Dubai Sport’s City (DSC), a multi-venue sports neighborhood with five world-class sports venues and academies, is abuzz with players and coaches and restaurants are a meeting place for locals.
Restaurants cater to every taste, and the chances of seeing and mingling with world champions are not uncommon.
The restaurants are themed with sport in mind. There are family-friendly ones, traditional and even exotic Indian and Pakistani meals.
There’s a chance of sitting down with sports stars and plenty of places to go to during a business day for a break and to enjoy something delicious. There are places for the health conscious and lots for moms and kids.
1. The Green Room
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The Green Room is a restaurant that’s a meeting place, even for those who don’t play golf. This social oasis has an ala carte menu with pizzas, burgers, and traditional club sandwiches.
You have different risotto choices for lunch, and the grilled salmon with pea puree is terrific. There’s also potato gnocchi with veal bacon, shallots, and chives.
For those with a big appetitive, there’s the on-the-bone rib-eye steak served with homemade fries!
The breakfast menu is fantastic, with home-baked sourdough toast and avocado or egg choices with salmon. The Champion’s breakfast with veal sausages and bacon is served with maple syrup, banana, blueberry, vanilla custard, and Nutella.
The Sunday roasts are a traditional fare with potatoes, and honey-glazed parsnip served with chicken, lamb, or beef.
The pool brunches are a treat, with sweet-potato hummus dips and a basil burrata that’ll make you want to be back there next week.
Whether it’s the buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup, the raspberry cheesecake, or the lime meringue tart, the food is as good as the atmosphere.
- Address: Els Club Extension
- Website: https://greenroomdubai.com/
- Phone Number: +971 4 423 8310
2. Pizzeria Pulcinella
The family-run Italian Pizzeria Pulcinella can be in Naples as the atmosphere and food are authentically Neapolitan.
Chef Domenico and his wife Claudia’s passion for cooking stands out with the authentic Italian tastes from their fertile home province, Campania.
The Restaurant’s name, after a character carnival mask in Naples, symbolizes fighting misfortunes. This is also the mood here, a pleasant spot with good food and laughter.
You can be assured that Pizzeria Pulcinella is the taste of native cooking – fresh ingredients and aromas to unlock one’s appetite.
Pizzeria Pulcinella’s thin-crusted pizzas are mouth-wateringly good. If locals say this is the best pizzas, you shouldn’t doubt it.
The menu is much more extensive, with Italian bruschetta topped with zucchini and eggplant. You must order a platter of fried eggplant with plenty of olive oil and served with fresh cherry tomatoes.
The mincemeat and fried rice balls are a good appetizer. But the baby octopus cooked in a tomato base with capers and olives is a taste of the Mediterranean that’ll make you want to order a second helping.
- Address: Canal Residence, European Building, Shop 1-E
- Website: https://pulcinelladubai.com/
- Phone Number: +971 4 277 6281
3. Copper Kettle
The Copper Kettle is a relaxing experience with a fusion of Indian and Pakistani foods.
The cuisine is styled on foods from the City of Lahore with lamb, beef, chicken, and lentil dishes. The chefs’ motto is that food makes one happy and indulging is good.
Breakfasts come with a twist. Be ready to treat yourself to a plate of chickpeas served with naan bread.
Or the chickpeas sautéed with Garam masala and fine red chilies and topped with green chilies, chopped ginger, and garlic. The egg dishes are served with chickpeas, meat, or lentil.
The breakfast flavors are exotic. Just imagine a mixture of garlic, coriander, turmeric, and masala mixed with cumin, fennel, and cardamom seeds.
Lime juice is added to break the richness. And the best breakfast is a slow-cooked mutton or beef curry served with marrow bones.
The most popular meal is the choice of chaat, a traditional form of street food that’s spicy, tangy, salty, and even sweet, and has vegetarian options. There are several mutton dishes and the tastiest Pakistani chicken dishes.
