Food

A Culinary Journey Through the UAE: Flavors of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Beyond

By Meredith Lu | August 26, 2026 | 11:18 am | No Comments

The Emirates’ culinary map impresses with its incredible variety. Ancient Bedouin traditions, Middle Eastern flavors, and high-end cuisine intertwine here in an amazing way. To try everything, you’ll definitely need a reliable car rental service in Dubai, since the best gastronomic spots are scattered across different, sometimes the most remote corners of the metropolis. Each national dish here tells its unique story about life in the desert and oases. Travelling between iconic restaurants will be maximally comfortable if you decide to hire a vehicle. Modern UAE roads turn any movement into pure pleasure.

Dubai: Global Capital of Gastronomic Trends

Hundreds of cultures have mixed in Dubai. Here you can have lunch for a couple of dirhams or spend a fortune at a Michelin-starred establishment. The city is enormous. A reliable car rental company will quickly find you excellent transportation for exploring locations.

Gastronomic Dubai offers guests thousands of options, but there are timeless classics. Start your acquaintance with traditional food in the city’s authentic neighbourhoods.

Here are the main flavors worth visiting this vibrant emirate for:

  • Machboos. This is a mountain of aromatic rice with meat, fish, or chicken.
  • Luqaimat. Sweet doughnuts that pleasantly crunch on the outside.
  • Camel milk. A real local superfood. Now it’s added everywhere. You’ll find it in lattes or ice cream.
  • Balaleet. These are sweet noodles with cardamom and saffron. A salty omelette is placed on top.
  • Dubai chocolate. That same viral dessert with pistachio paste.

It’s pleasant to sit in your rented car after a hearty lunch and continue the gastronomic exploration. You can calmly go to dinner by the coast. Your own car is very convenient. You no longer have to wait long for taxis on the city’s hot streets.

Abu Dhabi: Faithful to Traditions and Royal Chic

A completely different atmosphere awaits you in Abu Dhabi. Life here flows unhurriedly and with special Eastern chic. The UAE capital doesn’t like rushing. This strongly reflects in the local restaurant culture.

The city’s main feature is its scale. Top gastronomic locations are scattered far from each other. Taxi rides between them will quickly tire you and cost a pretty penny. That’s precisely why the idea of renting a car immediately upon arrival will be the wisest decision. Your own wheels will give you the needed freedom. You can easily plan your day and not depend on weather whims.

You should go to Abu Dhabi for authentic history. Be sure to look for hidden, authentic Emirati establishments. Chefs who carefully guard their family culinary secrets work in them. They fundamentally don’t accept fast food. Here, meat and poultry are slow-cooked for hours to achieve perfect tenderness. Each such dish is a real culinary journey into the past.

Here, food is an important part of Eastern hospitality, where guests are always offered the best. Portions in capital traditional cuisine establishments are often enormous, as they’re designed for a large family or group of friends.

Truly unique culinary discoveries and delicacies await you in the capital:

  • Gold coffee. Luxurious cappuccino with flakes of real 24-carat gold. The drink is served at the legendary Emirates Palace hotel.
  • Harees. An ancient tender dish of slow-cooked wheat and premium meat, resembling velvety cream paste in consistency.
  • Fresh dates. Dozens of elite varieties of this fruit are traditionally served with hot, aromatic Arabic coffee (gahwa).
  • Salona. Thick, rich braised meat with seasonal vegetables and the traditional “bezar” spice blend.

Personal transportation is essential for comfortable exploration of the capital’s gastronomic scene. You can quickly find a car rental service in the UAE right at the airport terminal upon landing, or through a convenient mobile app. This will significantly save your personal time and energy.

Other Emirates: Flavors of Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah

Want to see the real Emirates without tourist crowds? Then head to other regions of the country. For example, Sharjah strictly preserves traditions. Alcohol is prohibited here. But amazing non-alcoholic cocktails are made here.

Ras Al Khaimah awaits you in the far north of the country. Tourists come here for fresh seafood cuisine. Local fishermen head out to the bay before dawn. Family taverns still operate here. Chefs in them bake fish in hot sand inside clay ovens. This is an authentic Bedouin recipe.

Eat, Explore and Enjoy the Trip

A gastronomic tour will give you a wealth of impressions. For the ideal mini-trip, it’s better to get a rental car in advance. Fill up a full tank and update the maps in your navigator. UAE highways are wide and safe. Driving a car between emirates will bring you nothing but pleasure.