Eat out: 5 brand new Dubai restaurants to try right now

With life slowly starting to get back to normal in Dubai, restaurants are welcoming back diners with eagerness and enthusiasm.

Some newly opened restaurants haven’t even gotten the chance to shine since the coronavirus restrictions fell into place. If you’re a major foodie truly looking forward to getting back out there, this is the list for you.

Here are 5 new restaurants that just opened in Dubai.

1. The Maine Land Brasserie

Located at Zaha Hadid’s Magnum Opus in Business Bay, The Maine Land Brasserie is the newest opening for the Maine man, Joey Ghazal. A beautiful venue that fuses past with the present, it feels like a timeworn, old-world steakhouse/brasserie/speakeasy. The Maine Land Brasserie menu features everything from shellfish to snails and fish to steak cuts that are aged just the way carnivores like them. A few favourites from the original Maine menu in JBR have been included on the menu. Expect good quality food, great service and a very cool vibe.

Location Business Bay, The Opus Cost: Approximately Dh360 for two

2. French Riviera

Jumeirah Al Qasr has launched a brand-new pop-up dining experience called French Riviera. Serving up a mix of classic and modern French Mediterranean food designed for sharing. Located on the beach at Jumeirah Al Qasr next to Shimmers, French Riviera offers a Cote D’Azur influenced dining experience.

The menu includes south of France inspired dishes like Red Tuna Crudo with Black Truffle Petals, octopus cooked over a wood fire and the French Dover Sole ‘Meuniere’ with Crushed Potatoes. There is also a selection of tasty pasta dishes such as the Half Lobster with Homemade Linguine, while meat lovers can tuck into the restaurant’s signature Wood Fire Beef Entrecote with Green Pepper Sauce. To end the meal dessert options include Madagascar Vanille Mille-Feuille with Brown Butter Ice Cream, French toast Crème Brulée Style or Pineapple Tatin Tart.

Location: Al Qasr Hotel Cost: Approximately Dh500 for two

3. Roka Dubai

From the creator of Zuma, comes Roka, an award-winning robatayaki concept launched in Dubai after the success of their London venue. Although Roka launched in February 2020, we consider this a new spot since dining out really hadn’t been an option for a while now in Dubai over the last few months.

Located in the ME Hotel at The Opus in Business Bay, Zuma’s baby sister restaurant brings a unique style of contemporary Japanese cooking to Dubai. The menu features signature dishes from the robata, like the yakitori-negima yaki - robata grilled chicken skewers with spring onion and the Kankoku fu kohitsuji, lamb cutlets with Korean spices and sesame cucumber, as well as the gindara no saikyo-yaki, black cod in marinated yuzu miso. Other favourites like maki rolls, tempura and salads are also featured heavily on the menu. Roka Dubai is, in fact, more of a casual experience and more affordable prices than the world-famous Zuma.

Location: Business Bay, The Opus Cost: Dh350 for two

4. Pulled

Pulled, which opened in the midst of the pandemic is a homegrown, UAE-based, street-style eatery that serves up a whole lotta soul food. It’s located on Jumeirah Beach Road in the heart of Umm Suqeim and is the brainchild of Shamsa Al Habtoor. The menu offers sandwiches and blazing fries to flavourful lemonades and desserts. Pulled is all about the comfort food.

Location: Jumeirah Beach Road, Near Al Manara, Um Suqqeim 2 Cost: Approx. Dh95 for two

5. Blaze Pizza

Blaze Pizza, a fast-casual artisanal pizza concept opens it’s first Dubai location at The Dubai Mall. Known for its build-your-own artisanal pizza, freshly made salads and blood orange lemonade in the US and Canada. Whether you love a classic margarita pizza or tonnes of toppings piled on, you can customise it any way that you like.

Location: The Dubai Mall’s second floor – above the ice rink Cost: Approx. Dh80 for two