A tea house with
a place in the neighbourhood.

Arabian Tea House dates its opening to 1997. Its own history recalls the earlier name Basta Art Café and describes a house associated with a pearl merchant. You may still encounter the name Bastakiya when reading about this part of Dubai.

Turquoise seating, white chairs and greenery have become part of the restaurant’s visual identity. The original photographs on this page show why so many travellers make room for the address in their Al Fahidi plans.

A place to sit.
A little time.
Something new
on the table.

Read the restaurant’s official history for its account of the building and the brand. Then let the visit be about the meal as much as the photograph: ask what you are eating, notice the bread, and leave time to finish your drink.

Looking for the best
Emirati restaurant in Dubai?

Start by deciding what would make the meal memorable for you. “Best” might mean a first taste of traditional breakfast, a family lunch, a modern interpretation of the cuisine or a place to spend an unhurried afternoon. Those are different restaurant searches.

Our reason to shortlist Arabian Tea House is the combination of an Emirati menu and a location that fits naturally into a day in Al Fahidi. It works especially well as an introduction: you can choose a tray of smaller components or a single main rather than committing to a large, unfamiliar order.

• For first-time visitors: choose a few dishes you can identify and explain to each other, rather than ordering only familiar starters.
• For breakfast lovers: compare the Emirati tray with the restaurant’s other breakfast sections before deciding.
• For families: check the children’s options, portion sizes and any dietary needs before placing the full order.
• For a short visit: a drink and a small dish may suit your day better than a full meal.

We would not turn one meal into a universal ranking of the city. To compare other approaches to the cuisine, the official Visit Dubai Emirati food guide is a useful starting point. For more addresses around your walk, browse our Old Dubai places to eat and drink .

What is Emirati food?

Emirati cuisine reflects the UAE’s trading connections, with ingredients and spices shared across Asia and the Middle East. Rice, meat, seafood, wheat and aromatic seasoning all have a place in the wider food culture. Experience Abu Dhabi’s introduction to Emirati cuisine offers a useful overview of those connections.

A restaurant in Dubai can serve food from several traditions on the same menu. The words “Arabic food” describe a much wider category than the cuisine of the UAE. If you want to explore Emirati cooking, look for the named local dishes and ask the team about them.

A few names to recognise

Why harees deserves attention

Harees carries a story beyond a restaurant menu. UNESCO inscribed the knowledge, skills and practices associated with the dish in 2023, in a joint entry for the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia. Its description connects preparing and sharing harees with hospitality and social occasions.

The UNESCO harees entry is worth reading if you enjoy understanding food through the people who make and share it. It also reminds us that regional dishes belong to a wider cultural conversation, rather than one restaurant alone.

What to order
for an Emirati breakfast.

For a first breakfast, our suggestion is to start by comparing the Special Emirati Breakfast Tray with the individual breakfast dishes. A tray gives you variety; a smaller order lets you focus on a dish or bread that interests you.

The Emirati tray or the Arabic tray?

The official menu lists these as different choices. If your reason for coming is to discover Emirati food, begin with the Emirati section and ask which components are included that day. Do not assume that every item on a large Arabic breakfast platter represents the same culinary tradition.

If you prefer a smaller breakfast

Choose one unfamiliar element and give it your attention. Balaleet with egg offers the sweet-and-savoury contrast described above. A bread-focused order lets you notice texture and try different accompaniments without turning breakfast into an elaborate tasting exercise.

Our ordering approach for two people

Ask whether a tray is intended for one person or sharing, then order to your appetite. You could start with a tray and add a bread or small dish after checking the portion sizes. That is an ordering suggestion, not a fixed restaurant package.

Tell the server if you prefer mostly savoury food, avoid eggs or do not want a large breakfast. A short conversation is more useful than treating the most photographed platter as the right order for everyone.

Emirati lunch,
something sweet
& a pot of tea.

Machboos: a place to start at lunch

If you want a substantial meal, look at the machboos options. The dish is associated with rice, meat or seafood and Gulf seasoning; dried lime, often called loomi, is part of the wider flavour tradition. Ask about the preparation of the version you are ordering.

For your first visit, choose the protein you enjoy and ask what accompanies it. You do not need to order several large rice dishes to experience the cuisine. One main, a contrasting small dish and time to enjoy them can make a satisfying introduction.

Saloona and other choices

If you would prefer something other than a rice-centred order, ask about the saloona options and what they come with. Keep the conversation practical: how much food is it, what is the main ingredient, and will it suit your preferences?

For a group, let each person name one thing they want to try before building the order. It helps avoid a table of similar dishes chosen under different names.

Luqaimat for a sweet finish

Luqaimat are small fried dumplings, commonly finished with date syrup or honey. The restaurant’s guide to machboos and luqaimat explains the dishes from its own perspective. If dessert is part of your plan, leave space before adding another main.

Choose your tea by how you like it

The name may bring you here for tea alone. Ask whether a drink is milky or clear, sweetened or unsweetened, and how large the serving is. The restaurant describes choices including karak and mint tea in its Al Fahidi tea-house guide.

Arabian Tea House
menu prices & budget.

The figures below are selected prices from the official Al Fahidi branch page, checked on 7 November 2026. They are reference points for planning; confirm the menu presented at the restaurant and any applicable charges.

Use the official Al Fahidi menu for the complete selection. The brand also has general menu pages; branch-specific information is the better reference for this visit.

A simple way to estimate your bill

Add the dishes you actually intend to order, then account for drinks, water, sweets and any additional bread or sides. Check what is already included before adding more. A tray price does not tell you the cost of the whole table.

For example, two of the listed chicken machboos mains would total AED 124 before drinks, extras and any additional charges. This is a calculation using published menu prices, not a set menu or a promised final bill.

If you are comparing restaurants, compare a similar meal rather than a starting price. Think about the setting and how naturally the stop fits your day, as well as the food budget.

How to get to
Arabian Tea House.

The Al Fahidi branch is on Al Fahidi Street in Bur Dubai, opposite Musalla Post Office according to the official address. Use the branch’s official location and directions link when planning your journey.

By metro

Look for Sharaf DG (G25) on the Green Line. Older articles may call the station Al Fahidi. Plan the onward walk from your chosen exit using a current map, and allow extra time in hot weather. The RTA metro map helps you choose the route from elsewhere in Dubai.

By taxi or on foot

Give the driver the full branch name, not only “Arabian Tea House”. If you are already exploring Al Fahidi, make the restaurant a pause in your walk rather than assuming a taxi can take you through every heritage lane.

If you are coming from the Gold Souk in Deira, remember that you need to cross the Creek or travel around it. Al Fahidi and the gold market are on different sides of the water.