- Address: Shop E5 and E6 European Building, Canal Side Retail West
- Website: https://copper-kettle-restaurant-sports-city-dubai.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral
- Phone Number: +971 4 552 0030
4. 261 Restaurant
At 261 Restaurant, there’s breakfast all day long. You can choose to have banana pancakes or a breakfast burger. And there are endless plates of eggs Florentine. Another favorite is the triple berry homemade granola.
The breakfast menu is served in addition to sandwiches, pasta, burgers, and the ever-popular British fish ‘n chips.
If you feel like something offbeat, there’s Southeast Asian nasi goring. But the most delectable is the pan-seared bream served with a salsa verde.
You can also give a round of applause as 261 Restaurant serves the best steak and Guinness pie outside Ireland.
Fitness enthusiasts love it here, too, as 261 Restaurant is cornering the market with an under 500-calorie menu. You can have watermelon, rocket salad, chicken and avocado taquitos (wraps), or air-dried wagyu beef and avocado.
The restaurant has themed nights, from Sunday’s family roast to Monday’s burgers and beer, and on a Tuesday, kids eat for free for every adult meal bought.
Wednesday’s curries are a sell-out, and ‘Flaming Thursday’ is a friendly get-together with grilled meats, burgers, and hotdogs. Make sure you’re there for the ‘rise & shine’ bubbly breakfasts on the weekend.
- Address: Ground Floor, The Els Club
- Website: https://www.elsclubdubai.com/261_restaurant/
- Phone Number: +971 (0) 4 425 1000.
5. Big Easy Bar And Grill
The view over The Els Club’s fairways adds to the atmosphere at Big Easy Bar And Grill.
This restaurant is associated with former World No. 1 player, the South African golfer Ernie Els. He has the nickname ‘The Big Easy’. And now, this restaurant reflects his passion for fine food and good company.
The Restaurant is known for Els’ signature touch with a farm-to-table menu that he says is inspired by his South African culture and heritage.
The beef carpaccio with horseradish cream and pickled Shimeij mushrooms is simply divine.
The beetroot and baby spinach salad is topped with goat cheese and walnuts. There’s Springbok Wellington with spicy carrots and asparagus or grilled ostrich steak for a South African touch.
The chefs prepare Els’s favorite dishes. And make sure you have the Malay chicken curry served with poppadum and raita. But the slow-cooked Thai duck breast or Angry Duck Curry will bring you back here.
Another Els favorite is the cinnamon-flavored lamb shank sold as bunny chow, a lamb stew in a loaf of bread.
- Address: First Floor, The Els Club
- Website: https://www.dsc.ae/restaurants/big-easy/
- Phone Number: +971 (0) 4 425 1000
6. Champs Café
Champs Café is a spot for moms to spend time alone while their kids train at the Football Academy. This is a time to take stock of the day’s activities and plan the evening. It’s also a time for moms to meet and chat with other parents.
And, it’s not just café lattes and cappuccinos that attract. There’s a fresh harvest salad or a pear and feta with roasted beetroot and pine nuts to enjoy.
There are meals for the kids, too, when they return from practice. The little champs-in-the-making can have fresh juices and sandwiches to boost their energy levels.
They can either fuel up before practice, re-energize after a game, or just snack as they watch siblings in action on the pitches.
Champs Café is known for its freshly made smoothies, burgers, and burritos. But best of all, at Champs Café, chefs make a pizza the size that little ones would like.
The Popeye pizza slices are amply large enough for kids to eat to their fill and not waste.
- Address: Ground Floor of the Football Academy Building
- Website: https://www.dsc.ae/restaurants/champs-cafe/
- Phone Number: +971 4 425 1111
7. Kickers Sports Bar
Suppose you’re passionate about watching sport on big screens with large groups of enthusiasts. In that case, the bustling Kickers Sports Bar is the place.
There’s plenty of food and drink. And in keeping with this restaurant’s catch line: the game is always on!
This is where locals meet friends and colleagues and talk sports. There are large screens, and it’s the liveliest spot known for its informal pub menu, including classic pub grub.
There’s an open invitation vibe to come and view your favorite sports on big screens. Kids are welcome and have a ball too.
So when you’re keen to catch a game, internationals, league cups, or a FIFA World Cup, make sure you head to Kickers Sports Bar.
