The Sahara Centre, situated on the Dubai–Sharjah Highway, is one of the few extremely popular shopping malls in the UAE.
The Center has expanded since it opened in February 2002 and boasts an impressively large food court.
A brand-new eating area in the West Expansion leaves you spoiled for choice. Select from American, Asian, Indian, Arabic, Italian, and more.
We took pleasure in tasting what the Center offers to create this guide, and although our waistlines are not thanking us, we think you will. Choose from our selection of the best Sahara Center restaurants, or try them all.
1. Gazebo Restaurant
For an all-around good time with a flair of royal fantasy, Gazebo checks all the boxes. This restaurant chain offers relaxed entertainment and tasty dining for hungry customers of all ages and provides a delivery service.
Gazebo Restaurant tops our list because it is the type of restaurant you can visit with friends, alone, or with family.
The Indian food on selection is prepared using the finest ingredients, and the methods used have been tried and tested through the ages.
Gazebo may be best known as the UAE’s first restaurant to serve Dum Pukht Biryani, but they also serve various other delectable dishes.
There is something special for every foodie in the broad menu of delicious Kababs, lavish Curries, fragrant Biryanis, and sumptuous Desserts.
Gazebo is a one-of-a-kind restaurant serving delicacies from Lucknow, Awadh’s royal kitchens, and the Northwestern Frontier.
There is no need to emphasize that Gazebo is unlike any other Indian restaurant. It’s the culinary adventure of a lifetime, with a friendly atmosphere and attentive staff.
Visiting Gazebo at Sarah Center is like taking a trip to yesteryear. It is a genuinely regal Indian adventure.
Private dining rooms are available at most locations, while the restaurant features ambient lighting, relaxing music, stunning designs, and delightfully cozy seating designs.
- Location: First Floor, West Expansion
- Contact: +97167415189
- Website: Gazebo Restaurant – The Royal Indian Journey
2. Dampa Feast Seafood Restaurant
If you are a seafood fan, Dampa Feast Seafood Restaurant will entice your taste buds. Not only do they serve a wide variety of fresh seafood, but the service is typically outstanding and provided by well-trained and friendly staff.
Legend has it that the restaurant was started by a fisherman and his wife. The loving couple lived in a little nipa hut on the beach.
The fisherman worked tirelessly at the harbor, but that meant that he had little time or energy left to maintain the family home.
Realizing the fisherman’s talent for preparing delicious meals, people’s enthusiastic response inspired the fisherman, and he eventually expanded their modest nipa hut to serve as a seafood restaurant, too.
You and your loved ones are almost invited to put aside your smartphones and tablets and sit down to a meal of fresh seafood prepared in the traditional Dampa style.
Eating with your hands allows you to disconnect from the world and reconnect with loved ones over a shared experience away from the noise and distraction of the modern world.
Enjoy a meal of fresh prawns, shrimp, crab, or the catch of the day.
- Location: 2nd Floor, East Atrium
- Contact: +971502284677
- Website: Dampa Feast Seafood Restaurant | Sahara Centre
3. DineBest Restaurant & Café
The casual eating establishment, DineBest, may be found in every corner of the United Arab Emirates, including Sahara Mall. We love it for its accessibility and no-fuss atmosphere.
The excellent tasting menu is an added bonus, and they boast a variety of steaks, chicken, seafood, pasta, soups, salads, and delectable desserts on the broad menu.
The friendly, hardworking wait staff does their best to meet the customers’ needs, making the establishment feel warm and inviting.
DineBest Restaurant & Cafe is a meat-lovers dream location that serves perfectly grilled steak, no matter how you like it done. They use high-quality meat and marinade, and garnishes that complement them.
- Location: 2nd Floor, East Atrium
- Contact: +97165550245
- Website: DineBest (@dinebest_uae)
4. PAUL Bakery & Restaurant
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PAUL Bakery & Restaurant originally crossed oceans and countries, traveling from France to set up its shop in Marina Mall, Kuwait.
That was back in 2003. Bringing the French notion of “Art de Vivre” to the region was something that Azadea took great pride in.
Azadea has expanded to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, Egypt, KSA, and Oman, after the triumph of PAUL in Kuwait. There are currently more than 60 of their stores and restaurants, and the chain is still growing.
Even at 133 years old, PAUL Bakery and Restaurant remains the official representative of the French joie de vivre.
The company celebrates the dedication of its employees, who all share a passion for providing consumers with the highest quality items in a magical and one-of-a-kind environment.
You can expect to enjoy classic French toast, croissants, pancakes, toasted sandwiches, eggs, quiches, parfaits, baguettes, and many other traditional French dishes at PAUL’s when you pay them a visit.
