Dubai is a vibrant city in the Middle East, often referred to as the Las Vegas of the region due to its glitz and glamour. People from all over the world flock to the Mega-city year after year and many have made it their temporary or permanent home. With such cultural diversity, it is no wonder that the food variety here is endless. Among other cities in the Middle East, such as Tel Aviv (read my vegan Israel guide here), Dubai is also a paradise for vegans. As I am back living in the region again, I got the chance to explore many fantastic restaurants in the city and, same as in Israel, try all the different hummus variations they offer here. 😉
Vegan food is easy identifiable in Dubai as there is always a logo on the menu or on the items in the supermarket. Pretty much all restaurants have multiple vegan items on the menu, some even have a fully separate vegan menu. Then you also have many fantastic fully plant-based restaurants all over the city as well. Here are some of my favorite places in Dubai to get some mouth-watering vegan dishes:
Dubai Marina – Pier 7
Pier 7 is located in the heart of Dubai Marina and is home to six different restaurants. While they all serve fantastic food with great views of the Marina, my two favorites are Mama Zonia and Asia Asia. Mama Zonia serves food with a South American flair as well as sushi—both taste absolutely fantastic. Asia Asia has some of the best sushi in Dubai, especially if you look at the prices. They also have an all-you-can-eat Saturday brunch and if you let them know in advance you will get vegan dumplings, gyoza, sushi and more for a couple of hours including wine and the outstanding views of the Marina.
Lunch at Mama Zonia
The Palm Jumeirah – A cappella
While The Pointe at the tip of the famous Palm Jumeirah may be a super touristy spot, the restaurants there are all fantastic and the prices are fair. A capella is located on the upper floor and offers marvelous views of the Atlantis hotel and the colorful Palm Fountain show, where the water fountains dance to the music every night. A can’t-miss on a Dubai holiday. The restaurant serves Indian, Mexican, Italian, Middle Eastern and Japanese food among others with many vegetarian options. A great vegan option is the Chinese Kung Pao with cauliflower and peanuts. It’s a bit on the spicy side, so be careful. A nice cold beer on the side and you will have a lovely evening with outstanding views of the show.
Downtown – Al Hallab
Inside the biggest mall in the world are a bunch of great dining options. My favorite has to be Al Hallab though. Lebanese kitchen is my favorite food anyway—pair hummus and unlimited bread with prime views of the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountains and you got yourself a winner. Try to get a table outside on the terrace and enjoy your mezze while watching the fountain show that runs every night from 6pm onwards.
view from the terrace of Al Hallab
Al Hallab has four locations in Dubai, but the one in the Dubai Mall is the best thanks to the views of Dubai’s most famous attraction.
Baker’s Kitchen
I might be a bit biased here, as Baker’s Kitchen is right next to my apartment and my flatmate works there as the pastry chef; but Baker’s Kitchen definitely has some of the healthiest and most delicious vegan food in Dubai. Their menu is huge and they serve everything from Indian wraps and jackfruit sandwiches to vegan pizza and burgers as well as a chickpea omelette with falafel and healthy salad bowls. My favorite is the “Green is Cool”—grilled vegetables with beetroot hummus, guacamole and cucumber dip and a bunch of freshly baked German bread on the side. Baker’s kitchen also offers the most amazing vegan cakes and pastries. (Trust me, I have tried them all thanks to my flatmate). 😉 Carrot cake, apple pie and apple streusel, avocado cake, lemon tarts, berry cake… the list goes on and on.
The cake display – I’d say most of the time around 50% of the items are vegan
Best fully vegan options
BLOOM Vegan Kitchen is a delivery-only outlet, which is a bit sad, because their food is also delicious and I would love to go there to try more. But they have definitely made my life a lot better over the past months. 😉
Just Vegan is an amazing restaurant with a variety of options. They have amazing vegan dishes, from wings to burgers and pizza to lasagne.
There are so many amazing vegan options in Dubai. Too many to list them all here. Whether you love Arabic dishes, such as hummus and falafel, a healthy bowl or wrap, or you are craving a yummy burger or pizza with some ice cream or cake as dessert—you can get anything your vegan heart desires in Dubai.
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Photo: Rebecca Willem
