dubai (Deira, Bur Dubai) runs $3-8, while a nice sit-down dinner in a newer district or hotel runs $25-60 per person, and the very top tier (celebrity-chef towers, Michelin-starred rooms) runs $100-250+.
What is a Dubai Friday brunch?
A weekend institution across the Gulf: a multi-hour, all-you-can-eat (and often all-you-can-drink) buffet at a hotel or restaurant, typically Friday afternoons, running roughly $50-150+ per person depending on the venue's tier.
Is it easy to eat vegetarian, vegan, or halal in Dubai?
Very easy. Halal is the default at the overwhelming majority of restaurants, so it barely needs asking about. Vegetarian and vegan options are genuinely strong thanks to the large South Asian population and its cuisine — look for 'pure veg' Indian restaurants for the widest vegan-friendly menus.