General Information » Culture & Lifestyle » Food & Drink

You can literally eat your way around the world in Dubai – it is home to every cuisine imaginable, from European and American to Indian and Asian. Not only can you feast on exotic cuisines in the city's numerous five-star outlets, but you can also find cheaper options (but no less delicious) at the many street cafes and independent restaurants. Of course, if your tastes are less adventurous, you'll also find all the great fastfood outlets - MacDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King - they're all here.

A popular dining-out option is the 'all you can eat and drink' nights, which can be found at many of the top hotels. You can select a range of delectable goodies from huge international buffets and live cooking stations, as well as wash it down with unlimited house beverages, all for one inclusive price. See the Going Out section for more information.

In terms of food shopping, the mix of nationalities is once again advantageous – supermarkets tend to stock a range of products from around the world to keep their multi-national client base happy. Spinneys tends to stock more British products, Safestway stocks more American products, and Choithrams has a mix of both. Carrefour and Geant are so huge that they stock products from just about everywhere. Fruit and vegetables are imported from around the world, and so can be a bit more expensive than buying local produce. There is some local produce available, but it is mainly cucumbers, tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes, green peppers and potatoes, and these items are extremely cheap. For a more colourful food-buying experience, head for the fruit and vegetable souk (map ref XXX), where you can buy vast quantities of various fruits and vegetables at low prices. The fish souk is also worth a trip – not only will you find a seemingly unlimited range of fresh fish and seafood at low prices, you'll also come to truly appreciate what is meant by 'a strong, fishy smell'!



Arabic Cuisine

It won't be long after you arrive in Dubai that you'll be able to recognise the smell of a street-side shawarma stand before you've even seen it. And on your first trip back to your home country you may find yourself craving the distinctive Arabic cuisine that is so easily available throughout Dubai. Most of the Arabic food available here is based predominantly on Lebanese cuisine. Common dishes are shawarmas (lamb or chicken carved from a spit and served in a pita bread with salad and tahina), falafel (mashed chickpeas and sesame seeds, rolled into balls and deep fried), hummus (a creamy dip made from chickpeas and olive oil), and tabbouleh (finely chopp...