Dubai

Dubai has the best Indian food outside India, and most visitors never leave the hotel district to find it

The superlatives were true when Dubai deployed them – tallest building, largest mall, busiest airport – and they have become so repeated that they no longer register. The city has moved past them. Dubai in 2026 is a genuinely useful international hub with better food than its marketing suggests, one remarkable old neighbourhood that survived the development wave, and weather that is actively hostile from June to September. The gap between the city tourism boards promote and the city that actually exists is now smaller than the gap between what most international visitors experience and what a city resident or informed first-time visitor would experience.

The Burj Khalifa is 828 metres tall, has been the tallest structure on earth since it opened in 2010, and is worth seeing once from the observation decks. Level 124 (AED 169-519 depending on booking timing) gives views across the emirate in every direction: the Gulf to the west, the desert inland, the Palm Jumeirah offshore. Book online at burjkhalifa.ae – same-day walk-up prices are significantly higher. The Dubai Fountain in the lake at the building’s base shoots water 150 metres and operates every 30 minutes from 18:00 onwards. Watching from the waterfront boardwalk is free and perfectly adequate.

Al Fahidi and the Creek

Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood (also known as Bastakiya) is what Dubai looked like before oil. A cluster of late 19th and early 20th-century courtyard houses built by Persian and Indian merchants, with wind towers (barjeel) that channelled air down into the rooms below. The neighbourhood survived only because its demolition was delayed long enough for preservation to be reconsidered. Walk through on a weekday morning when the temperature is below 35 degrees. The Dubai Museum inside Al Fahidi Fort charges AED 3 and covers Dubai’s pre-oil history with straightforward honesty. An abra ride across the creek to Deira costs AED 1 per person.

In Deira, north of the creek: the Gold Souk has one of the highest concentrations of gold jewellery in the world, displayed in a covered market where the sheer density of the display is extraordinary even if you’re not buying. The Spice Souk next to it sells saffron, dried limes, frankincense, and incense in loose quantities. Haggling is normal – the first price is not the real price, and a counter at 40-50% of the initial quote is a reasonable starting point.

Food: The Real Argument for Dubai

Ravi Restaurant in Satwa, near Sheikh Zayed Road, has been open since 1978, operates cash-only until around 02:00, and serves Pakistani food to a consistent mix of Dubai residents, taxi drivers, and people who know better than to eat in hotel restaurants. A full meal costs AED 20-40. It is exactly what it presents itself as and it is excellent for it.

For Iranian food, Farsi Restaurant in Oud Metha does lamb shanks cooked slowly with saffron and rice with the crunchy tahdig layer properly done. For the highest end, Tresind Studio in DIFC has three Michelin stars and serves modern Indian cuisine with theatrical presentation – around AED 700-900 per person for the tasting menu. The pattern here is consistent: Dubai’s best food is South Asian and Middle Eastern, not the international hotel restaurant circuits.

The Desert Safari

Standard desert safaris depart 30 minutes from the city into the Margham dunes: dune bashing in a 4x4, sandboarding, camel riding, an evening at a Bedouin-style camp with buffet dinner. AED 100-300 per person. The dune bashing is legitimately exhilarating; the camp entertainment is theatrical rather than authentic. Platinum Heritage runs smaller-group safaris in vintage Land Rovers at higher prices and better execution. Most people enjoy a desert evening once.

Practical Notes

October through April is when Dubai is liveable. July and August are for people with serious air conditioning requirements and genuine tolerance for extreme heat. Alcohol is available in licensed hotel venues and certain restaurants; public intoxication is illegal and enforced. For accommodation: Rove Downtown near Dubai Mall is the best value option in the downtown area (AED 250-400 per night); Jumeirah Emirates Towers suits business travellers; the Armani Hotel inside the Burj Khalifa is the aspirational choice at AED 1,800-3,000.