The best Lebanese restaurants in Dubai cover every budget: Al Mallah, Zaroob and Allo Beirut feed you well for under AED 50, Al Safadi and Al Beiruti are the go-to sit-down spots for around AED 100 a head, and Al Nafoorah or Ayamna are where you book for a big night out. Whatever you spend, order mezze to share and finish with kunafa.
Lebanese food is everywhere in Dubai, from 3am shawarma counters in Satwa to waterfront tables on the Palm. This guide sorts the favourites into three budgets, tells you what to order at each, and gives a rough cost per person so there are no surprises when the bill comes. Every listing was checked against 2025–2026 guides and menus in November 2026, but prices and hours change, so call ahead for big groups.
Key takeaways
- Cheapest good meal: a shawarma or falafel wrap at Al Mallah in Satwa (wraps roughly AED 8–14) or Operation:Falafel (wraps roughly AED 18–26).
- Best all-rounder: Al Safadi on Sheikh Zayed Road, which won Time Out Dubai’s 2026 Lebanese restaurant award.
- Best for a special night: Al Nafoorah at Jumeirah Al Qasr or Ayamna at Atlantis, The Palm (set menus from AED 340).
- Most Lebanese restaurants are unlicensed, so if you want wine with your mezze, pick a hotel or beach-club venue like Al Nafoorah, Ibn AlBahr or Ayamna.
- Order mezze to share. Three or four cold mezze, two hot ones and one grill usually feeds two people.
Lebanese restaurants in Dubai at a glance
Prices below are rough per-person estimates for a typical meal without drinks, based on recent menus and guides. Seafood priced by the kilo can push the bill much higher.
| Restaurant | Area | Approx. per person | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Mallah | Al Dhiyafa Street, Satwa | AED 15–40 | Late-night shawarma |
| Operation:Falafel | JBR, Downtown, Jumeirah | AED 25–50 | Quick falafel lunch |
| Zaroob | Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Marina | AED 25–60 | Street food and manakish |
| Allo Beirut | Hessa Street, City Walk, JBR, Motor City | AED 40–70 | Garlic shawarma and breakfast |
| Em Sherif Café | Downtown Dubai | AED 80–120 | Casual mezze near Burj Khalifa |
| Al Beiruti | Sheikh Zayed Road, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Hills | AED 90–130 | Hummus and kunafa |
| Al Safadi | Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Rigga, Motor City, The Pointe | AED 100–130 | Classic family dinner |
| Bab El Bahr by Hallab | Downtown Dubai | AED 100–150 | Grills and Lebanese sweets |
| Bebabel | Club Vista Mare, Palm Jumeirah | Splurge (check menu) | Mezze on the beach |
| Ibn AlBahr | Club Vista Mare (Palm), Dubai Creek Resort | AED 150–250 | Fresh fish by the sea |
| Al Nafoorah | Jumeirah Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah | AED 250+ | Special occasions |
| Ayamna | Atlantis, The Palm | AED 340+ (set menu) | A splurge with a view |
Cheap Lebanese food in Dubai (under AED 50)
Dubai’s cheap Lebanese spots are some of its best. You can eat a proper, filling meal for the price of a coffee and cake in a mall.
Al Mallah, Satwa
Al Mallah on Al Dhiyafa Street has been a Satwa landmark for decades and still draws a crowd late into the night. Sit outside, order a chicken shawarma (wraps are roughly AED 8–14) and a fresh juice, and watch the street go by.
Order: chicken shawarma, falafel sandwich, a cheese manakish and a fresh fruit cocktail.
Good to know: it’s a simple cafeteria with pavement seating, so come for the food, not the decor.
Operation:Falafel (JBR, Downtown, Jumeirah)
A modern, fast-casual take on Beirut street food, and one of the easiest lunches in Dubai. Wraps start at roughly AED 18–26, and the portions are generous.
Order: the falafel plate with hummus, or a Beiruti wrap and a side of hummus.
Zaroob (Sheikh Zayed Road and Dubai Marina)
Zaroob is decorated like a Beirut alleyway, with graffiti walls and street lights, and the menu matches: shawarma loaded with hummus, stuffed falafel, fresh flatbreads and manakish from the oven. Time Out Dubai rates it as a fast, affordable option.
Order: za’atar manakish, a chicken shawarma, and knefeh in a sesame bun if you have a sweet tooth.
Allo Beirut (Hessa Street, City Walk, JBR, Motor City)
Allo Beirut is the place for garlic-heavy shawarma on thin saj bread, and several branches stay open until the early hours (hours vary by branch). Expect around AED 100 for two people for a full meal, less if you just grab wraps.
Order: garlic chicken shawarma, breakfast fatteh in the morning, and a mixed grill if you’re sharing.
Mid-range Lebanese restaurants (AED 80–150 per person)
These are the sit-down places where families gather at the weekend. Expect big tables, a long mezze menu and a lot of food.
Al Safadi (Sheikh Zayed Road and other branches)
Al Safadi was named the best Lebanese restaurant in Time Out Dubai’s 2026 awards, and it has been a reliable choice for years. It’s open from 9am to 1am, and around AED 225 for two covers a proper spread of salads, mezze and grills.
Order: fattoush, hummus with meat, mixed grill and chicken shawarma plate.
Good to know: it’s unlicensed, open late, and very family-friendly.
Al Beiruti (Sheikh Zayed Road, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Hills)
Al Beiruti is known for its long list of hummus variations, crispy falafel and sautéed chicken liver. The kunafa is the reason many people come back, and it was highly commended in Time Out Dubai’s 2026 awards. Branches open from 8am (closing times vary by branch), so it also works for a Lebanese breakfast.
