The great thing about living in or visiting Dubai is that dining out is never an ordinary affair. What’s more, Arabs and Middle Easterners, or those who simply love the region’s cuisine, have an advantage due to the extra fresh ingredients at the restaurants serving such food. With so many options, choosing where to enjoy an Iftar can seem overwhelming, so we’ve made things a bit easier by detailing what three of the best Arabic-themed restaurants have to offer you. Whether you’re fasting or just want a genuine Iftar experience, they should be at the top of your must-try list.
Local Flavours at Seven Sands
Ramadan festivities are in full swing at Seven Sands. The restaurant that serves Emirati cuisine with a contemporary twist at The Beach, JBR, is presenting an opportunity for Dubai residents or visitors to unwind and get together with great company while enjoying a tastefully prepared Iftar buffet. Guests can head over any day of the week to revel in some culinary treasures from the seven emirates. The even better news is the specially curated menus change every week, so lovers of Emirati food are bound to see some of their favourite dishes throughout the Holy Month.
Once the sun has gone down, guests can start to sample all the local beverages like qamar aldin (prepared from dried apricot sheets) and jallab (diluted syrup made of grape molasses, dates and rose water), as well as all the appetising starters, signature main courses and exciting desserts on display. Heart-warming dishes include Chicken Margougah, a flavourful succulent Bedouin dish, Harees, a local wheat and fresh veal delight, and Lamb Thereed, a traditional slow-cooked stew native to the Emirates. Last but not least, there’s a selection of desserts, including the restaurant’s signature Seven Sands Date Pudding, to add a sweet ending to your homegrown culinary journey.
Al Mayass Dubai’s Lebanese-Armenian Specialties
Lebanese – Armenian cuisine devotees will want to head over to Almayass Dubai during Ramadan to enjoy the special menu that awaits. The restaurant chain, which includes a charming old villa in Beirut with other branches in the Middle East and New York, opened its latest venue at Sofitel, Downtown Dubai. And the relaxed interior provides the ideal spot in which to sit back and enjoy a memorable Iftar.
The Ramadan menu includes aromatic soups and delicious cold and hot appetisers. Once those are sampled, there’s an array of main dishes, including marinated and slow-cooked lamb, mixed grills, yogurt-based Kibbeh bi Laban and Mughrabieh (the Lebanese equivalent to couscous cooked with broth and chicken). Refreshing fresh fruits and delicious Oriental sweets complete the Iftar experience at the Alexandrian family-run eatery.
An Authentic Lebanese Experience At ENAB
To celebrate their first Ramadan season, ENAB Dubai is offering a fittingly special Iftar menu. The Lebanese eatery, which is situated in City Walk, has a homey feel with its quirky art and beautifully designed tiles, making it the perfect spot to spend a leisurely meal with loved ones.
One of the fundamentals of tasting authentic delights from the small country surrounded by the Mediterranean is starting off with the traditional mezze. And of course ENAB is offering an endless assortment of hot and cold dishes, including traditional Ramadan staples such as Fatouche salad and lentil soup. Two main dishes and a mixed grill are also part of the extensive menu. Plus, there are live stations serving Saj (round flat bread baked on a domed or convex metal griddle), Foul (cumin-infused fava beans) and Balila (flavourful chickpeas). And of course, there are the customary desserts that come with Iftars.
What’s more, guests can become familiar with Lebanese culture and have some family fun via traditional card games and backgammon. To top off the experience, there’s a shisha lounge on the next floor.
