Early in 2010, Geelong boy Tom Arnel moved to Abu Dhabi as the executive chef for Jones the Grocer, an Australian-based fine food retailer and restaurant, going on to open and operate seven branches across Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In was in Dubai that Arnel met Spaniard Sergio Lopez and decided to team up and open a casual venue focusing on good food and coffee. Tom & Serg was born and opened in Al Qouz, Dubai, in 2013. Since then, their company, Bull & Roo, has opened The Sum of Us, a two-storey gourmet café that houses a sourdough bakery and coffee roastery; Common Grounds, which serves gourmet coffee in one of Dubai’s busiest malls; Brunswick Sports Club, a mashup of industrial Brooklyn gym and rustic Melbourne bar; and, most recently, Muchacha’s Mexican Cantina, whose name tells you everything you need to know. Here are Tom and Serg’s top ten Dubai recommendations.

Blending the traditional Parisian Bistro dining experience with the contemporary sophistication of Dubai and a stunning location by the Arabian Sea, Bistro des Arts presents itself as an original place to experience a slice of Paris. Tom Arnel says he goes there “for old-school French classics.” www.bistrodesarts.ae

According to Arnel, Hanoi has “the best pho in town”. Located in the Jumeirah Lakes Towers.

Known for its kooky framed pictures, ripped magazine pages and Thai T-shirts, which line the walls, this Dubai favourite serves what Arnel describes as one of the “all-time best pad thais”. www.smilingbkk.com

“The pizza is on-point,” says Arnel when describing Bussola. The restaurant sports a formal dining experience downstairs, a more casual one at the upper-deck pizzeria and a cocktail lounge. www.bussoladubai.com

“Flowing drinks and old school arcade games…just yes,” Arnel says of this trendy addition to Dubai’s bar scene. Play classic arcade machines or come to listen to music and dance all night on the weekends. Located at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dubai at Jumeirah Beach.

It’s this Mexican restaurant’s commitment to locally-sourced ingredients (or else stuff sourced straight from Mexico) that results in what Arnel describes as “unbeatable burritos” (the huevos rancheros, pictured, look pretty amazing, too). www.taqado.com

Everyone from cab drivers to five-star chefs comes to this legendary Pakistani eatery, which has been around since 1978. “Unreal authentic Pakistani food served on plastic tablecloths and polystyrene cups” is how Arnel describes it. Eat like a prince and pay like a pauper! Shop # 245, Al Dhiyafa Road, Satwa

Arnel loves Cocktail Kitchen’s “special mixology and relaxed party vibes”. While cocktails are (obviously) at the heart of the experience, food is its backbone. The Mediterranean-inspired sharing dishes have been designed to complement the experience. www.cocktail-kitchen.com

Nestled at the end of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel walkway, 360° boasts some of the best views in Dubai – nowhere else in the city can you take in panoramas of the luxurious Burj Al Arab and the sweeping waters of the Arabian Gulf. “It’s the perfect spot for sundowners with the missus,” Arnel says. www.jumeirah.com/en/hotels-resorts/dubai/jumeirah-beach-hotel/restaurants/360

“I’m biased,” Arnel admits, “but it’s a proper Aussie café in Al Quoz and the first one we opened. It’s our baby and you should check it out!” www.tomandserg.com