Well, here you are in the Middle East. Looking to live like a Sheika and indulge in a show-stopper dinner? Book in quicksticks for an experience at Qbara, the heavingly hip, multi-level culinary paean to haute Levantine, Middle Eastern and Moroccan flavours, set in a theatrical dining room of crackled honeycomb walls and canoodle-friendly lighting. Add a hypnotic 3D special effects wall and swish DJ booth, and you may be lingering way past dinner… Wafi Fort Complex / near Raffles Dubai / +971 4 709 2500 / dinner daily / qbara.ae

Talk about destination dining. This extraordinary themed feast takes place right beneath the Arabian sky, in an uncovered market amid Bab Al Shams’ vast desert expanse. Belly dancers, check; Arabian Nights horse show, check; plus resident Whirling Dervish, and though the picturesque setting is quite the scene-stealer, somehow the focus remains squarely on the food. Book one of the booths or a tent, and if you simply can’t bear to leave, turn your dinner into a overnighter among the dunes. Bab Al Shams Desort Resort & Spa / +971 4 809 6100 / dinner daily / 40 mins outside Dubai / meydanhotels.com

Soaring, striking, and ultra modern, this stone, steel and glass take on the izakaya is where waifs and suits rub shoulders at pale wood tables, sushi and robata grill counters, or the slick mezzanine lounge. If it’s an extra special occasion, get your knees under for free-flow Friday brunch – trust us, you want to trade the traddy poached eggs n’ Mimosa iteration for flip-fresh all-you-can-eat nigiri, miso cod and Champers. Gate Village 6 / DIFC / +971 4 425 5660 / lunch & dinner daily, brunch Fri / zumarestaurant.com

Dubai makes a perfectly-posi’d platform from which to sample the many succulent flavours of Persia, so why not take a magic carpet ride to Iranian staple Pars? It’s a long-time favourite of locals on the prowl for juicy kebabs off the tourist trail, and easy as pie with multiple branches around town. We particularly like this family-friendly garden spot in a colourful neighbourhood, with sweet daybeds and bountiful servings from the grill, all at bargain prices. 2nd of December St / next to Chelsea Plaza Hotel / +971 4 398 4000 / dinner only / upmarket sister resto also at this location

Not everyone has time for a multi-sensory, multi-course meal – if you need a zippy lunch, follow the locals to cheap-as-chips streetside shwarma joint Antar, rammed elbow-to-nip all day long, and for good reason. Grab seasoned lamb sarnies and chicken n’ tahini shwarmas, which you can even have delivered straight to your SUV if you’re on the go. It’s totally no frills, but great value and seriously tasty, especially after a few too many Arak concoctions… Al Wasl Rd / Umm Seqeium / 8.30am-3am daily / antarcafe.com

In Dubai the weekend is Friday and Saturday, and Friday brunch is an absolute institution. There’s no shortage of free-flows at hotels around town, but whip your stretchy pants on and look no further than these… Elegant, brasserie-style leather booth doll The Ivy shines with silver service, live jazz and mod Brit bites as good as the London original. You can also try Al Qasr for its three top restaurants: Arboretum, MJ’s Steakhouse, and Al Hambra; or if your craving sways Asian, see Zuma above or sashay to Yuan, contempo Chinese yum cha queen with the city’s best dim sum and zen inner courtyard. Cha-aah. The Ivy / The Boulevard / Jumeirah Emirates Towers / +971 4 319 8767 / noon-4pm / theivy.ae Al Qasr Hotel / Madinat Jumeirah / Jumeirah / +971 4 366 6730 / 12.30-4pm Yuan / Atlantis the Palm / Crescent Rd / Jumeirah / +971 4 426 2626 / 11.30am-3.30pm / atlantisthepalm.com

One of just two Dubai restaurants to make the prestigious San Pellegrino’s World’s 100 Best Restaurants list, the bustling, blond wood and white linen-ed LPM pays homage to old Genoese cooking, effortlessly melding French Med fare with Ligurian influences from across the border. Be warned the bistro heaves with the VIP social set, especially on weekends, so book ahead. Add charming Euro waitstaff and simply sinful cheesecake. Gate Village 8 / DIFC / +971 4 439 0505 / lunch & dinner daily / lpmdubai.ae

Hankering after a spot of greenery in this most man-made of desert cities? Pretty parkside caff and culture flopspot The Archive sits smack bang in Safa Park with smooth grooves, ace Middle Eastern art, and lit library to boot. Caters to local hipsters, yes, but they’ve got a fab range of events including calligraphy courses, pottery classes, tech seminars and pop-up shops. Scene! Safa Park / Gate 5 / Sheikh Zayed Rd / +971 4 349 4033 / 8am-10pm daily

There’s the boring food court, and then there’s Wafi Gourmet. This enormous Lebanese food hall is a spice lover’s paradise, with unbelievable culinary variety from cold mezzeh to BBQ, plus pick n’ mix Arabic sugar treats for sweet tooths. It’s the perfect one-stop shop for picnic goodies, souvenirs for loved ones, or you can eat-in and rub shoulders with ladies who lunch, a la Levant. Wafi Mall / Oud Metha Rd / near Garhoud Bridge / Bur Dubai / +971 4 324 4433 / 9am-midnight Sat-Wed, till 1am Thu-Fri / wafigourmet.com