Ninive, Dubai: Dubai’s Best Arabic Restaurant?

Ninive’s food modernises traditional Arabic dishes with a more contemporary interpretation. It looks to the past and to the everyday kitchen but refines plates in keeping with the urban, regional decor.

The group orders a round of starters just to kick off proceedings while scanning the mains.

We order the tamarind chicken, heirloom cherry tomato and halloumi salad, spiced beef kibbeh and spicy avocado with confit lemon. The early signs grazing through starters confirm there is ability and imagination in the kitchen.

The tamarind chicken with yoghurt, pomegranate and parsley put the star in starters (AED80, US$22, £17, €18). Ninive’s tamarind chicken is sticky, slightly sharp with a textured crunch; the creamy yoghurt rounds off the dish providing much-needed balance. A trio of spiced beef kibbeh arrives small but perfectly formed (AED65, US$18, £13, €15). The kibbeh’s outer later collapses easily and the warming spice builds gently. I do love kibbeh and it takes a strength yet unknown to restrain myself from ordering a second portion.

Those starters are worthy of reordering whereas its companion dishes at the table are enjoyable but not memorable. The heirloom cherry tomato and halloumi salad is accompanied with cooling slabs of sweet watermelon and dressed with chilli, mint and pomegranate (AED62, US$18, £17, €15). An enjoyable dish with salty halloumi planks sweetened with watermelon and heirloom tomatoes, but reminiscent of many similar plates in Dubai and does not stand out. The spicy avocado with lemon confit is guacamole by another name (AED55, $15, £11, €13). The lemon confit is subtle to the point of unnoticeable.

Ninive’s main courses

We debated ordering one of their tagines, especially the intriguing lobster tagine with tomatoes, green peppers and green olives (AED265, US$72, £55, €61). We chose from the main courses and the signature sharing dishes.

The vegetarian-friendly roasted pumpkin with spiced tomato jam and raisins (AED95, US$26, £20, €22) is deliciously-sticky, lacquered and spiced. Wedges of sweet pumpkin coated in the spiced tomato jam with a pop of much-needed crunch. Another delicious vegetarian dish in Dubai delivered to satisfy the most ardent carnivore.

The signature dishes in any restaurant is a statement of intent so I meander into Ninive’s signature dishes with interest. The Couscous Royal arrives with a sense of ceremony as slow-braised vegetables draped across a bed of couscous accompanied by a platter of slow-cooked chicken and lamb together with grilled merguez sausage (AED220, US$59, £46, €51 per person with minimum two people). A warm broth is ladled over the couscous and vegetables. This is a light fragrant dish on its own without the meat courses.



The marinated octopus with smoked aubergine is an inspired take on a classically Mediterranean dish weaving in, essentially, a subtle baba ganoush that lends a purr of smokiness to compliment the charred octopus. This dish surprised me and one that I would come back to order again, and again.



Few words deflate me like mix grill, only just behind the terror-inducing “family-friendly resort”. Ninive’s mix grill is a generous, colourful platter of lamb chops, wagyu tenderloin, Adana kebab and king prawns (AED540, US$147, £112, €124). I switched the Adana kebab for a chicken kebab to break up the red meat cornucopia. The meat rests on a bed of fragrant, yellow-stained fluffy rice that soaks and absorbs all the resting juices.



I would gladly order Ninive’s mix grill again. It showcases a generous selection of the grill options on the menu that also intrigues me to come back to order other grill meat options. This is a lot of food for the four of us so bring your appetite accordingly. The standout is the wagyu tenderloin which is impossibly soft and collapses with the slightest bite.

And the small matter of Ninive’s dessert

The dessert menu predictably includes an Umm Ali (AED55, US$15, £11, €13) and a twist on a classic with an almond kunafeh with orange sorbet (AED88, US$24, £18, €20). Oddly the desserts at Ninive are more pricey with seven of the nine desserts above AED65 up to an eye-popping AED165 (US$18-45, £13-34, €15-38). This is one of the most pricey dessert menus since my first and last at Aya. This is borderline obscene.

Our pistachio sarma is chewy, warming comfort food with a beautiful pop of colour jewelled from crumbled pistachios. Wisely the kitchen generously crowns the sarma with a milky vanilla ice cream.

Would I Come Back to Ninive?

Ninive stands out in a city spilling over with Middle Eastern restaurants. I am pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed a relaxed, outdoor dinner at Ninive. Ninive finds this smart-casual vibe and successfully channels it through its menu and decor. It is efficient and smart in areas where it needs to be like premium cuts on menus and attentive service (they even served the food for us).

The pricing is high for food (especially the desserts, I still cannot get over this). Yet this is to be expected and there is an air of corporate expense account at Ninive.

Who Should Come to Ninive?

Out of towners looking for upmarket Arabic food under Dubai iconic architecture. Fans of alfresco dining looking for a relaxed atmosphere to graze through mezze dishes. People looking for a date venue to impress. Corporate entertainment venues near DIFC, Downtown, Sheikh Zayed Road and Business Bay.