Our favourite part of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) is here: the 10-day feast that is Summer Restaurant Week. From August 18-27, Dubai residents get to gorge on budget-friendly set menus and incredible discounts that are simply too delicious to refuse. With a total of 60 restaurants participating, from Michelin-recognised restaurants to casual dining eateries, there’s a lot to cover in just 10 days.
That’s why we’ve put together a clever roadmap to help you decide what to eat where and when during Summer Restaurant Week. Let the feeding frenzy begin!
1. Choose between lunch and dinner
Summer Restaurant Week has some cut-rate discounts lunches and dinners. An array of outlets, such as healthy café Wild and the Moon, are offering set two-course lunch menus for just AED 95 so you can reclaim your lunch hour. Decadent dinners are available in different restaurants serving up three-course dinners. A total of 55 restaurants are serving dinner deals and 30 eateries have lunch offers.
2. Identify your budget
Two-course lunch set menus go for AED 95, lavish 3-course dinner menus are priced at AED 150 and kids’ menus are fixed at AED35. Once you’ve decided on how much you’re willing to cough up for a smacking meal, the battle (of hunger) is half-won!
3. Decide on a cuisine
This is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for to test out exotic cuisines you’ve never dared to before and Summer Restaurant Week’s website whittles down all 60 restaurants into 6 cuisine categories: Arabic, Asian, British, European, Mediterannean and International.
Asian
Asian includes everything from modern Indian cuisine at Indya by Vineet to Thai eatery Pai Thai, trendy Korean bar and restaurant Kimpo and more.
International
Looking for Latin American, Caribbean, Mexican, and North American cuisine? The International category is where venues such as Mexican eateries La Tablita and Maya, and award-winning steakhouse Bull and Bear.
European and Mediterranean
These two categories unearth Spanish-influenced establishment BOCA, Italian delicacies at Venus Ristorante and Balkan bistro 21 Grams. It also includes French dining at the likes of Bistro des Arts and Couqley and Greek-inspired delicacies at Skafos.
Arabic and British
The Arabic category is sweet and simple with just six outlets: head to Al Fanar Seafood Cafe for Emirati food, Ibn Al Bahar and Al Nafoorah for a Lebanese spread and Yabba by Chef Shaheen for an authentic Iraqi experience. Silk Road-inspired Aamara and Levantine cuisine Bushra by Buddha Bar are the other two
From fancy gastropubs such as the Roaring Rabbit and Reform Social and Grill, the 4 restaurants in this category cover quintessentially British eats. Dhow and Anchor The Nine are the others that offer scrummy nosh.
4. Discounted meals at Michelin-rated restaurants
Summer Restaurant Week is your hall pass to relish 9 Michelin-rated restaurants’ luxe dishes without breaking the bank. There’s no segment clubbing together these restaurants and they are scattered across categories. We’ve done the groundwork for you. The only One Star Michelin restaurant on the list is 11 Woodfire. The 5 Bib Gourmand Restaurants part of Summer Restaurant Week: Indya by Vineet, Folly, Aamara, 21 Grams and Carnival by Tresind. Also three Michelin Green stars restaurants (for sustainability) are on there – Fi’lia, BOCA and LOWE.
5. Pick restaurants based on locations
How far will you go for the love of food? The nifty neighbourhood field on the Summer Restaurant Week website divides restaurants into 10 different localities. This convenient option helps you explore the city’s nooks and corners you’ve not ventured into before. For example, a hankering for Mediterranean cuisine will take you to Skafos in Old Dubai’s Al Seef area. Or following the scent of Teible’s aromatic seasonal and sustainable food will lead you to the Al Jadaff Waterfront, a creative neighbourhood. A full stomach AND earning your Dubai stripes? That’s a winner of a dinner.
Click here for the full list of all restaurants participating in Summer Restaurant Week