Order: two kinds of hummus, chicken liver, a mixed grill and kunafa to finish.
Em Sherif Café (Downtown Dubai)
The casual sister of the famous Beirut restaurant Em Sherif, at The Heritage Hotel near Burj Khalifa. It’s relaxed, well priced for Downtown (around AED 170 for two) and open until 2am.
Order: tabbouleh, hummus with minced meat, cheese pie, and the Daily Dish, which changes every day.
Bab El Bahr by Hallab (Downtown Dubai)
From the Hallab family, a name every Lebanese person knows for sweets. Come for grills and sayadieh (spiced fish and rice), but save room for the dessert counter.
Open daily from noon to midnight.
Order: shish tawook, sayadieh, and a plate of Hallab sweets or a creamy milk pudding.
Splurge-worthy Lebanese restaurants
For birthdays, visiting parents or a long weekend lunch, these places add the view, the service and, in most cases, a drinks licence.
Bebabel (Club Vista Mare, Palm Jumeirah)
Bebabel was highly commended in Time Out Dubai’s 2026 Lebanese awards. It’s a licensed, beachfront spot built around shareable mezze, salads, flatbreads and grills, so it suits a long, slow lunch with friends.
Order: a spread of cold mezze, a flatbread straight from the oven and a mixed grill to share.
Ibn AlBahr (Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Creek)
A seafood-focused Lebanese restaurant with branches on the beach at Club Vista Mare and at Dubai Creek Resort. You choose your fish from the counter and pick how it’s cooked, then fill the table with mezze while you wait. Fish is priced by weight, so ask before you order.
Order: fresh catch grilled or fried, calamari, vine leaves and hummus.
Al Nafoorah (Jumeirah Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah)
One of Dubai’s best-known high-end Lebanese restaurants, now at Jumeirah Al Qasr in Madinat Jumeirah. It’s licensed, polished and the bill reflects that: plan on about AED 500 for two.
Order: the mezze platter, a mixed grill and baklava.
Ayamna (Atlantis, The Palm)
Ayamna is a dinner-only Lebanese restaurant at Atlantis (open from 6pm), with set menus starting at AED 340 per person. It’s a good pick when you want everything decided for you and a proper night out.
Order: go for the set menu, which covers mezze, chargrilled meats and dessert. Dishes change, so check the current menu when you book.
What to order at a Lebanese restaurant
If you’re new to Lebanese food, the menu can be long. Here’s a simple order for two people that works almost anywhere. For the background on these dishes, read our guide to 15 must-try Lebanese dishes.
- Cold mezze (pick 3): hummus, moutabal (smoky aubergine), tabbouleh or fattoush, warak enab (stuffed vine leaves).
- Hot mezze (pick 2): falafel, fried kibbeh, cheese rakakat, batata harra (spicy potatoes).
- Grill (pick 1): shish tawook or a mixed grill to share.
- Dessert: kunafa, or Lebanese ice cream with pistachios.
Bread keeps coming, so don’t over-order. You can always add a dish later.
Lebanese restaurants in Dubai: tips before you go
- Most places are unlicensed. Stand-alone restaurants and mall branches usually don’t serve alcohol. Hotel and beach-club venues are the exception.
- Order delivery for weeknights. Almost every place on this list is on the big delivery apps, which is the cheapest way to try several.
- Go for breakfast. Lebanese breakfast (manakish, foul, labneh, eggs with awarma) is one of the best-value meals in the city.
- Book on weekends. Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest at the mid-range and splurge spots.
Eating out is a big part of the monthly budget here. If you’re planning a move, our breakdown of how much it costs to live in Dubai shows where restaurant meals fit in.
FAQ
What is the best Lebanese restaurant in Dubai?
It depends on your budget. Al Safadi won Time Out Dubai’s 2026 award for best Lebanese restaurant and is a safe choice for most people. For a special occasion, Al Nafoorah at Jumeirah Al Qasr is the classic upscale pick.
Where can I find cheap Lebanese food in Dubai?
Head to Al Mallah in Satwa, Zaroob, Operation:Falafel or Allo Beirut. A shawarma or falafel wrap costs roughly AED 8–26 depending on where you go, and a full meal for one is usually under AED 50.
Are Lebanese restaurants in Dubai halal?
Most Lebanese restaurants in Dubai serve halal meat. If you have strict dietary needs, confirm with the restaurant before ordering, especially at licensed hotel venues.
Which Lebanese restaurants in Dubai serve alcohol?
Licensed options include Al Nafoorah, Ibn AlBahr, Bebabel at Club Vista Mare and Ayamna at Atlantis. Most stand-alone and mall restaurants, like Al Safadi, Al Beiruti and Allo Beirut, are unlicensed.
Which Lebanese restaurants in Dubai are open late?
Al Mallah and Allo Beirut are favourites for late-night shawarma, and Em Sherif Café in Downtown is open until 2am. Hours vary by branch, so check before you go.
Final thoughts
In Dubai, a cheap shawarma can beat a AED 500 dinner. Start cheap, find your favourite hummus, and save the splurge for a special night.
Hungry for more? Browse our best restaurants in Dubai guide, or try another cuisine with our Filipino restaurants in Dubai and Korean food in Dubai guides. Other names on the 2026 shortlist worth knowing are Babel at Dubai Mall (seafood by the kilo), Almayass by the Sea at J1 Beach, Manaret Beirut in Motor City and Villa Naas at Al Habtoor Polo Club. For the full list of award winners, see Time Out Dubai’s best Lebanese restaurants.
