Al Nafoorah

Description:

• Dubai's top Lebanese restaurant sits on the ground floor of the Emirates shopping arcade, its opulent dining room leading to a lovely outdoor terrace facing the Dubai skyline. Business executives flock here by day, while romantic couples grace the restaurant by night. Al Nafoorah prides itself on its extensive selection of hot and cold meze (appetizers, such as hummus, baba ghanouj, and kibbe Nafoorah with minced lamb in ground bulgar wheat) and inventive Lebanese dishes including grilled Omani lobster, chicken livers in pomegranate, and delicious shawarmas. Twelve expert cooks work under award-winning Executive Chef Ali Hussein, who specializes in seafood from the Arabian Gulf. Perhaps the most exotic fish prepared is the Hlowa Wo, a mild white fish marinated with fresh local herbs and accompanied by cumin rice. Hussein also recommends the fusion dish with baba ghanouj and fresh crab. Friday's seafood lunch is a local favorite with Gulf delights such as hammour, lobster, and shrimp. Service is as inspired as the cooking.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2010