When the city feels like the inside of a hair-dryer, the smart set simply turns the thermostat down, orders a mocktail and keeps the fashion fixes coming. Bookmark these indoor hotspots—each one freshly name-checked in 2024-25 reviews—then step inside without breaking a bead of sweat.
The Cullinan | Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
A marble-and-olive-leather dining hall, a tome-like steak menu, and Burj Al Arab views—this first-floor grill is pure theatre without the heatstroke. Order the Rangers Valley fillet, side of Brussels sprouts, and watch the sunset through floor-to-ceiling glass in crisp, cool comfort.
Umi Kei | The Fore at Marsa Al Arab
Kintsugi-inspired walls, a sushi counter carved from marble, and just enough seats to feel like you’ve stumbled into a secret. Hamachi sashimi and nasu eggplant skewers arrive with the precision of a tea ceremony—minus the humidity.
Iliana | Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
Mykonos may be a four-hour flight, but chef Andreas Gkipalis plates the holiday here: barrel-aged feta Greek salad, honey-drenched phyllo feta, and a choriatiki worthy of postcard snaps—all while the Gulf glitters safely behind you.
FZN by Björn Frantzén | Atlantis The Palm
Dhs 2,000 buys you the most theatrical tasting menu in town: langoustine hash browns, otoro “roses” and a candy room finale, all choreographed to Gulf views through triple-glazed glass.
StreetXO | One&Only One Za’abeel
Chef Dabiz Muñoz turned a cantilever 100 metres above Sheikh Zayed Road into a punk-lux playground: neon bar, chefs in straitjackets, cocktails that arrive smoking. Order the ceviche sour and watch the open-kitchen circus from your leather banquette.
The Guild (The Salon) | ICD Brookfield Place
Think New-York-meets-Paris brasserie: roaring hearth, crystal chandeliers, wagyu tartare portioned tableside. Slide from the glass-house “Nurseries” aperitivo to the fire-lit Salon for wood-fire rib-eye, all in a sleek cool indoor setting.
Girl and the Goose | Anantara Downtown
Central American soul food graduates from a JBR apartment supper-club to a cosy, wood-panelled room just off the hotel lobby. Think elotes loco corn salad, duck confit flautas and beef-cheek tacos, all delivered with storytelling warmth you just can’t get enough of.
Culinara Social Dining | The Link at One Za’abeel
Recently opened, this sky-high food hall corrals 12 home-grown concepts—ramen from Reif, Persian charcoal grills, crudo tapas—100 metres above Sheikh Zayed Road. Come hungry; roam in climate-controlled bliss.
Luchador | Aloft Palm Jumeirah
Mexican night, anyone? Perched on the 11th-floor rooftop of Aloft Palm Jumeirah, Luchador is a mash-up of lucha-libre attitude and Riviera view, wrapped in 360-degree skyline panoramas. Slide into a leather booth for Baja fish tacos, churro waffles and margaritas served in wrestling-mask glassware, while a live mariachi-DJ mash-up keeps the energy flowing.
Folly Brasserie | Address Montgomerie
Picture a domed glasshouse filled with century-old olive trees, chandeliers, and a roaming olive-oil trolley. Seasonal European plates (the beetroot with cashew cream is a sleeper hit) pair perfectly with the greenhouse views—no sunburn risk here.
