What to Eat in Dubai and Istanbul: 20 Dishes, Where to Find Them and What They Cost

Food is the reason many of our clients book the Two-City Journey twice. Dubai is the Gulf's great kitchen of immigrants — Emirati, Levantine, Iranian, Indian, Filipino — while Istanbul is a five-hundred-year-old imperial cuisine that still runs on tradesmen's lunch counters and fish sandwiches. Both are overwhelmingly halal. Here is what to order.

Dubai: ten dishes

1. Machboos — spiced rice with chicken or lamb, the Emirati national dish. Al Fanar (Festival City) or Arabian Tea House (Al Fahidi). USD 12–20.
2. Luqaimat — crisp dough balls in date syrup. Every Emirati café; the desert camp serves them too. USD 4.
3. Karak chai — sweet cardamom tea from drive-through cafeterias; AED 1–2. Order it at a window in Jumeirah.
4. Shawarma — Al Mallah (Satwa) and Al Ijaza are institutions; the Lebanese version with garlic sauce and pickles. USD 3–5.
5. Mandi — Yemeni rice with smoky lamb, eaten with the hand; Al Tawasol (Deira). USD 8–12.
6. Iranian kebab — Al Ustad Special Kabab in Bur Dubai since 1978; chelo kebab with saffron rice. USD 10–15.
7. Keralan parotta and beef fry — Karama and Al Karama's cafeterias, open past midnight. USD 3–5.
8. Grilled hammour — the Gulf's signature fish; Bu Qtair in Umm Suqeim, on plastic chairs by the beach. USD 15–25.
9. Camel-milk ice cream and camelccino — Majlis Café in Dubai Mall or the Spice Souk. USD 4–6.
10. Fine dining with a view — Zuma, Nobu, or 3 Fils in Jumeirah Fishing Harbour for the city's best casual-luxury seafood. USD 60–150.

Istanbul: ten dishes

1. Serpme kahvaltı — the spread breakfast: cheeses, olives, honey with kaymak, menemen, simit, endless tea. Van Kahvaltı Evi (Cihangir) or any Bosphorus café. USD 10–15 per person.
2. Balık ekmek — grilled fish sandwich from the boats at Eminönü, with pickle juice. USD 3.
3. Kuru fasulye — bean stew at Süleymaniye's Erzincanlı Ali Baba, next to the mosque. USD 5.
4. İskender kebab — döner over bread with tomato sauce and browned butter; Bursa's gift to Istanbul. USD 10–14.
5. Lahmacun and pide — the thin Turkish 'pizza' rolled with parsley and lemon; Halil Lahmacun (Kadıköy). USD 3–6.
6. Mezze and grilled fish at a meyhane — Karaköy or Beşiktaş; ask for the seasonal mezze tray. USD 20–35.
7. Künefe — shredded pastry with cheese and syrup, served hot; Hatay Medeniyetler Sofrası. USD 6.
8. Baklava — Karaköy Güllüoğlu, since 1949; the pistachio kind with clotted cream. USD 5 for a portion.
9. Turkish coffee and lokum — Hafız Mustafa 1864 in Sirkeci for the full experience. USD 5–8.
10. Simit and çay on the ferry — the cheapest and best meal in the city, on the Kadıköy boat at sunset. USD 1.

Halal, alcohol and Ramadan

In Dubai, all meat sold is halal by law; pork is sold only in marked sections of some supermarkets and served only in licensed hotel restaurants. Alcohol is available in licensed venues. In Istanbul, meat is halal by default; alcohol is served in many meyhanes and Beyoğlu restaurants but never in the Old City's lokantas. During Ramadan both cities offer superb iftar menus — the tents at Jumeirah Mosque and the tables around the Blue Mosque are highlights.

Dietary notes

• Vegetarian: easy in both — Turkish mezze and zeytinyağlı (olive-oil vegetable) dishes, Indian vegetarian in Dubai's Karama.
• Nut allergies: baklava, pistachio kebab and many desserts; ask 'fıstık var mı?' in Istanbul.
• Gluten-free: rice-based Gulf dishes (machboos, mandi) are safe; Turkish bread is everywhere — say 'glutensiz'.
• Children: Turkish köfte and pide, Emirati chicken machboos and fresh juices are reliable favourites.