Traditional Middle Eastern cuisine consists of the staples 'fuul', made from broad beans flavoured with lemon juice, garlic and spices; and 'felafel', which is fried chick pea paste and lamb or chicken served in pita bread and sold as 'shwarma'.

Houmos is a widely available local speciality and tastes delightfully different from the westernised mayonnaise emulsion version. Of course, it is very easy to find all the old favourites in this cosmopolitan city: pizzas, pasta, steak, salads, shellfish platters, Indian cuisine and fast-food burger bars, but the country's traditional dishes are well worth sampling. Fresh produce stalls in the souks contain an extraordinary variety of highly exotic, colourful fruit, begging to be tried. In Dubai, alcohol is only available in restaurants and the more expensive hotels.

Al Dawaar
Hyatt Regency Dubai, PO Box 5588, Dubai
Tel: +971 4 209 1234 | Fax: +971 4 209 1000

Miyako
Hyatt Regency Dubai, PO Box 5588, Dubai
Tel: +971 4 209 1234 | Fax: +971 4 209 1000

Tahiti
Metropolitan Palace Hotel, Al-Maktoum Street, PO Box 56262, Dubai
Tel: +971 4 227 0000 | Fax: +971 4 227 9993

La Moda
InterContinental Dubai, Bin Yas Street, PO Box 476, Dubai
Tel: +971 4 222 7171 | Fax: +971 4 228 4777

Minato
InterContinental Dubai, Bin Yas Street, PO Box 476, Dubai
Tel: +971 4 222 7171 | Fax: +971 4 228 4777

Shabestan
InterContinental Dubai, Bin Yas Street, PO Box 476, Dubai
Tel: +971 4 222 7171 | Fax: +971 4 228 4777

Fish Market
InterContinental Dubai, Bin Yas Street, PO Box 476, Dubai
Tel: +971 4 222 7171 | Fax: +971 4 228 4777

La Parrilla
Jumeirah Beach Hotel, PO Box 11416, Dubai
Tel: +971 4 348 0000 | Fax: +971 4 348 2273

Sphinx
The Pyramids, Wafi City, Bur Dubai
Tel: +971 4 324 9603

La Cucina
J W Marriott Hotel, Abu Baker Al-Siddique Road, Dubai
Tel: +971 4 262 4444 | Fax: +971 4 262 6264