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Dubai’s Best Pani Puri Spots
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Dubai's Best Pani Puri Spots
In an effort to support local restaurants and quench an insatiable greed for street food, I am searching for Dubai’s best pani puri based on research with the support of my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook followers.
Written by Liam Collens // Find other reviews here.
The Highs
The Lows
The Highs
Standing out in the street crunching through impossibly good hand-made pani puri
Discovering the difference between average pani water and the great stuff
Walking, exploring Al Karama as a resident like a visitor
Eating some of Dubai’s best VFM street food
Learning about wheat vs semolina pani puri
The Lows
September is still uncomfortably warm, even at night
Not all pani puri is equal with some real disappointments
Some very disappointing COVID19 compliance during my walk around Karama
Delhi: The Origins of My Admiration for Pani Puri
Headphones in and camera in hand, I spent a sticky New Delhi afternoon walking from Delhi’s impressive Red Fort to its bustling Chandni Chowk. An urban cacophony of tuk-tuk engines, rattling bikes, car horns and market sellers. Covered ladies draped in mustard-rich fabrics sitting cross-legged in dusty streets sifting through marigolds circled by carat ladened with spice-filled hessian sacks. Wagons ladened with refreshing pineapple slabs glistening in the sun sold to passersby. As delicious as they look, years of travelling judging street food by sight tells me these would haunt my nightmares for nights to come.

This is the story of how I came to try pani puri for the first time. A street seller lifting fragile wheat orbs from a glass case, stuffing them with spiced potato and pouring spicy green water with tangy syrupy tamarind juice. Pani puri would come to be one of my favourite street foods of all time.

This is the story of how I came to try pani puri for the first time. A street seller lifting fragile wheat orbs from a glass case, stuffing them with spiced potato and pouring spicy green water with tangy syrupy tamarind juice. Pani puri would come to be one of my favourite street foods of all time.
Searching for Dubai’s Best Pani Puri
This article will evolve as I search, sample and discover the best pani puri Dubai offers. The journey starts with Al Karama. Shout out to the followers that recommended these great places to me. You can access the full unfiltered Google Map list of recommended pani puri spots in Al Karama and throughout Dubai here.
...these are firmly runners up... a classic scenario of good dwarfed in the shadow greatness.
What Makes For Great Pani Puri?
With humility, I should acknowledge at this point that I approach assessing pani puri, firstly, with a sense of joy and I was less informed about what makes a great pani puri. I sought opinions far and wide from informed Dubai food bloggers and fellow pani puri fans as to what makes a great pani puri. I also brought a Delhi-born friend with me for the Karama pani puri walking tour.


All pani puri devoured were assessed on the criteria of crispiness, value for money, filling depth of flavour, water depth of flavour and ‘joy’. Joy is admittedly a subjective element from fleeting to Marie Kondo-like utopia. Still, pani puri happiness is integral to the experience and, indeed, nirvana can be and was achieved, at times.
Urban Tadka, Chaat Bazaar, Patiala House, Chatori Gali and Elco Restaurant kicked off the Karama pani puri tasting menu.
Patiala House and Chaat Bazaar are the far and away leaders. I am excited about going back to Patiala House. Here is a rundown:
Immediately turning the corner onto 18A Street, a circus of colour, lights and sketched portraits beam onto a dusty Karama street. With child-like intrigue, Patiala House draws you forward with vibrant colours, music and wafts of toasted spice. The main restaurant serves a full menu but their pani puri is served from a street-facing window. You do order a token inside the restaurant and credit card payments are accepted!


Each pani puri is freshly assembled by hand and served individually on a silver tray. These pani puris are a generous golf ball size with a blistered shell yielding serious crunch. The filling is generously stuffed. Patiala House’s pani puri really excels in the bursting freshwater and tamarind that play between spice and tangy juiciness. This was the most balanced and flavour assertive pani puri eaten in Karama.


The value for money box is firmly ticked as – astonishingly – the cost is only AED1 per pani puri. You could easily eat yourself stuffed and get change for AED10.
There is another Patiala House branch available in Studio City for those who do not want to make the journey to Karama.

