Dubai dining, decoded

Dubai's weekend brunch heartland, from the Madinat canals to the beach clubs near the Burj Al Arab. The verified Jumeirah spots running a real brunch, our highest-rated first, with prices and times.

The financial district's other weekend life. Once the suits clear out, DIFC's Gate Village rooms turn the brunch on, from gentle Italian sittings to the big-room spectacles. Verified, highest-rated first.

Brunch with the Burj Khalifa in the window, plus the city's best run of night brunches. The verified Downtown restaurants running a real brunch, from AED 150, highest-rated first.

The island under the Ain Dubai wheel does a brunch list that punches above its size. Verified Bluewaters restaurants running a real weekend brunch, from AED 225, highest-rated first.

A quieter, better-value brunch than its neighbours, along the canal between Downtown and DIFC. Verified Business Bay restaurants running a real weekend brunch, from AED 188.

The community brunch of the Greens, Meadows and Springs, family-friendly and food-led. Verified Emirates Living restaurants running a real weekend brunch, from AED 199.

A beach brunch on The Walk, from a big pool party to a calmer seaside table. Verified JBR restaurants running a real weekend brunch, from AED 249, highest-rated first.

The main event of the Dubai weekend. A hundred-plus live Saturday brunch packages with prices and hours, from AED 220 to beachfront blowouts, top-rated first.

Fifty-plus Sunday brunch packages for the calmer half of the weekend, from AED 195 Italian afternoons to an 8pm evening brunch. Live prices, top-rated first.

The district that more or less invented the Dubai business lunch. Verified DIFC restaurants running a real weekday set menu, from AED 80, our highest-rated first, with prices and times.

A slower, sea-view take on the midday set menu, from La Mer to Port de la Mer. Verified Jumeirah restaurants running a real weekday lunch, from AED 90, highest-rated first.

The midday set menu around the Boulevard and Emaar offices, from AED 45 to a skyline table. Verified Downtown restaurants running a real weekday lunch, highest-rated first.

The set menu of the Sheikh Zayed Road office spine, from the World Trade Centre to One Za'abeel. Verified Trade Center restaurants running a real weekday lunch, from AED 59.

The set menu for the canal-side towers, quieter and easier to reach than DIFC. Verified Business Bay restaurants running a real weekday lunch, from AED 95, highest-rated first.

A small, sharp lunch list around the mall and the golf course. Verified Dubai Hills restaurants running a real weekday set menu, from AED 75, highest-rated first.

The working lunch of the Greens, Meadows and the Montgomerie golf set. Verified Emirates Living restaurants running a real weekday set menu, from AED 79.

Where Dubai's financial district drinks after work. The verified bars and restaurants running a real happy hour, with times, prices and our highest-rated rooms first.

After-work drinks under the Burj Khalifa, from a AED 20 pour to a happy hour on the 122nd floor. Verified Downtown bars and restaurants running a real happy hour, highest-rated first.

The after-work drink of the Sheikh Zayed Road office spine, from Nobu at One Za'abeel to the Irish pubs. Verified Trade Center happy hours, highest-rated first.

The canal district's after-work scene, from a AED 15 pour to AED 10 oysters. Verified Business Bay happy hours, two of them 5.0-rated, highest-rated first.

A sea-view happy hour spread from the Madinat to Jumeirah Islands. Verified Jumeirah bars and restaurants running a real happy hour, from AED 30, highest-rated first.

The neighbourhood happy hour of Jumeirah Lakes Towers, casual, well-priced and plentiful. Verified JLT bars running a real happy hour, from AED 29, highest-rated first.

A beachfront happy hour on The Walk, from AED 27 pours to AED 10 oysters. Verified JBR bars and restaurants running a real happy hour, highest-rated first.

The community happy hour of the Greens, Meadows and the golf set. Verified Emirates Living bars running a real happy hour, from AED 29, highest-rated first.

The after-work drink around Dubai Hills Mall and the golf course. Verified Dubai Hills bars running a real happy hour, from AED 30, highest-rated first.

Monday's best drink windows, ranked. 150+ venues run one, these are the twenty highest-rated, including a burger deal that only exists at the start of the week.