You can enjoy a game with a group of fans and eat buckets full of chicken pieces. Or order sandwiches and sliders.
As many sports enthusiasts say, watching a game is synonymous with eating a good burger. And this is where you get the best. If your appetite is bigger, you can dine on a tender fillet.
- Address: Sports City
- Website: https://www.kickerssportsbar.ae/
- Phone Number: +971 4 448 1001
8. Nathalie’s
Natalie’s menu has a ‘we love food’ tag. It’s immediately apparent that the menu here is packed with real food and no additives. If you’re juggling a busy lifestyle and have little time to prepare a nutritious meal, you’ve come to the right place.
Restauranteur and nutritionist Nathalie Haddad believes in healthy eating for sports enthusiasts and business people.
So what’s better than taking a break with a nutritionally-dense blueberry yogurt parfait, or an almond, date, and espresso smoothie, or even a mango lassi with rosewater?
And, if you feel adventurous, have the avocado and almond milk smoothie.
You can also have savory whole-wheat pancakes with lean turkey and Emmental cheese. Or, if you want a sweeter option, there’s banana, Nutella, and toasted hazelnuts.
Natalie’s serves breakfasts all-day that are high in protein. You can choose salmon, eggs, avocado, and halloumi cheese dishes. The two eggs, chorizo and pepper shakshuka, are an all-time favorite.
Being at Natalie’s is a good health experience to keep your energy up. From fitness enthusiasts to business people, each bit is designed to bring the best of health.
- Address: Fit Republik
- Website: http://www.nathalies.ae/
- Phone Number: +971 4 556 1888
9. Reddy Roast
Reddy Roast restaurant has come up with a novel concept. This home-style eatery uses traditional roast recipes passed on from generation to generation. The chefs set out to prepare the most delectable family meals.
Everyone loves eating a roast, but one also knows how much time it takes to prepare these. And often just don’t do it.
Reddy Roast does not skimp on ingredients. Eating here is like having a Sunday roast any day of the week and even on more than one day a week.
The servings are large, and the tastes are as yummy as you remember from childhood. Be sure to also have the crispy chicken nuggets.
So if you’re new in town, nostalgic, or traveling, and feel you’re missing out on Mom or Grandma’s roast, don’t despair.
At Reddy Roast, you can dine on roasted meat and potatoes, and, for sure, there’s Yorkshire pudding too. It’s the same feast: apple sauce for pork or mint sauce for lamb. The tastes of the stuffing and the gravy are mouth-wateringly good.
- Address: Sports Village near Fit Republik
- Website: https://www.reddyroast.com/
- Phone Number: +971 58 586 9980
10. Shawarma Al Karmel
The flavors at Shawarma Al Karmel can awaken anyone’s appetite. The combinations of ingredients and the fresh, crispy, and fried textures add to the exotic flavors.
The food is prepared in traditional Arabic, Lebanese, and Middle eastern ways.
Be sure to order the beef shawarma with green capsicum, pickled chilies, sliced carrot, and cucumber.
- Address: Dubai Sports City, Spanish Building
- Website: https://linktr.ee/shawarmaalkarmel
- Phone Number: +971 54 767 9792
11. The Kebab Shop
The kebab has a history that originated in Turkey, the Middle East, and Asia. This cuisine is known worldwide for its tangy tastes made from freshly ground spices and aromatic herbs.
The Kebab Shop stands out for its casual ambiance, and it’s here that the age-old kebab recipes are tested and kept for the sake of regular customers. You can be sure that the kebabs here carry the stamp of the regulars’ approval.
The restauranteur explains that they’re always trying to understand customers’ palates. There are promotional dishes on offer for short periods. And it’s the customers’ feedback on these dishes that determine what stays on the menu.
You can be sure that the chicken donner has passed the test as it’s one of the favorites on the menu. So too, is the 100% pure lamb donner.
And no one can resist the tangy BBQ taste that’s made up of a blend of ground herbs and spices that stays Kebab Shop’s much-kept secret.
- Address: Shop 8, Sports City
- Website: http://tks.ae/
- Phone: +971 4 551 9392