Dubai's hotels are the focus of much of the city's entertainment scene, catering not only for their own guests but also for Dubai's resident population (both UAE Nationals and expatriates).

The hotels boast a remarkable variety of restaurants ranging from coffee shops to the finest dining. In addition to restaurants specializing in regional dishes (such as Lebanese or Iranian), every national cuisine is well represented from the familiar French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Indian to the more exotic Argentinean, Polynesian, Moroccan and everything in between. Hotels like Grosvenor House West Marina Beach Dubai and those in Madinat Jumeirah have a number of really good restaurants.

Blue Elephant - Located in the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, this restaurant is regarded as the best Thai restaurant in the Middle East with a superb menu and excellent service.

Century Village - This is one restaurant complex which is worth a visit for all Irish people visiting Dubai. Located right next door to the Irish Village, the Century Village is made up of a small group of fine dining restaurants in a pleasant relaxing atmosphere of fountains and greenery.

Restaurants include Da Gama (Portuguese), La Vigne (Italian), a Japanese Sushi Bar, a quality Coffee Shop, and an Arabic restaurant. The courtyard style area offers guests the choice of dining outdoors or indoors.

The Boardwalk - Located in the Dubai Creek Golf Club overlooking the beautiful creek, the food is excellent and the atmosphere is very romantic. The fabulous location is perfect for a meal under the stars, an afternoon brunch or cocktails at sunset.

Davinci's Italian Bistro - Situated in the Airport Hotel, this restaurant has a wonderful ambience and serves very good food at reasonable prices. It is very popular with the Dubai Irish.

Don Corleone - Situated in the Metropolitan Hotel, it has an excellent variety of Italian food served in a warm friendly atmosphere and you can dine outside if you wish. Rustica in the Rydges plaza is very popular with great food at reasonable prices.

Cactus Cantina - Located on the 8th Floor of Rydges Plaza Hotel in Satwa this restaurant is the best Mexican in town and there are free drinks for Ladies on Thursday afternoons.

The Alamo - This very popular English bar, situated in the Dubai Marine Beach Hotel, serves fine Tex Mex food all day.

Spice Island - at the Renaissance Hotel - Spice Island has it all - quality, variety and value for money. You can enjoy the best dishes from all corners of the world. Experience a vast array of European, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Mexican, Indian and Mongolian cuisine and watch the chefs cook the food at five preparation stations - 'they cook while you look' at Spice Island. They have the best in local fish including hamour and red snapper and many more "surf and turf" dishes. You can eat and drink your fill for about $35 in total.

Bamboo Lagoon - J.W. Marriot Hotel - Unbelievable value at this restaurant - all you can eat and drink for less than Euro 30 - including tender steaks, lamb and lobster etc. The Marriot is a 5* Hotel and we highly recommend a trip to the Bamboo Lagoon.

Cucina Italian - J.W. Marriot Hotel - Also in the Marriot, this is a nice Italian offering good food at reasonable prices.

Da Vinci's - The Airport Hotel - Da Vinci's is a very well known Italian and has been around for many years. It is one of the friendliest restaurants in town. Good food and wine are standard and you will enjoy the athmosphere.

The Pyramids - The Sphinx Restaurant - Somewhat more up-market but worth it if you want to dig deeper.

Verre Restaurant - The Creek Hilton Hotel - This is a Gordon Ramsey restaurant and has the top quality standards you would expect. There is a good view of the creek and you may be lucky enough to have Gordon himself around on the night as he is a regular visitor.

The One and Only Royal Mirage has some great restaurants and a cool roof top bar with a great athmosphere All the restaurants in the Madinat Jumeirah are really good.

Outside the hotels, all the international fast food chains are well represented - Mc Donald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Fuddruckers, Starbucks, French Connection and Harry Ramsden's. There are also a variety of small, good value restaurants catering for the local residents - outlets selling shawarma (a popular snack of grilled slices of lamb or chicken, mixed with salad and rolled inside a pocket of Arabian bread). Any meal in these fast food restaurants will cost Euro 4.25

Al Qasr - Located at the beautiful Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa. Serves Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine. Overlooking the splendid gardens, swimming pools, and beach at the Resort makes for a splendid evening, which accompanied by a Belly Dancer and Arabian Music. The food is delicious.

Ashiana - This restaurant is really one of the most famous and most highly respected Indian restaurants in Dubai. The service is excellent, good ambience. The evening sees the appearance of the equally famous Ashiana resident band, which enhances the aromatic and spicy dishes with the enchanting sound of classic Indian music. Located at the Sheraton Dubai Hotel and Towers.

Antique Bazaar - The Indian restaurant in Dubai. Located at the Four Points Sheraton Bur Dubai. Offers excellent food with unusual decoration. Every table in the restaurant is different. Open for dinner from 19:30 until 3 am. Prices are reasonable.

Ayam Zamam - Famous and highly respected Lebanese restaurants in Dubai. Located at the Century Hotel (formerly known as the Dubai Marine Hotel) in Bur Dubai, Ayam Zamam is open seven days a week for lunch from 12:30 - 15:30 and for dinner with live entertainment from 19:30 - 3am. Arabian music from 10:30/11:00 guarantees a special experience.

Benjarong - is a beautiful fine dining Thai restaurant located at the only Thai hotel in Dubai, the Dusit hotel. Located on the 24th floor the restaurant offers views out over the desert. Try to enjoy a drink or two at the lounge which is located on the same floor.

Blue Elephant - Blue Elephant in Dubai will not disapoint. Offering excellent Thai food in nice surroundings.

Cappana Nuovo - This Italian restaurant offers guests in door and out door dining with amazing views of the Arabian Sea.

La Vigne - Offers you authentic Italian cuisine in a wonderful setting. With indoor and outdoor dining, you have a choice of eating under the stars in the courtyard area, or dining in the spacious restaurant. The food is very good, plentiful and well priced.

Hatam Restaurant - Famous for kebabs. The food they serve is plentiful and cheap. The servers are very friendly and will help you find your way around the relatively limited menu. They have daily specials every day and the standard fare consists of rice, and different forms of kebabs.

Kwality - Let's face it any restaurant with a name spelt like this has to be featured ! This Indian restaurant is located opposite the Century Hotel in Bur Dubai (formerly the Dubai Marine Hotel). Open from 8 to 11:30 the restaurant offers good quality Indian food.

Le Venezia - Italian theme style restaurant located at the Metropolitan Hotel, along Sheik Zeyahid Road. As you dine on the Italian cuisine, you are entertained by roaming Opera singers, guitarists, and violinists, that help add to the fun of this fantasy restaurant. Children are not allowed in, so if you do want to show your children this unusual and large restaurant then you will need to use the pizzeria which is on a balcony level overlooking the Venezia proper.

Tanour - An Indian restaurant opposite the Century Hotel (formerly the Dubai Marine Hotel). The dining area of the restaurant is located on the second floor and is extremely small. What is nice about this small restaurant is that the lighting is subdued which offers a nice private meal for you to enjoy. The food is very good and reasonable. The restaurant is open 7 days a week from 12:30 until midnight.

Thai Bistro - One of the best Thai restaurants in Dubai, with even other hoteliers recommending it as a great place to enjoy the delicate and exotic flavours from Thailand. You have a choice of indoor and outdoor dining. Outdoor you sit under the stars, gazing over the landscaped gardens, with light shimmering off the swimming pools, as you look down to the beach, and the Arabian Sea.