Discover the best new places to eat in Dubai right now and prepare to update your weekend dining plans
Cocina Tres
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Cocina Tres at Pullman Dubai Downtown in Business Bay is a coastal Mexican restaurant. Inside, rustic textures and a ceviche bar set the tone while chefs from Mexico lead a menu rooted in traditional techniques. Tortillas are made fresh daily using a custom molino and imported Oaxacan corn, alongside wood fired dishes and share plates such as Baja fish tacos, smoky fideo seco with prawns and pescado zarandeado cooked whole over fire and finished in red adobo. The drinks menu features artisanal concoctions, frozen options and house infused beverages.
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Barrafina
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Barrafina, London’s cult-favourite Michelin-starred tapas bar, has made its international debut in DIFC, Dubai. Known for its counter dining and chef-led service, the Spanish restaurant serves small plates, including croquetas, grilled prawns, and tortilla, all prepared fresh in an open kitchen that captures the energy of the original Soho location.
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Window
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Window, the new restaurant from FYTE Hospitality, the team behind Kokoro, has opened in Alserkal Avenue. Led by Chef Gonzalo Platero, the 32-seat space is built around live-fire cooking, with ember-charred vegetables, grilled meats and smoke-driven dishes developed over a year of testing and refining.
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VNTG Grape & Cheese Society
VNTG Grape & Cheese Society is now open at JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai, bringing together grape, artisan cheese, and chef-led pairings. Inspired by a European enoteca, VNTG in Business Bay offers a new laid-back, social space with both indoor and outdoor seating, featuring a curated, evolving grape list, shareable dishes, and a strong focus on quality cheese. The beverage list features over 350 labels, with more than 55 available by the glass, alongside daily sommelier-selected grape flights for guided tasting. The menu by Chef Tom Allen is built for pairing but stands on its own, with dishes like mussels in white grape and seaweed butter, chicken pie with roast chicken sauce, and smoked roasted cauliflower. Desserts include apple tarte tatin, lemon tart, and sticky toffee pudding.
4pm–2am (Monday-Thursday) and 12pm–2am (Friday-Sunday). Visit website or Instagram.
La Famiglia Dubai
La Famiglia Dubai, the new Italian restaurant in Dubai Sports City, brings the soul of family cooking to a modern, welcoming setting. The menu features fresh, seasonal ingredients with handmade pasta, wood-fired pizzas, seafood, and hearty meat dishes, from vibrant antipasti and salads to risottos, daily-catch seafood, and signature pizzas such as avocado with caviar. Breakfast, pastries, and desserts such as tiramisu and homemade gelato further add to the authentic Italian experience.
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Paris Paradis
Paris Paradis at Taj Dubai, Business Bay, brings the legendary Paris cabaret experience to Dubai with an immersive dinner and show concept. The new show LOVE BY PARADIS, choreographed by Kamel Ouali, features singers, dancers, and performers in couture costumes by On Aura Tout Vu. With Parisian-inspired interiors in deep reds and gold accents and a striking SICIS tiger mosaic, the venue pairs a French-Mediterranean menu by Chef Zouhair Bouhlal, including Rossini Wagyu and Truffle Carpaccio.
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Lion in the Sun
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Perched on the 62nd floor of Mandarin Oriental Downtown, this restaurant combines the spirit of “Out of Africa” with contemporary Mediterranean cuisine, featuring open-fire dishes like Wagyu rib-eye, grilled lobster, and king crab. The intimate space, with warm terracotta tones, wooden ceilings, and soft lighting, opens onto an alfresco terrace and Moon Bar with stunning 360-degree views of the Dubai skyline.
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