Patiala House, Shop 15, Al Sharafi Building 2, Opposite Island Star Studio, Street 18 A, Al Karama, Dubai, +97143978639, https://www.patialahouse.ae/
Patiala House, Glitz 1, Studio City, Dubai, +97143335035, http://www.patialahouse.ae/
Chaat Bazaar was the most recommended place in Karama. It stands up to that reputation as delivering one of the best pani puri experiences in Karama. Chaat Bazaar is a narrow corner shop-looking restaurant on the busy 6A Street. Chaat Bazaar offers a similar service style to Patiala House. You stand outside a small window while someone assembles your pani puri for you served individually. Diners could also sit at one of the humble picnic-style tables adjacent to the serving window. Chaat Bazaar is super casual. You want to pitch up after work and sink a few pani puri or other dishes.


I stand eagerly anticipating these flavour parcels being passed over through the window. The crunch crumbles in your mouth releasing a shot of spicy water extinguished with a tangy tamarind soother. There is a rounded sweet, spicy, bright and saltiness about Chaat Bazaar’s pani puri. The standout feature is that the potato filling is served warm leading to a hot and cold pani puri. Divisive but enjoyable.

Value for money? There is a broad menu of pani puri options but their base pani puri is AED8 for six delicious handmade pani puri. You can buy six and a bottle of water for AED10.
The real street food vibe adds to the experience. Chaat Bazaar provides you with a “palate cleanser” puri towards the end which includes the puri with potato, a floral element, crispy topping but without the flavoured water. It further soothes the growing spice.
Chaat Bazaar, Mabrooka Building, 6A Street, Karama, Dubai, +97143968810, http://chaatbazaar.blogspot.com/
Urban Tadka, Chatori Gali and Elco Restaurant are firmly the runners up against the two excellent Patiala House and Chaat Bazaar. This is a classic scenario of good dwarfed in the shadow greatness
Chatori Gali serves a unique rava or semolina pani puri option which no other restaurant offered. The rava semolina pani puri is spice forward whereas the tamarind water is less pronounced. The potato is visibly herbed but neither the potato nor the herb is present. You need to assemble the pani puri with the flavoured water but otherwise, it is stuffed for you. In term of value, this is one of the more ‘pricey’ pani puris at AED12 for a place of 6 which is AED2 per pani puri.


Chatori Gali has other outlets in Al Barsha, Sharjah and Jumeirah Lake Towers.

Chatori Gali, Shop no 10, Al Shamma Building, Sheikh Hamdan Colony, Karama, Dubai, +97142674672, https://www.chatorigali.ae/index.php
Urban Tadka is another al fresco dining options mere feet away from Chaat Bazaar. Inside dining is available but there is something true to the street food concept sitting outside under Urban Tadka’s roadside dining. The Urban Tadka pani puri is crisp, fragile but their green spicy water is underestimated at your peril! The pani puri must be assembled yourself but at AED10 for 6 pani puri, it is still very good value for money.


Their Raj Kachori is a giant softball-sized pani puri stuffed with sweet yoghurt, spicy chutney, crispy toppings, spiced potato and sprouts. Urban Tadka takes home extra points for serving up this delicious extra dish (AED14).

Urban Tadka, Ground Floor, Al Falaknaz Building, Near Naresco Building, Al Karama, Dubai, +97143961395, http://urban-tadka.business.site/
Elco Restaurant provided the only moongal and boondi stuffing options for our pani puri together with spicy water and mild tamarind water. Overall, Elco Restaurant’s pani puri is not an option that I can recommend but I found other tables eating other items from the menu. The pani puri is AED10 for a plate of six.