160 venues pour a Tuesday happy hour. The twenty best, ranked live, with Alba's twice-a-week cocktail sessions and the AED 15 floor at Jones Social.

Hump day is aperitivo day. The twenty best of Dubai's 160+ Wednesday happy hours, including MINA Brasserie's midweek aperitivo and Cargo's After Work deal.

The biggest happy hour day of the Dubai week, 167 live windows. The top twenty, with champagne-and-caviar Thursdays and an unlimited-pour deal at BrewDog.

Day one of the weekend, 160 live windows. The twenty best Friday happy hours, from a teachers' afternoon deal to late-night pours at Hawkerboi.

The survivors' list. A third of Dubai's happy hours rest on Saturday, and the 112 that don't include all-day sports bars, sunset aperitivos and a late-night window.

123 venues soften the end of the weekend. Sunday's twenty best happy hours, including BrewDog's noon-to-four window and the AED 25 list at Asha's.

The widest run of ladies' nights in our guides, midweek under the Burj Khalifa. Verified Downtown venues running a real ladies' night, highest-rated first.

Free packages and two 5.0-rated rooms along the canal. Verified Business Bay venues running a real ladies' night, Wednesdays and Thursdays, highest-rated first.

A grown-up, restaurant-led ladies' night in the financial district. Verified DIFC venues running a real ladies' night, from AED 120, highest-rated first.

The neighbourhood ladies' night of the Greens and Meadows, midweek and relaxed. Verified Emirates Living venues running a real ladies' night, highest-rated first.

The night that started the tradition. Twenty-plus live Tuesday deals across the Marina, Downtown and DIFC, with prices, times and our highest-rated rooms first.

Midweek is where the free deals live. Two dozen Wednesday ladies nights across Business Bay, Downtown, DIFC and the Palm, checked and ranked by rating.

Thirty-plus venues, the biggest ladies night list of the week. Thursday deals with prices and start times, from free-flow in Business Bay to rooftops on the Creek.

Six venues keep ladies night alive on the weekend, and they skew late and loud. Saturday deals in the Marina, DIFC and Downtown with times and prices.

The 30-plus newest restaurants worth your table, hand-flagged by our curators and ranked by early ratings. Central Asian tasting rooms, open-fire grills, a 5.0 Greek in DIFC.

Seventeen new bars our curators have flagged, ranked by early ratings. A Parisian room on the Creek, hidden Asian nightlife off Sheikh Zayed, and the UAE's first comedy club.

Seventeen new cafés with our curators' flag on them. Indian microlot roasters, a Latin bakery in Jumeirah, coffee among classic cars, ranked by early ratings.

Eight fresh arrivals along Al Wasl and Jumeirah 1, flagged by our curators. A Japanese dining gallery, a Latin bakery, wagyu burgers with specialty coffee.

Dubai's longest dining strip, from the Madinat canals to the beach clubs at J1. The verified Jumeirah restaurants worth the drive, our highest-rated first, with what each one does best.

Dubai's financial district packs more recognised kitchens per square metre than anywhere else. The verified DIFC restaurants, our highest-rated first, with cuisines and prices.

Past the fountain-view crowd-pleasers sit some of the city's most serious kitchens. The verified Downtown Dubai restaurants, our highest-rated first.

The canal district turned over to a dense, mostly modern dining scene. The verified Business Bay restaurants, our highest-rated first.

Family-suburb Dubai that quietly turned into a real dining destination. The verified Dubai Hills restaurants, our highest-rated first.

The compact island under Ain Dubai, where the promenade is walkable and the kitchens punch above the postcode. The verified Bluewaters restaurants, our highest-rated first.

The Sheikh Zayed Road spine around the World Trade Centre, from Nobu to a smash-burger counter. The verified Trade Center restaurants, our highest-rated first.

The villa communities and golf clubs around The Lakes and Emirates Hills. The verified Emirates Living restaurants, our highest-rated first.

Jumeirah Lakes Towers, the city's best-value dining cluster, now with a polished Uptown tier. The verified JLT restaurants, our highest-rated first.

Jumeirah Beach Residence, where the beachfront energy meets a few genuinely serious kitchens. The verified JBR restaurants, our highest-rated first.

