11 awesome Dubai restaurants with outdoor seating

Trattoria Toscana
Trattoria Toscana has an authentic Tuscan menu, as the name gives away. Along with a rustic menu, a warm and welcoming vibe and enthusiastic staff direct from Italy, the restaurant is an ideal place to gather friends and family. Inspired by the laid-back lifestyle of rural Tuscany, diners can enjoy long meals outside on the terrace, along Souk Madinat Jumeirah’s waterway. Perfect for a long, lazy lunch.
Where: Promenade level, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai
Best for: Long and lazy dining
Contact: +9714 432 3232, Website

The Maine
Fast becoming one of our favourite places in Dubai due to its suave décor, reasonably priced menu and excellent food, The Main is comfortably one of JBR’s best restaurants. Make sure you visit for the ladies night which is wonderfully titled ‘The Clam Jam’.
Where: Hilton Double Tree
Best for: Ladies night.
Contact: +971 4 4576719

BiCE Mare
A nautical themed restaurant with a nautical themed menu, BiCE Mare is the place to go for fresh seafood. The restaurant’s terrace is so close to the Dubai fountains that you’re almost sprayed with water every time the jets shoot up, adding to the seaside-themed dining experience.
Where: Souk Al Bahar
Best for: The catch of the day.
Contact: 

Pierchic
The pearl in the oyster shell that is the Madinat Jumeirah complex, it might actually be the law that couples must leave this most romantic of restaurants newly betrothed. It’s a curious paradox of a place; it looks like an oil rig from afar – hint, it was once used as a  jetty by a construction firm – and the bill could come close to the price of the one, but its unbeatable setting at the end of a 100-metre pier with the Burj Al Arab for a neighbour, paired with mouth-watering seafood and top-notch service, make Pierchic a winner.
Where: Al Qasr Hotel
Best for: A very special evening.
Contact: +971 44 32 32 32

Bussola
The terrace at the ever-popular Bussola remains one of the premier spots for outdoor amongst marina residents. It also has a generous deck overlooking the azure waters of the Arabian Gulf and the sprawling Palm Jumeirah. In terms of food, Bussola has won plenty of admirers – and awards – for its creative approach to Italian cuisine. When even the humble pizza has the ability to surprise you (with no less than five seafood options to pick from), you know you’re onto a winner.
Where: The Westin Dubai
Best for: Bon viveurs.
Contact: +9714 511 7136

Café Belge
Offering fancy Belgian comfort food, like chunky chips and mussels, Café Belge is chilled out and atmospheric at the same time. The 20’s themed restaurant has a large outdoor area which is great for dinner or drinks.
Where: Gate Village, DIFC
Best for: A massive pot of mussels .
Contact: 

Pai Thai
One of the nicest settings of any restaurant in Dubai, half the beauty of Pai Thai lies in simply getting there. Arriving at the Al Qasr Hotel you hop on one of the abras, the small dhow-like boats, and reach your destination after a delightfully circuitous route around Madinat Jumeirah’s canals. Start with the crispy marinated chicken wrapped in a pandan leaf, follow that with deep-fried dory fillet with garlic and chili sauce and finish with a lemongrass sorbet and you’re set.
Where: Dar Al Masyaf Hotel, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai
Best for: Incurable romantics.
Price: Around AED800 for two including drinks
Contact: +9714 432 3232

Mekong
Restaurants need not specialise in one cuisine to be given fine-dining wings, but if you’re going to mix it up, a more eclectic menu must not be at the mercy of Doing Things Properly – and this is where Mekong wins. Dining at Mekong, within the sprawling Asia-inspired Anantara resort, takes diners on a vibrant journey through the food of Vietnam, China and Thailand. Here, chicken satay or dim-sum shunners and pad thai or crispy duck lovers can all dine in harmony.
Where: Anantara Palm
Best for: Modern Asian dishes.
Contact: +9714 437 1699