Al Muraqqabat Food Guide: Eating in Old Deira
Mohammed Azad · August 9, 2026
Mohammed Azad · August 9, 2026
Al Muraqqabat isn't on many tourist itineraries, which is exactly why it's worth walking. It's one of the densest eating streets in Dubai, and almost none of it is aimed at visitors.
Al Muraqqabat runs through the heart of Deira, between Al Rigga and Abu Hail. It sits a short walk from Union Metro, and within reach of Deira City Centre, the Gold Souk and Al Ghurair Centre.
The food here reflects who lives here: Iraqi, Syrian, Lebanese, Iranian, Egyptian and South Asian kitchens sitting within a few hundred metres of each other. Most are family-run. Most have been here a long time.
Grills. This stretch of Deira has an unusual concentration of charcoal grill houses, which is a legacy of the Levantine and Iraqi communities that settled here.
Late hours. Many kitchens here serve until 2 or 3 AM, which is genuinely rare in Dubai outside hotel districts.
Iraqi food specifically. The Iraqi community in Dubai concentrates around Deira, and Al Muraqqabat and Al Rigga carry the highest density of Iraqi kitchens in the emirate. Our guide to Iraqi food in Dubai covers what to order.
Evening is the neighbourhood at full volume — from about 8 PM until well after midnight, particularly at weekends.
Friday morning is the other one worth knowing. Iraqi and Levantine breakfast is a weekend event here, and kitchens that serve pacha or full breakfast spreads are busiest between 9 and 11 AM — see our Iraqi breakfast guide.
Union Metro is the closest station, on both the Red and Green lines. Walking is genuinely the best way to see the street.
Driving is possible but parking is paid street parking and fills up in the evening. If you're coming for dinner at peak time, the Metro will be faster.
Kabab Erbil Iraqi Restaurant has been at 10 Al Muraqqabat Street since 2003 — Iraqi and Kurdish cooking, charcoal grills, and masgouf over a wood fire. Read our story on this street.
Open daily 9:00 AM to 3:00 AM, which covers both the breakfast crowd and the late one.
+971 4 272 0843 · Full menu · Order delivery · Deira delivery
Walk the street rather than driving it. Order in the places that are full of families rather than the ones with the biggest signs. And if you see a kitchen with an actual charcoal grill visible from the street, that's usually a good indication.
Further reading: RTA — Dubai Metro · Visit Dubai — Deira.