Forty-plus verified tables on the Palm, from Maiden Shanghai's dim sum theatre to Al Beiruti's mezze. The island's best rooms, our highest-rated first.

Twenty-seven verified tables around the water, from a two-Michelin-star tasting room to Uzbek plov and jungle-themed brunch theatre. Highest-rated first.

Dubai's café capital, from Al Wasl Road specialty roasters to seaside all-day spots. The verified Jumeirah cafés, our highest-rated first.

From a Hong Kong bakery to fountain-view coffee at Dubai Mall. The verified Downtown Dubai cafés, our highest-rated first.

The family suburb's coffee scene, from a specialty roastery to farm-fresh breakfast spots. The verified Dubai Hills cafés, our highest-rated first.

The office district's coffee lifeline. Six verified cafés around One Central and DWTC, from an in-house roastery to Emirati-European all-day plates.

Dubai's most concentrated after-dark district, from a 52nd-floor speakeasy to the glamorous dining-bars. The verified DIFC bars, our highest-rated first.

From the J1 Beach clubs to the cocktail dens tucked inside Madinat. The verified Jumeirah bars, our highest-rated first.

The Sheikh Zayed Road belt of pubs, beer gardens and listening bars. The verified Trade Center bars, our highest-rated first.

The canal district's restaurant-bars, rooftop lounges and a Madrid-born cocktail name. The verified Business Bay bars, our highest-rated first.

Where the drinks come with the city's best skyline, from Level 122 of the Burj to a hidden speakeasy. The verified Downtown bars, our highest-rated first.

Beachfront drinking on The Walk, from a surreal cocktail bar to craft beer and the big-screen sports rooms. The verified JBR bars, our highest-rated first.

Waterfront drinking under Ain Dubai, from craft beer to izakaya vinyl bars, all on one walkable loop. The verified Bluewaters bars, our highest-rated first.

The lakes-district locals' scene, from British gastropubs to a New Orleans jazz room and rooftop lounges. The verified JLT bars, our highest-rated first.

Relaxed suburb drinking around the golf courses, from TopGolf's sports bar to lakeside gastropubs. The verified Emirates Living bars, our highest-rated first.

The suburb's small but sharp drinking scene, from gastrobars to a golf-club brasserie. The verified Dubai Hills bars, our highest-rated first.

Twenty-three verified bars across the island, split between rooftops with the skyline and beach clubs with their toes in the sand. Highest-rated first.

Eighteen verified bars around the water, from ATTIKO's rooftop to golf simulators at Bedrock and Cantonese cocktails on the 73rd floor. Ranked by rating.

From neighbourhood trattorias and sourdough pizzerias to a Tuscan farm-to-table name. The verified Italian restaurants in Jumeirah, our highest-rated first.

DIFC's Italian is the dressed-up kind, refined dining rooms and rooftops around the Gate. The verified Italian restaurants in DIFC, our highest-rated first.

Southern Italian kitchens, sea-to-table seafood and a fine-dining room at Dubai Opera. The verified Italian restaurants in Downtown, our highest-rated first.

One of Dubai's deepest Japanese strips, from an omakase counter to straw-fire grills and casual sushi. The verified Japanese restaurants in Jumeirah, our highest-rated first.

From a French-Japanese omakase to ramen counters and Latin-Japanese cocktails, clustered around Dubai Opera. The verified Japanese restaurants in Downtown, our highest-rated first.

The glamorous, big-name end of Dubai's Japanese scene, from the original Zuma to skyline terraces. The verified Japanese restaurants in DIFC, our highest-rated first.

Beachfront seafood, Greek tavernas and Michelin-listed coastal cooking along the waterfront. The verified Mediterranean restaurants in Jumeirah, our highest-rated first.

Levantine, Persian, Iraqi and Armenian kitchens, several Michelin-recognised, on one Jumeirah strip. The verified Middle Eastern restaurants in Jumeirah, our highest-rated first.

Parisian institutions, a Robuchon atelier and Michelin brasseries around Gate Avenue. The verified French restaurants in DIFC, our highest-rated first.

Six ramen rooms worth queueing for, from Kinoya's izakaya bowls to a Dubai Opera counter flying its ingredients in from Japan. Ranked by rating, live.