There is no matter how expensive the Arab Emirates are, because you can find quite cheap food in the local restaurants in Dubai. The most popular and tasty Arab dishes are shawarma, falafel, and kebab. In this article I will share an example of the menu and prices in a typical Dubai restaurant
CONTECTS
How to find a cheap restaurant in Dubai? The best way is to look for a simple local restaurant for residents of the neighborhood, not for tourists. Food is much more expensive in tourist locations. Don’t look for a cheap place among the yachts in Dubai Marina or near the Burj Khalifa Tower.
🥙 Sample menu from an inexpensive restaurant in Dubai
We regularly visited an inexpensive restaurant near our hotel for eating. Here are pictures of the menu we shot there. The menu is typical of all budget restaurants in the UAE. You can see the choice of dishes and their prices in this example.
The cheapest prices for Indian cuisine. For instance, parota, a potato flatbread with various fillings, costs AED 5 ($1.3 US). The same price for 5pcs of samosas, a triangle filled with potatoes and spices (mostly curry).
Parota costs AED 5-8 depending on the filling.
There are many employees from Pakistan and India in the UAE. That’s why the cheap restaurants with Indian food and sixpenny prices are very popular. Try also noodles or chicken biryani (it’s rice with chicken in spices).
The price for these dishes is AED 10 for vegetarian and AED 12 for non-veg.
Local food
Of the traditional Middle Eastern foods, I suggest tasting shawarma, shish kebab, and falafel. They are very yummy!
The lowest price for a medium-size shawarma is AED 5, and it’s possible to take a combo with potato fries and drinks.
Fish dishes have been eaten in Dubai for a long time. Because the locals have lived by the sea for centuries. However, for good fish dishes, I advise you to go to respectable restaurants, where professional chefs prepare fresh seafood. In street cafes you can eat only fried fish in a batter. Not the best choice, I must say.
Fast Food prices
At the same time, American fast food such as burgers, sandwiches, and fries are available everywhere. You don’t even have to look for McDonald’s or KFC, because you can find all fast food in every local café, and it’s much cheaper there.
Burgers and fries from AED 10, while at KFC from AED 20.
The quality is basically the same, and the food is made from chicken and organic potatoes. There is not a big difference between local and global brands. So if you have to choose fast food, then choose an Arab restaurant.
By the way, it’s a good idea to buy fruit or vegetables for a snack. And I’ve already written in this article where to find proper stores and fruit markets in Dubai.
Of course, fruits in restaurants are more expensive. We prefer various fruit and vegetable smoothies. And children are happy to order milkshakes or ice cream with fruit.
Milkshake or ice cream is only AED 5-10 ($1.5-$2.5 US).
Also it is possible to buy some snacks: onion rings, fried potatoes, chicken nuggets or boiled corn on the cob.
I would like to note that the most popular dish, shawarma, is usually served after 4 p.m. Emiratis cook it according to the rules: in the morning the meat is marinated and wrapped in foil, in the afternoon chefs start frying it and just then the chicken is ready for the shawarma.
🥗 Conclusions: where to eat in Dubai cheap and tasty food
Firtsly, the cheapest food can be found in local eateries – from AED 5 ($ 1.3 US) per dish. Secondly, food for average prices is available at food courts in shopping malls. There are Italian cuisine (spaghetti, pizzas, risotto) or any other (Japanese, Korean, Continental etc), dishes costs from AED 25 ($7 US).
We bought two pizzas for AED 22.
In the grocery stores, the variety of products is limited. And there is no place to cook in the hotel. But buying groceries is convenient for those who book an apartment. Prices for food are reasonable in the UAE. I recommend LuLu Hypermarket and Carrefour, and not the small kiosks where everything is pricey.
