Sarai

A taste of Syria
Popular plate: The signature kebab is made up of meat ground with pistachios. The nutty results feel sinfully rich.

The décor may be a little too “Lawrence of Arabia” for some tastes, and the waiter uniforms can come off as a bit cheesy (fez… really?), but despite all these things, and its location on Jumeirah's Disney-esque The Walk, the food at this Syrian standout is the real deal.
Basic mezze, like hummus and baba ghanoush, excel, and even more experimental items, like fried brain, are surprisingly good. The kebabs, however, are the house specialty. Marinated in yoghurt or ground with nuts, every hunk of meat that comes out of the kitchen tastes divine.