Top restaurants in Dubai with a fascinating view 2024

 The best restaurants and places to eat in Dubai 2024 

Like a bit of eye candy with your dinner? Well, Dubai could be the perfect city for you.

Top Restaurants in Dubai

8 Indoor and outdoor restaurants in Dubai with stunning views

Cè La Vi

The problem with dining inside the Burj Khalifa is that you can’t actually see the Burj Khalifa. While it may not be as high, Cè La Vi is the restaurant to go to if you want that picture-perfect shot of the world’s tallest building. Located on level 54 of the Address Sky View hotel, the terrace of this Singapore import (where it occupies the rooftop of Marina Bay Sands, no less) looks directly onto the Burj Khalifa and comes in at around a quarter of its height, which means if you tilt your phone, you can just about fit the tip into a picture, a feat that takes some real skill from the ground. From a table at the edge of this glass-fronted terrace, you can watch the dramatic dance of the Dubai Fountains below from a bird’s eye perspective. And it’s not just the terrace that offers impressive views. To reach the restaurant, you must first hop into a glass elevator in the restaurant’s private lobby, which whisks guests up to level 54 to ear-popping effect, as the lights of Sheikh Zayed Road slip away below. There’s more to Cè La Vi than just an impressive view, however. Inside, dark wood accents are low-lit with ambient red neon lights, framing a central square bar where mixologists dramatically shake drinks for glamourous guests. Chef Howard Ko’s fusion menu travels from Asia to Europe to South America, with dishes given a indulgently Dubai touch, like a special caviar menu. Among the best of the small plates are the perigord black truffle short rib croquettes, roasted diver scallops and crispy potato hash Okonomiyaki style. For mains, the newly added beef duo, consisting of Wagyu Okan striploin and braised Wagyu beef cheek, is a rich and indulgent crowd pleaser. Visit for ladies night on a Tuesday, and you’ll find one of the most pumping parties in town.

What to order: Korean braised short-ribs

The view: Burj Khalifa, in all its glory

Address: Address Sky View, Downtown Dubai

Boardwalk Restaurant

The iconic creek-side restaurant, part of the Dubai Creek Resort, has been operating for over 27 years, serving Mediterranean food as an inside and outside dining experience. For breakfast, lunch and dinner you can enjoy the wooden deck with breathtaking water view and the famous Boardwalk fish & chips. 

The Creek Resort restaurant offers Pizza Making for Kids, as an after school activity. Kids will be given a homemade pizza base and make their own creation, cooked by the chefs at Boardwalk in their wood fired oven. For an adult Italian experience, there is Aperitivo hour at the Boardwalk, Monday to Friday from 4 – 7pm. The Boardwalk is also famous for their Oysters and Bubbles.

101 by Yannick Alléno

One of Dubai’s loveliest locations for al fresco dining, 101 sits right out in the water on the end of a boardwalk at One&Only The Palm, surrounded by the lapping waves of the resort’s private bay and with views across the island. Presented by Michelin-lauded French chef Yannick Alléno, the restaurant has been designed with coral-like structures that evoke an underwater mood – in the private dining area there are even waves projected onto the floor – to complement the menu that is primarily focused on seafood. No overly pumped menu here, but a classy edit of favoured fish dishes given an Alléno touch. Starters are light and zesty, perfectly suited to the sea-side surroundings: poached Omani lobster glazed with orange mayonnaise is served on a bed of spinach with palm hearts, a modern take on prawn and avocado cocktail comes as a tower disguised by chives. Main courses such as thermidor Canadian lobster, seafood linguine and three types of sea bass (whole, herb-encrusted or slow cooked) come perfectly portioned to allow for a larger order of sides, but it’s the small yet flavourful seared scallops (when available) that shouldn’t be missed. Finish a long lunch with the ominous sounding The Profiterol, a ginormous pastry filled with praline, hazelnut ice cream and hot chocolate sauce to share.

What to order: Modern avocado cocktail to start and Glacier 51 Chilean Seabass for main

The view: The Arabian Gulf around Palm Jumeirah

Address: One&Only The Palm, Palm Jumeirah

Asia Asia

Asia Asia knows that sushi cravings need to come with stunning views and that’s why it’s consistently ranked as one of the most picturesque spots for Asian food in Dubai. Officially reopening with a new look on June 10, the popular Dubai Marina spot has prime views of the glittering Dubai Marina backdrop, so book ahead to reserve a table near the window to really soak it all up. Just don’t be surprised if you start seeing its Wagyu beef gyozas and soy-marinated salmon in your sleep.

Reopening June 10. Pier 7, Dubai Marina Mall, www.dubai.asia-asia.com (04 4276 5900).

