Does Dubai need even more Indian restaurants? Apparently, our appetite for biryani and butter chicken is insatiable (if only there was more regional fare on offer). Below are just a few of the new subcontinental openings this season. Check back for our reviews in a few days.
Arjee Bhajee
Casual dining fiends probably love the idea of billiards tables in the middle of a restaurant. With its pop colours and puns on the wall, the British-Indian concept Arjee Bhajee at The Palm Jumeirah’s Shoreline Residences positions itself as a hipster hangout perfect for a midweek tipple and a bite of something fiery. There’s Madras curry, British vindaloo, jalfrezi and a variety of pakoras or bajjis, all at very pocket-friendly prices (the curries are Dh50).
Moombai & Co Cafe & Bar
Instagram ready and achingly retro, this Trade Centre roundabout restaurant takes its inspiration in Mumbai’s old Parsi cafes. But besides the prohibition-era messages and art deco-style furniture, the menu at Moombai & Co also channels mid-century Mumbai — there’s cheese toast topped with scrambled eggs, or akuri, spiced chicken wraps or Frankies, chicken and barberry pulao, okra topped with eggs, and to wash it all down, falooda. Expect to pay Dh90 for the butter chicken.
Masti Cocktails & Cuisine
Diners at this new licensed venue set to open in December at the La Mer by Meraas development on Jumeirah Beach will need to look past the connotations of its name to small, modernist plates created by chef Hari Nayak and the team behind Bombay Bungalow. Billed as welcoming the age of Cool India, the beachfront lounge and terrace will be open all day, and ‘promises to deliver a social dining experience that will thrill at every turn’. Stay tuned to find out how.
