Beyond exquisite dining experiences across the UAE, you can also get up close and personal with nature. Across the Emirates are nature-inspired restaurants that teleport you to new and exciting spaces where ice dwells and rain pours.
To experience it for yourself, these are the dining spots to hit up:
Amazonico Dubai
For a dose of jungle fever, Amazonian heat, and the ultimate green escape, Dubai’s Amazonico is your place to go. It is time to step into the jungle. At this diner, you sit below a ceiling of massive hanging butterflies and willow vines mixed with the electrifying tropical beats of the in-house DJ.
Situated in the heart of DIFC, the three-story immersive environment of lush greenery and natural materials was designed by internationally renowned artist Lázaro Rosa-Violan.
Beyond the interiors, an Amazonian meal is also on offer. You’ll get to indulge in their Zapallo Loche y Queso (Peruvian pumpkin, goat cheese, ricotta, corn, naan bread) or their Picanton Caipira (Spanish corn-fed baby chicken marinated in Peruvian spices).
Ristorante L’Olivo
Have you ever dined while inches away from a great white shark or a group of tiny clownfish? It turns out there is a way to experience the underwater world and live in all its glory while dining out.
At Dubai’s Ristorante L’Olivo, which is located within the majestic Burj El Arab, you get to take your seat at a table among coral-filled aquariums and sample seafood-centered plates that were refined all the way at Capri.
This culinary pop-up sits within an aquatic setting accented with rich gold hues. It is a dining spot where you can enjoy two Michelin-starred Italian chef Andrea Migliaccio’s fruits of the sea. From his tuna tartare tagliolini to his saffron-dusted blue lobster, it is a true gastronomic extravaganza.
Habib Beirut – Khorfakkan Waterfall
Want to tap into your inner Batman and dine in a cave? Want to up the experience by also including a majestic waterfall? That is the kind of experience you’ll get at Habib Beirut, a Lebanese restaurant that opened inside the Khorfakkan Waterfall in Sharjah, only an hour away from Dubai.
Situated at Khorfakkan, the venue of the restaurant overlooks the insta-worthy Khorfakkan waterfall. When you get seated next to their floor-to-ceiling windows, you’ll get to admire water trickling down the glass, a true waterfall experience.
Looking up, you’ll see gray cave-like walls with undulating structures. When it comes to the food, when dining inside, you’ll enjoy Lebanese cuisine, including shawarma dishes and grilled halloumi.
Chillout Ice Lounge
For the ultimate escape from the sweltering heat, Dubai has its very own space made of ice. Dubbed the Chillout Ice Lounge, it is the first-ever ice lounge in the Middle East. From ice sculptures of angel wings to wild animals in icicle form, inside, you’ll have ample opportunity to snap a pic with any of these icy creations.
Along with that, you’ll get to enjoy a frosty -6°C environment while sipping on their signature hot chocolate and indulging in anything from their delicious chicken skewers to their chicken panini.
‘Rain Street’ in Dubai
Dubai has a knack for making the impossible possible, and that is why the city has its very own rain street. It is an entire street in Dubai that simulates rainfall. Sitting in the Heart of Europe island, which is part of World Island, the rain street is in Monaco Hotel of the Côte d’Azur resort.
On that street is a restaurant called La Brasserie, with both outdoor and indoor seating. Many who sit outside watch the rain drip down from the awnings above them. Diners can dine while watching the rain come to life in a desert city that knows how to make miracles happen.
You can have fun hitting up each one of these restaurants for a week. By doing so, you’ll get to experience different natural worlds that are completely unrelated to the UAE’s scorching desert environment.
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