Take a look at Dubai's latest F&B trend: The food hall

If you're from Europe or have travelled there, food halls should not be new to you. But their growing popularity in Dubai has local businesses excited to take part.

Unlike food courts that are made up of fast-food chains, food halls typically mix local artisan restaurants, butcher shops and other food-oriented boutiques under one roof.

For example, the Depachika food hall, which launched in early January this year, was inspired by Japanese basement-level food halls. It is currently home to 38 brands, with a further five expected to open by the end of the year.

The goal of this Nakheel Mall based food hall was to showcase locally developed concepts in one destination - mainly from brands backed by Dubai-based artisans, entrepreneurs and breakthrough talent.

Depachika in particular, is an upscale and elegant venue with marble counter tops, good lighting and modern furniture, which makes it a sought after spot for those who want an easy meal without the fuss of dining at a restaurant.

Then there's the recently opened South Market food Hall, which opened its doors in July this year. It's more casual, with an urban design, including exposed ceilings, steel beams, raw timber and concrete features as well as neon signage and street art murals.

The area, which is located in the heart of DIFC, is home to more casual concepts. Specifically 15 different eateries that offer the likes of gourmet burgers, modern Asian desserts, burritos and even Egyptian seafood.

A strong advantage during the weekdays for South Market is that it is more accessible than a mall food court for lunch hour seekers in Dubai’s financial district, an area known for expensive restaurants.

As a result, South Market sees a high volume of people during the week, especially during lunch or right after work. Weekends on the other hand are a bit calmer.

The reason food halls are so popular among local business owners is the fact that they don't have to have a high investment capital like setting up a new location and buying all equipment from scratch. Instead they can focus on the output and creativity of their brand.

Another benefit of a food hall, is that the vendors benefit from their neighbours. When a good mix comes together, vendors have instant and quicker footfall, instead of having to create an individual destination on their own.

Another smaller, yet more traditional food hall is the one located at Al Areesh Club in Dubai Festival City.

Their venue is a modern-day food marketplace offering a live bakery, a butchery, a speciality coffee, a deli, a soft-serve ice cream parlour and seasonal outdoor barbeque.

Either way, whether you appreciate the finer things, or a dirty burger, one of those food halls is sure to fit your foodie needs.