Restaurants

A tasty-sounding new Indian restaurant is now open in Dubai’s JBR. Chilli & Chutney is housed at Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort and is promising a modern take on Indian classics. Chilli & Chutney describes its menu as “gastronomically curious”, and has everything from biriyani, butter chicken and naan to kachumbur salad topped with burrata, pani puri, Mirinda chaat and saffron cottage cheese. Open 6pm-11pm. Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort, The Walk, JBR (04 315 3838).

There’s a reason Northern Indian cuisine has spread to become popular throughout the world, and that is simply because the flavours work. One of Dubai’s foremost purveyors of classic Northern Indian food is Amala, focusing wholeheartedly on doing what cooks in India have been doing for centuries: serving up tasty, flavourful and devilishly spicy dishes. Of course, as one would expect from any restaurant in the grand surroundings of the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray (on the left crescent of the Palm Jumeriah), the exquisitely decorated venue – with marble floors and impressive mosaic-tiled pillars – is something befitting an Indian raj.

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is awash with high-end, luxurious eateries where the city’s young and affluent spend their monthly bonus. At first sight, the stylish and sophisticated Mint Leaf of London, with its sleek interiors and stunning Burj Khalifa views, appears to be just another one of these haunts. However, one taste of the authentic Indian cuisine immediately hits that misconception out of the park. Tandoori paneer or tikka with pepper and broccoli chutney; butterfly tiger prawn with chilli preserve or spicy tandoori duck with star anise are just a few of the stunning flavour combinations that make this place…

Newly opened in September, Carnival by Tresind promises to bring post-modern Indian cuisine to the Dubai food scene. The DIFC eatery is the second venture from the minds behind Tresind, one of the top-rated restaurants in town. With items on the menu including Happy Halloween (a soft Indian bread stuffed with pumpkin) and Life is Short, Eat Dessert First (a yoghurt-based dish served with the traditional Indian sweet, jalebi), Chef Himanshu Saini puts on a festive show, served with a touch of theatre and packed with flavour.

If you have time to dine at only one Indian restaurant while in Dubai, it has to be Moombai & Co. Tucked away in The H Dubai, the restaurant is reminiscent of Mumbai’s famed Parsi café culture, complete with retro Bollywood posters and a soundtrack to match. Equally as impressive as the setting is the food. Book the Saturday ‘Auntie’s Brunch’ for a true taste of contemporary India, complete with a host of ‘tiffin’ snacks. Think eggs served with Indian naan bread and warm lentil salad, lamb biryani flavoured with saffron and masala tea. Best for: Bold flavours When: Saturdays, 11am-4pm Cost: AED245…

Situated in the mall’s busiest food court, this outlet is the place to load up on snacks, Indian style – from South Indian dosas to Bombay pav bhaji, as well as diverse biryani recipes. Cap it off with a sweet cardamom flavoured masala chai to soothe taste buds after the pleasantly spicy meal. Tel No.   +9714 340 7709

By referring to themselves as the Indian Pavilion, the owners certainly live up to expectations with their umbrella range of pan-Indian cuisine. Located in Safa 2 in Jumeirah, alongside Spinneys Centre, Indian Pavilion plays host to a variety of foods from across India. Choices including Lamb Dhansak, with its Parsi blend of lentils and cumin, Malabar Vegetable Curry and its spices hailing from the south, and plenty more reveal the restaurant’s loyalty to diversity.

Get a taste of colonial era India at this popular new restaurant, decked out with palatial interiors and serving timeless sub-continental recipes. Tandoori chicken and chicken tikka remain a hot favourite, but the menu also invites you to venture outside the box with dishes like Calcutta-styled giant prawns steeped in ginger soy marinade. Tel No. +971 4 288 1587 

Head to Claypot for an entertaining evening of Indian food and music. The orange, red and deep brown decor reflects the rich spices found in Indian cuisine, with tapestries adorning the walls to give warmth and character. The menu features dishes from Northern India, with the Rogan-e-Claypot and the dal makhani coming well recommended. To add to the evening’s entertainment, there’s a band playing Bollywood songs and music on request.