Dubai is quietly home to some of the best vegetarian restaurants in Dubai and beyond — unlimited Gujarati thalis from AED 25 in Karama, legendary pani puri in Meena Bazaar, and now even a Michelin-starred vegetarian tasting menu. I’m vegetarian and I live here: these are the 20 places I actually send people, sorted by what you’re craving and what you want to spend.
Most of these I’ve eaten at more times than I can count; a couple of the newer names are marked as still on my list. Every one is a proper vegetarian kitchen or a menu where veg is first-class — not “we can remove the chicken.”
Looking for vegetarian food near you? Jump to your area:
Karama · Bur Dubai & Meena Bazaar · Al Fahidi · Jumeirah · Creek Harbour · Festival City · Palm Jumeirah · Branches citywide
The unlimited thalis (AED 25–45)
The single best value in Dubai dining, full stop. You sit down, the food does not stop coming.
Rangoli Vegetarian Restaurant — Meena Bazaar, Bur Dubai
Unlimited vegetarian thali for around AED 25 per person — I love their freshly made rotis, and the Meena Bazaar location means you can walk it off in the lanes after. Oud Metha Road and Cosmos Lane, Bur Dubai.
Rasoi Ghar — Karama
If you are vegetarian, I don’t think you’ve missed this place. It’s royal — Gujarati and Kathiyawadi flavours, a menu that changes daily, and staff who insist you eat more like it’s your grandmother’s house. Karama.
Maharaja Bhog — Karama
One of the popular unlimited-thali spots, and the food comes fast. I’ve tried it, and it will genuinely confuse your loyalties between here and Rasoi Ghar. Al Karama.
Kamat — branches citywide
The flavours of India done properly, with a menu that never feels tired — 7 locations across the UAE so one is always near you. Palak paneer and malai kofta are reliably excellent.
Street food, chaat & sweets
Elco Veg — Karama & Al Nahda
My favourite spot for cold pani puri — I can vouch for them, they’re fresh and taste amazingly good. Karama and Al Nahda.
Chaat Bazaar — branches citywide
A perfect street-food spot combining Mumbai and Delhi — savoury vada pav to mouth-watering chaats, 4 locations in Dubai.
Urban Tadka — Karama & Discovery Gardens
Spicy, tangy Karama favourite — the chaats and the fresh juices are the point. Al Karama and Discovery Gardens.
Puranmal — Festival City
The famous one for authentic sweets — jam-packed during festivals, with a proper veg menu beyond the mithai. Nearly 23 branches all over Dubai.
Sattvic & South Indian
Govinda’s — Jumeirah & Karama
One of the most known names in veggie Indian dining — sattvic cooking (no onion, no garlic) that still lands full-flavoured. Jumeirah Beach Road and opposite BurJuman in Karama.
Sangeetha — Bur Dubai & Deira
The South Indian tiffin classic — crisp masala dosa, proper sambar, filter coffee. Bur Dubai and Deira. Still on my list to review properly, but the queues don’t lie.
Beyond Indian (yes, vegetarian)
Little Italy — Karama
When you want a break from Indian but still fully vegetarian — Italian done meat-free at Al Karama and Bay Avenue.
Quattro — Bur Dubai
A trendy Mexican, Italian & Indian space that’s entirely vegetarian, with molecular-gastronomy party tricks and genuinely friendly staff. Bur Dubai.
Spice Klub — Mankhool, Bur Dubai
The menu looks simple and absolutely is not — Indian street food with liquid-nitrogen pani puri and pav bhaji fondue. Al Mankhool, Bur Dubai.
Vegan & the healthy end
Wild & The Moon — branches citywide
Plant-based, gluten-free, cold-pressed and somehow still delicious — one of a kind here. 3 Dubai locations plus Abu Dhabi.
The Acai Spot — branches citywide
The comfy açaí café — 8 UAE locations now. For the bowl days.
XVA Café — Al Fahidi, Old Dubai
Fully veg, hidden in the wind-tower alleys of Al Fahidi (Old Dubai). The eggplant-bun burger is the move; the courtyard is the reason you stay. Cheap, and Gordon Ramsay once called it his Dubai favourite. On my list to shoot properly.
SEVA Table — Jumeirah
Jumeirah 1. Dubai’s original 100% plant-based, gluten-free café — garden setting, jackfruit burger, raw cake, the occasional gong bath. Wellness without the smugness.
Just Vegan — Jumeirah
Jungle-themed Jumeirah spot doing fully vegan comfort food — Thai yellow curry pizza, mock-meat burgers, truffle mac. The kind even your non-veg friends finish.
Soulgreen — Vida Creek Harbour
Milan-born plant-based Italian at Vida Creek Harbour, with a terrace looking straight at the Burj. Mostly plant-based — 20% of the menu is sustainably sourced fish, so not strictly veg — but the veg side is the point. Get the truffle gnocchi and the cauliflower steak with hummus. ~AED 150pp, sunset slot only (opens 5pm).
The splurge: Dubai’s Michelin-starred vegetarian
Avatara — Palm Jumeirah
The one that changed the conversation: a fully vegetarian Indian tasting menu holding a Michelin star. It’s the opposite of everything else on this list price-wise — and the proof that vegetarian in Dubai runs from AED 25 thalis to fine dining’s top table. On my list for a special occasion.
If you want more of the best vegetarian restaurants in Dubai on a budget, see my snacks under AED 10 and best breakfast spots in Dubai too.
How I choose the best vegetarian restaurants in Dubai
Every one of these vegetarian restaurants in Dubai is either a fully pure-veg kitchen or a place where veg is genuinely first-class — never “we can just remove the chicken.” I’ve eaten at most of them repeatedly; the newer names are marked as still on my list.
Questions people ask
Is Dubai good for vegetarians?
Exceptionally — the range of vegetarian restaurants in Dubai runs from AED 25 thalis to fine dining. It’s one of the easiest cities in the world for vegetarians — entire pure-veg restaurants, unlimited thalis from AED 25, and even a Michelin-starred vegetarian tasting menu at Avatara.
Where is the cheapest vegetarian thali in Dubai?
Rangoli in Meena Bazaar serves unlimited vegetarian thali for around AED 25 per person. Rasoi Ghar and Maharaja Bhog in Karama are the other unlimited-thali institutions.
Which restaurants in Dubai are 100% pure vegetarian?
Kamat, Rasoi Ghar, Maharaja Bhog, Govinda’s, Rangoli, Sangeetha, Saravanaa Bhavan and Avatara are fully vegetarian kitchens — no meat anywhere in the building.
Is there good vegan food in Dubai?
Yes — Wild & The Moon and SEVA Table are fully plant-based, XVA Café in Al Fahidi is all-veg, and most pure-veg Indian restaurants can cook vegan on request.
Where do vegetarians eat in Karama?
Karama is Dubai’s vegetarian capital: Rasoi Ghar, Maharaja Bhog, Urban Tadka, Elco and Govinda’s are all within walking distance of each other.
I write down every price because nobody else will. Follow along on Instagram at @wheresachi.
This is my living list of the best vegetarian restaurants in Dubai, updated as spots change.
Planning the rest of your time in the city? The official Visit Dubai site has up-to-date opening hours, events and seasonal listings worth checking before you head out.