- Location: Ground Floor, East Atrium
- Contact: +97165525500
- Website: PAUL Restaurant & Cafe
5. Chili’s Restaurant
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Chili’s is a global icon of casual dining. It is on our list for its great-tasting meals that are large enough to leave you feeling content but not over-full. Our high opinion aside, though, Chili’s has collected high acclaim over the years.
Over the past decade, Chili’s has been recognized in the United Arab Emirates as a “Superbrand” thanks to its dedication to providing exceptional customer service.
Enjoy a snack, lunch, or dinner at a Chili’s relaxed restaurant. Situated in the food court of the Sahara Center, it is convenient to find and has an open atmosphere. The food is well-proportioned and full of flavor.
Chili’s is an excellent choice for a quick bite on your lunch break or for a fun family or friend outing. The food is tasty and hearty, and the staff is helpful and professional.
- Location: First Floor, Food Court Area
- Contact: +97147059662
- Website: Chili’s UAE (@chilisuae)
6. Hardee’s Restaurant
Grab your burger, fries, or combo meals from Hardee’s. You will love the restaurant atmosphere, but they also offer takeaways and delivery if you prefer enjoying your burgers at home or on the go.
Also, on the menu, you will find chicken tenders, onion rings, and more.
This is the perfect restaurant to stop for a quick bite after a shopping spree, between bouts of shopping… or before shopping… we recommend Hardee’s as the go-to for a quick bite for hungry shoppers, okay?
If you are after an immediately satisfying, greasy, American-style meal, you won’t be disappointed.
- Location: First Floor, Food Court Area
- Contact: +971528073321
- Website: Hardee’s Food UAE (hardees. ae)
7. Dim Sum First Restaurant
At Dim Sum First, you can get a variety of authentic Hong Kong-style dim sum at reasonable prices without sacrificing quality. The company sells a variety of dumplings, shumai, siopao, and gyozas.
Turon, Lumpia, Kwek-Kwek, BBQ Chicken Sticks, Taho, and Sago-Gulaman are some of the various Asian food items and drinks available at Dim Sum First.
No artificial ingredients are used in producing any of their dishes, and they are Halal certified.
Take an imaginary journey through the streets of Hong Kong when you visit Dim Sum First. The authentic smells and flavors will mesmerize you as you meander through a different experience with each dish.
- Location: First Floor, Food Court Area
- Contact: +971501455932
8. Fujiyama Restaurants
One of the most characteristic noises of a Japanese kitchen is the sizzling of freshly prepared food on a Teppanyaki grill.
It would be their pleasure to welcome and serve you at a Fujiyama Restaurant, which can be found in many of the main shopping malls in the United Arab Emirates, including the Sahara Centre.
We certainly love this restaurant for its fiery, busy atmosphere, friendly staff, and beyond-delicious food. No list of best restaurants would be complete without them in our books.
Some of Fujiyama Restaurant’s top-selling dishes include their Junior Combo Meal, Teppanyaki Beef, and Chicken Teriyaki, Chicken Teriyaki, and Fuji Vegetables Noodle Soup.
Although these are their best sellers, they have an extensive menu and love to see their customers smile with delight at their culinary masterpieces.
- Location: First Floor, Food Court Area
- Contact: +971566250838
- Website: Fujiyama (fujiyamauae.ae)
9. Vanelli’s Fast Food Restaurant
Italian food is incredible in most places. When you get it from Vanelli’s, you are guaranteed something special.
Known for their customizable meals, the staff at Vanelle’s go out of their way to ensure you get precisely what you want and that you love what you eat. The food comes in reasonable quantities, too.
Salads served with pesto and croutons, garlic bread served with a crispy crust and airy center, pizza dripping with cheese and the freshest vegetables as toppings, or the crispiest crumbed mozzarella sticks, oozing with creamy goodness from inside.
No matter what you order, you are bound to have a taste sensation from Italy when you eat here.
Take your taste buds on a whirlwind trip to the Mediterranean and back as you enjoy a meal right here in our Sahara food court. Vanelli’s has you covered.
- Location: First Floor, Food Court Area
- Contact: +971-55-608-8373
- Website: www.vanellisrestaurants.com
10. PappaRoti Café
PappaRoti is a cozy café near the Sahara Center’s food court. We love it for its atmosphere and the world-renowned buns that we simply cannot get enough of. Then there is the coffee, of course.
The papparoti is a type of bun that originated in Malaysia. These delicious buns are made using sugar, yeast, egg, milk, flour, salt, and butter.
The PappaRoti (meaning father of the bun) chain was purchased by savvy businesswoman Rasha Al Danhani in 2009. She began trading in Dubai Mall using the coffee-covered bun as her signature snack.
The most popular items selected from the menu include the plain bun, cheese bun, Nutella bun, caramel macchiato, cappuccino, and milk tea. We recommend you try as many items as possible and decide which you love the most.
- Location: First Floor, near Food Court, opposite Toys’ R’ Us
- Contact: +97165302211
- Website: www.papparoti.ae