Elco Restaurant, Za’abeel, 28 St, Dubai, +97143972787, http://elcorestaurants.com/
Up Next: Bur Dubai Pani Puri exploration coming soon
All pani puri devoured were assessed on the criteria of crispiness, value for money, filling depth of flavour, water depth of flavour and ‘joy’. Joy is admittedly a subjective element from fleeting to Marie Kondo-like utopia. Still, pani puri happiness is integral to the experience and, indeed, nirvana can be and was achieved, at times.
Dubai’s Best Pani Puri: Al Karama – The Full Sampled List
Urban Tadka, Chaat Bazaar, Patiala House, Chatori Gali and Elco Restaurant kicked off the Karama pani puri tasting menu.
Patiala House and Chaat Bazaar are the far and away leaders. I am excited about going back to Patiala House. Here is a rundown:
Patiala House
Immediately turning the corner onto 18A Street, a circus of colour, lights and sketched portraits beam onto a dusty Karama street. With child-like intrigue, Patiala House draws you forward with vibrant colours, music and wafts of toasted spice. The main restaurant serves a full menu but their pani puri is served from a street-facing window. You do order a token inside the restaurant and credit card payments are accepted!
Each pani puri is freshly assembled by hand and served individually on a silver tray. These pani puris are a generous golf ball size with a blistered shell yielding serious crunch. The filling is generously stuffed. Patiala House’s pani puri really excels in the bursting freshwater and tamarind that play between spice and tangy juiciness. This was the most balanced and flavour assertive pani puri eaten in Karama.
The value for money box is firmly ticked as – astonishingly – the cost is only AED1 per pani puri. You could easily eat yourself stuffed and get change for AED10.
There is another Patiala House branch available in Studio City for those who do not want to make the journey to Karama.
Patiala House, Shop 15, Al Sharafi Building 2, Opposite Island Star Studio, Street 18 A, Al Karama, Dubai, +97143978639, https://www.patialahouse.ae/
Patiala House, Glitz 1, Studio City, Dubai, +97143335035, http://www.patialahouse.ae/
Chaat Bazaar
Chaat Bazaar was the most recommended place in Karama. It stands up to that reputation as delivering one of the best pani puri experiences in Karama. Chaat Bazaar is a narrow corner shop-looking restaurant on the busy 6A Street. Chaat Bazaar offers a similar service style to Patiala House. You stand outside a small window while someone assembles your pani puri for you served individually. Diners could also sit at one of the humble picnic-style tables adjacent to the serving window. Chaat Bazaar is super casual. You want to pitch up after work and sink a few pani puri or other dishes.
I stand eagerly anticipating these flavour parcels being passed over through the window. The crunch crumbles in your mouth releasing a shot of spicy water extinguished with a tangy tamarind soother. There is a rounded sweet, spicy, bright and saltiness about Chaat Bazaar’s pani puri. The standout feature is that the potato filling is served warm leading to a hot and cold pani puri. Divisive but enjoyable.
Value for money? There is a broad menu of pani puri options but their base pani puri is AED8 for six delicious handmade pani puri. You can buy six and a bottle of water for AED10.
The real street food vibe adds to the experience. Chaat Bazaar provides you with a “palate cleanser” puri towards the end which includes the puri with potato, a floral element, crispy topping but without the flavoured water. It further soothes the growing spice.
Chaat Bazaar, Mabrooka Building, 6A Street, Karama, Dubai, +97143968810, http://chaatbazaar.blogspot.com/
Dubai’s Best Pani Puri – Al Karama: Runner’s Up
Urban Tadka, Chatori Gali and Elco Restaurant are firmly the runners up against the two excellent Patiala House and Chaat Bazaar. This is a classic scenario of good dwarfed in the shadow greatness
Chatori Gali serves a unique rava or semolina pani puri option which no other restaurant offered. The rava semolina pani puri is spice forward whereas the tamarind water is less pronounced. The potato is visibly herbed but neither the potato nor the herb is present. You need to assemble the pani puri with the flavoured water but otherwise, it is stuffed for you. In term of value, this is one of the more ‘pricey’ pani puris at AED12 for a place of 6 which is AED2 per pani puri.
Chatori Gali has other outlets in Al Barsha, Sharjah and Jumeirah Lake Towers.
Chatori Gali, Shop no 10, Al Shamma Building, Sheikh Hamdan Colony, Karama, Dubai, +97142674672, https://www.chatorigali.ae/index.php
Urban Tadka is another al fresco dining options mere feet away from Chaat Bazaar. Inside dining is available but there is something true to the street food concept sitting outside under Urban Tadka’s roadside dining. The Urban Tadka pani puri is crisp, fragile but their green spicy water is underestimated at your peril! The pani puri must be assembled yourself but at AED10 for 6 pani puri, it is still very good value for money.
Their Raj Kachori is a giant softball-sized pani puri stuffed with sweet yoghurt, spicy chutney, crispy toppings, spiced potato and sprouts. Urban Tadka takes home extra points for serving up this delicious extra dish (AED14).
Urban Tadka, Ground Floor, Al Falaknaz Building, Near Naresco Building, Al Karama, Dubai, +97143961395, http://urban-tadka.business.site/
Elco Restaurant provided the only moongal and boondi stuffing options for our pani puri together with spicy water and mild tamarind water. Overall, Elco Restaurant’s pani puri is not an option that I can recommend but I found other tables eating other items from the menu. The pani puri is AED10 for a plate of six.
Elco Restaurant, Za’abeel, 28 St, Dubai, +97143972787, http://elcorestaurants.com/
Up Next: Bur Dubai Pani Puri exploration coming soon
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