At.Mosphere

Dinner in the world’s tallest building is as memorable as you might imagine. The breathtaking structure stands as a metaphor for Dubai’s sky’s-the-limit attitude to just about everything. The marvel of modern engineering, which reaches 828 metres in height with 160 habitable storeys, is home to the impossibly chic Armani Hotel, corporate offices and numerous restaurants, including the decadent At.mosphere on the 122nd floor. From the minute you enter the superfast elevator that whizzes you to the top in record time, and descend the Art Deco mirrored staircase similar to the one found in Mademoiselle Chanel’s Atelier in Paris, you’ll come over all Great Gatsby. Chinoiserie murals decorate the wall and wait staff wear retro-inspired outfits. And then there’s the view: floor-to-ceiling windows frame the twinkling lights and traffic pumping through the veins of the city below – a dazzling backdrop against which to dine. The food is as decadent as the decor, and the set menu brings a line-up of picture-perfect plates like amuse bouche of pumpkin veloute with smoked paprika and potato chips served in a ceramic shell of a sea urchin, quail egg and charolais beef tartare topped with edible flowers, and tender black cod with seaweed black rice, sprinkled with micro greens. The drinks are no less Instagrammable, unveiled in a puff of dry ice smoke from a wooden box, as the waiter quips: “Why dine at the tallest tower in the world, if you can’t have clouds in your drinks?

What to order: At.Mosphere Experience set menu

The view: Bird’s Eye View of Downtown Dubai

Address: Burj Khalifa, Downtown Dubai

Babiole

Sashay down to Al Habtoor City and enjoy the awe-inspiring views of Burj Khalifa, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Business Bay, and even the majestic Burj Al Arab if you squint while also enjoying premium handcrafted Mediterranean dishes. Looking for the perfect place to watch the sunset? Babiole offers up unparalleled views that you need to see to believe.

Open daily from noon-1am. Al Habtoor City, Business Bay (056 515 4665).

Ling Ling

Located in Atlantis The Royal – Dubai’s hotel du jour – Ling Ling has fast become a popular haunt thanks to its glamorous nighttime mood reminiscent of the restaurant-bar-club hybrids found in New York City. Spread across two floors, low-lit with LED pillars that flash with fuchsia graphics while a resident DJ provides the soundtrack, it has a distinct night club vibe, coupled with views that stretch across the fronds of the Palm and to the glittering Dubai skyline beyond, further adding to the big city energy. The crowd here is a mix of ultra-glam women in sparkling dresses, tech entrepreneurs and a smattering of tourists. The later it gets, the more the glamour ramps up. People-watching aside, Ling Ling is about the food. Dishes at Asian-style sharing concept come in small denominations so over-order if in a group, as you’ll likely want more than one of each. Star dishes include shiitake mushroom dumplings, shrimp tempura in a sticky wasabi-honey glaze and Korean-style crispy chicken with bee pollen – possibly the best you’ll ever eat. The crispy rice salad and salmon tacos are also worth adding on. If you can manage main courses, crispy orange beef pairs perfectly with a dish of truffle noodles, or for something a little lighter choose the sake salmon, crab and asparagus sushi rolls.

What to order: Crispy bee pollen chicken with black pepper and honey glaze

The view: The Dubai skyline

Address: Atlantis The Royal, Palm Jumeirah

Fi’lia

The SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences’ fully female-led Italian Mediterranean restaurant offers a fantastic view of Dubai. The menu is broken down into three sections: nonna – traditional Italian flavours your grandmother would make, mamma – contemporary twists on a classic, and figlia – a daughter’s modern approach to a generational masterpiece. Dishes range from lasagne and ravioli to salt-baked sea bass, pizzas, truffle risotto and more, while the views across the city are stunning day or night.

Open daily from 12.30pm-3.30pm, 6.30pm-midnight. SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences Dubai, Business Bay, sbe.com/restaurants/filia/dubai (04 607 0757).

Mott 32

They say you can judge a restaurant on whether the locals eat there, so it’s a good sign that clientele at Mott 32 on the 73rd floor of the Address Beach Resort are often from Asia. With eight venues around the world, from Singapore to Las Vegas, Mott 32’s highly-regarded style of modern Chinese food from celebrated Chef Lee Man Sing is a representation of Hong Kong’s diverse gastronomic landscape. Championing a fusion of Sichuan, Cantonese and Beijing dishes, the restaurant boasts four Chinese chefs, each bringing a well-honed skill to the table including 20 years specialising in dim sum and 15 years experience solely cooking Peking duck: the restaurant’s most famed dish, that takes 48 hours to prepare. The captivating interior design by Joyce Wang Studio references the retro glamour of Hong Kong’s heyday, dark wood is married with chinois accents and palm print motifs, which coupled with the excellent food and unbeatable views over Palm Jumeirah, Bluewater’s Island and Dubai Harbour make Mott 32 a must-visit for lovers of Chinese food. Visit on a wednesday to experience the Dim Sum and Sip taster menu of cocktails and dumplings.

What to order: Apple wood roasted Peking duck

The view: Bluewater’s Island, Dubai harbour and Palm Jumeirah

Address: Address Beach Resort & Spa, JBR

Zeng He’s

Got a date who loves fancy Chinese food in an even fancier setting? Then take them to Zeng He’s and make sure you sit by the window to enjoy stunning views of the Madinat Jumeirah waterways and the Burj Al Arab. Staff are attentive and the food is award-winning, and the cosy interiors come filled with dark wood and oriental touches that will transport you straight to China. If you’re after a fancy feast, this is your place.

Open daily from 12.30pm-10.30pm. Mina A’ Salam, Madinat Jumeirah (04 432 3232)