Indian and Vegetarian Food in Dubai: Where to Eat, Including Jain Options

For Indian travellers, Dubai may be the easiest international destination for food. With a large Indian community, the city has hundreds of Indian restaurants, from roadside dosa joints and Gujarati thali houses to Michelin-recognised fine dining, and pure vegetarian and Jain food is easy to find.

This guide covers where to find Indian food in Dubai, the best areas for vegetarian and Jain meals, Indian fine dining, and what to expect on the desert safari and dhow cruise.

Bur Dubai, around Meena Bazaar, and neighbouring Karama are packed with Indian restaurants serving every regional cuisine: South Indian tiffin, Gujarati and Rajasthani thalis, Punjabi dhabas, Kerala meals, Mumbai street food, Indo-Chinese and sweets. Familiar Indian chains such as Saravanaa Bhavan have outlets here, alongside long-running local favourites. Prices are reasonable, and many restaurants are pure vegetarian.

• Deira: many Indian and Pakistani restaurants around the souks.
• Al Barsha and Downtown: modern Indian restaurants and chains in malls.
• Dubai Marina and JBR: Indian restaurants with views, popular for dinner.
• Malls: Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates and others have Indian outlets in their food courts.

Dubai has some of the best modern Indian restaurants in the world, with chefs reinventing classic dishes; several have been recognised by the Michelin Guide Dubai. They are ideal for a special dinner or honeymoon treat, but book in advance.

Vegetarians will find plenty to eat. Indian restaurants always have extensive vegetarian menus, and many are entirely vegetarian. Lebanese and Middle Eastern food offers vegetarian classics such as hummus, falafel, fattoush, tabbouleh and mutabbal, and international restaurants clearly mark vegetarian and vegan dishes.

Jain food in Dubai is easier to find than in most foreign cities. Many pure vegetarian restaurants in Bur Dubai and Karama prepare Jain meals without onion, garlic and root vegetables, and hotels with many Indian guests can arrange Jain breakfasts with notice. Tell us your requirements when you book; we will inform your hotel and suggest restaurants near your stay.

The desert safari barbecue and the dhow cruise dinner are buffets with Arabic, international and Indian dishes, always including vegetarian options. Jain meals may need advance notice, so tell us when you book.

The Hindu temple in Jebel Ali, opened in 2022, serves visitors, and the BAPS Hindu Mandir near Abu Dhabi, opened in 2024, is a popular stop. Both are a reminder of how deeply the Indian community is woven into the UAE.

• Delivery apps: Talabat, Deliveroo and others deliver Indian food quickly to hotels.
• Alcohol is served only in licensed venues, mostly in hotels.
• Ramadan: during the holy month, many restaurants still serve non-Muslims during the day, but be discreet about eating in public.
• Tipping: a service charge is sometimes included; otherwise 10% is appreciated.
• Water: bottled water is widely used and inexpensive.

• Meena Bazaar, Bur Dubai: chaat, sweets, thalis and South Indian tiffin.
• Karama: Kerala, Gujarati and North Indian restaurants, and late-night eateries.
• Al Barsha: modern Indian chains near Mall of the Emirates.
• Downtown and the Marina: upscale Indian dining with views.

Try hummus, mutabbal (smoky aubergine dip), falafel, fattoush and tabbouleh salads, manakish (flatbread with za'atar or cheese), stuffed vine leaves and kunafa, a sweet cheese pastry. They are widely available, vegetarian and a delicious change from Indian food.

Our Dubai Delight package includes daily breakfast, and the dhow cruise and desert safari dinners. We can choose hotels in Bur Dubai or Karama, close to Indian restaurants, if food is a priority. See where to stay in Dubai and all Dubai tour packages.