If you've had a running list of Dubai restaurants you keep meaning to try but haven't because the bill always gives you pause - May 1 is your moment.
Dubai Restaurant Week is back for 2026, running from May 1 to 17, and this year's edition is the biggest it's been since the event launched. Over 125 restaurants. More than 25 cuisines. Seventeen days. Two prices: AED 125 for a two-course lunch, AED 250 for a three-course dinner. That's it.
The format is deliberately simple and that's what makes it work. These aren't stripped-down tasting portions or promotional menus designed to clear stock. The restaurants are required to serve menus built around their signature dishes, meaning you're getting a proper read of what a kitchen actually does, just at a price point that makes booking easier than talking yourself out of it.
We've gone through the full list, picked the ones worth your time across different budgets and food styles, and put together everything you need to know before you book.
What Is Dubai Restaurant Week, and How Does It Work?
Dubai Restaurant Week is part of the wider Dubai Food Festival, organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE). It started with 30 restaurants and has grown to 125+ - which tells you something about how seriously the F&B industry here takes it.
The format is fixed and consistent across every participating venue:
- Lunch: Two courses for AED 125 per person
- Dinner: Three courses for AED 250 per person
Drinks, service charges, and VAT are separate unless stated otherwise on a specific restaurant's menu — always worth checking when you book.
New for 2026: All bookings run exclusively through Careem DineOut. Download the app, find the restaurant, check availability, confirm. No phone calls, no waiting for someone to email you back. The fully digital system also means popular slots at high-demand restaurants will fill up fast - book early in the first week rather than leaving it to the last few days.
The Restaurants Actually Worth Booking
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With 125 options it's easy to scroll into decision paralysis. Here's how we'd cut the list.
For the Splurge That Doesn't Feel Like One
Zuma - The Japanese izakaya that's been a Dubai institution for years. The Restaurant Week menu gives you access to a kitchen that consistently hits its mark for robata grilling and Japanese dishes executed with real discipline. At AED 250 for three courses at Zuma, you're paying about a third of what a standard dinner would cost.
GAIA - Greek-Mediterranean fine dining in DIFC with some of the best produce-led cooking in the city. It has a deserved reputation and usually requires planning weeks ahead. Restaurant Week is the window.
At.mosphere - Yes, it's at the top of the Burj Khalifa. Yes, the view is the point. But the food here is genuinely good, not just passable-for-the-altitude good. At AED 250 for a three-course dinner 122 floors up, this is one of the more obvious Restaurant Week wins.
L'Atelier Robuchon - Joel Robuchon's atelier concept, counter dining, exceptional technique. This is the Michelin-starred venue in the lineup. Book immediately.
For the Serious Foodie
REIF Japanese Kushiyaki - One of Dubai's most consistently excellent Japanese restaurants, known for their kushiyaki (skewered grilled dishes). Neighbourhood in feel, world-class in execution.
Mimi Kakushi - Japanese-inspired modern Asian dining with a speakeasy atmosphere. The food is inventive without being gimmicky.
Hutong - Northern Chinese cuisine done seriously. Peking duck, dim sum, spiced lamb, executed in a setting that matches the food.
Amazónico - Latin American with an Amazon-inspired interior that you either love or find a bit much. The food, though, is excellent, ceviche, grilled meats, Brazilian-influenced dishes. Worth it.
COYA - Peruvian fine dining with a loyal following. The tiradito and the ceviche at COYA are consistently among the best in the city. Restaurant Week makes a dinner there accessible in a way it usually isn't.
For Something Different
Gerbou - This is the Emirati entry on the list and it's worth paying attention to. A modern take on Emirati hospitality and cuisine, the kind of meal that gives you more context for the city you're eating in than most restaurants here ever do. If you're visiting Dubai and want one meal that's actually about the place, this is it.
Girl & The Goose - Central American flavours from chef Gabriela Chamorro. This is one of Dubai's more interesting homegrown stories, genuinely different cuisine, a clear point of view, and an increasingly strong reputation. Restaurant Week is the right time to try it if you haven't.
Lola Taberna Española - Spanish tapas done properly. Jamon, tortilla, croquetas, the kind of wine list that rewards ordering by the glass. Relaxed, noisy in the right way, consistently good.
Avli by Tashas - Greek-Mediterranean from the Tashas group. Excellent for lunch - the two-course AED 125 option here is one of the better value propositions on the entire list.
For Convenience (Neighbourhoods)
One thing worth doing is picking your restaurants by neighbourhood rather than trying to cross the city between bookings. A few clusters worth knowing:
Downtown / Dubai Mall area: At.mosphere, CÉ LA VI, Thiptara (Thai, waterfront on the Burj Lake), Cetara (Italian at Address Downtown)
DIFC: La Petite Maison, GAIA, City Social, Hutong, Lola Taberna Española, L'Atelier Robuchon - DIFC is probably the densest concentration of good Restaurant Week options in the city. One lunch and one dinner here over the same day is a solid strategy.
Palm Jumeirah / JBR: Nobu by the Beach, Nuska Beach, Canary Beach — beach-adjacent dining with the same AED 250 dinner format
Jumeirah / Madinat: Pierchic (seafood on a pier, one of Dubai's more visually striking settings), Eauzone, 11 Woodfire
How to Get the Most Out of Restaurant Week
Book the first week, not the last. The best time slots at the better restaurants go early. Week one (May 1–7) has the freshest availability. Don't wait until May 15 and wonder why Saturday dinner at Zuma isn't available.
Lunch is the underrated move. AED 125 for two courses at a restaurant that normally costs AED 300–400 per person for a main alone is genuinely excellent value. If you're working in Dubai during the week, this is the window to actually use your lunch hour well.
Weekdays are better than weekends. Less crowded, staff are less stretched, and the experience is usually smoother. If you can book a Tuesday or Wednesday dinner, do it.
Check what's included before you sit down. Some restaurants include water, some don't. Soft drinks and alcohol are almost never included. Service charge (typically 10%) and VAT (5%) will be added on top of the AED 125 or AED 250. Budget AED 150–165 for lunch all-in with a soft drink, and AED 290–320 for dinner. Still good value, just worth knowing.
Use Careem DineOut properly. Filter by cuisine, area, and meal type. The full list of 125+ restaurants is in the app. Book two or three in advance for the two weeks rather than deciding day-by-day - the calendar fills up fast.
Our Picks at a Glance
Best splurge: L'Atelier Robuchon (Michelin-starred, dinner AED 250) Best view: At.mosphere, Burj Khalifa (dinner AED 250) Best for a proper foodie: REIF Japanese Kushiyaki or COYA Best homegrown: Gerbou (Emirati) or Girl & The Goose (Central American) Best lunch deal: GAIA or Avli by Tashas (AED 125, two courses) Best neighbourhood cluster: DIFC - multiple top picks within walking distance
Dubai Restaurant Week is one of those events that sounds better than it actually is - until you've been. Then it becomes the thing you put in the calendar every May. Seventeen days, 125+ restaurants, two prices. Book something this week.
Already sorted your Restaurant Week plans? If you're looking for where to stay while you eat your way through the city, check out our Best Areas to Stay in Dubai 2026 guide to find the right base for your neighbourhood.
