The cheapest fresh fish is at the Waterfront Market in Deira, where you buy fish and a market restaurant cooks it; for a sit-down meal, order hammour, safi or a fish machboos. At Al Fanar's seafood restaurants the listed fish and shrimp dishes cost AED 76-86. Bu Qtair is a budget beachfront option and Ossiano at Atlantis is the splurge. Details were checked on the venues' own websites on 2 November 2026.
By SB Excursions · Published 3 November 2026 · Updated 3 November 2026
Tour on this route: Old Dubai Walking Tour — From $35 per person, 3-4 hours.
How much does seafood cost in Dubai?
At Al Fanar's seafood restaurants, fish and shrimp dishes are listed at AED 76-86, or about $21-23. The Waterfront Market charges by the fish plus a cooking fee, and publishes neither. Visit Dubai puts Bu Qtair in its lowest price band and Ossiano in its highest.
This guide also answers:
- Is there a seafood restaurant on Dubai Creek?
Four places to eat seafood in Dubai
#1
Waterfront Market, Deira
You choose fish or seafood in the market, have it cleaned, and a restaurant on the waterfront cooks it. Al Marsa Seafood, Fareej Eshafan Altaybeen and Yahya are named for this on the market's website. It gives no prices or cooking fee, so ask first. Our Waterfront Market guide has the hours, parking and transport.
#2
Al Fanar Seafood Market, Al Seef and Al Barsha Pond Park
Al Fanar's website lists two seafood market branches, at Al Seef on the Creek and at Al Barsha Pond Park. Its menu has fish machboos at AED 76, grilled sea bream at AED 82 and a whole grilled safi at AED 86, plus a build-your-own seafood tray at market price. Prices vary slightly between branches, so check the one you plan to visit.
#3
Bu Qtair
Visit Dubai describes Bu Qtair as a popular beachfront restaurant serving celebrated seafood and gives it its lowest price band. We could not confirm its opening hours or a current menu from an official page, so check the hours and the exact location on a map before you go, and carry cash in case cards are not taken.
#4
Ossiano, Atlantis The Palm
Visit Dubai lists Ossiano as a seafood restaurant at Atlantis, The Palm, describes it as luxurious fine dining and places it in its highest price band. Expect to pay far more than at the market or at Al Fanar. We did not confirm its current menu or dress code, so check the hotel's website and book ahead.
Seafood in Dubai: the short answer
For the cheapest fresh fish, go to the Waterfront Market in Deira, choose your fish and have a market restaurant cook it. For a sit-down plate, order hammour, safi or a fish machboos; at Al Fanar's seafood restaurants these are listed at AED 76-86. That is about $21-23 at the fixed rate of AED 3.6725 to the dollar. For a splurge, Ossiano at Atlantis, The Palm is listed by Visit Dubai in its highest price band.
Dubai sits on the Gulf, and fish has long been part of Emirati cooking, usually grilled, fried or cooked with rice and spices. Most of the cooked seafood you will meet is a plate of rice or a whole fish, not a long tasting menu. Our guide to Emirati food explains the rice dishes in more detail. This page is about where to find the fish and what to expect to pay.
What to order: five fish dishes
The dishes below come from the published menu of Al Fanar, an Emirati restaurant group with seafood market branches. They are a good guide to what local seafood plates look like. Hammour, also spelled hamour, is a local grouper with firm white flesh, and safi is another fish served whole in the Gulf.
| Dish | What it is | Price at Al Fanar (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| Fish machboos | Spiced rice cooked with fish | 76 |
| Shrimp machboos | The same spiced rice with shrimp | 78 |
| Hamour biryani | Rice dish made with hammour | 79 |
| Grilled sea bream | A whole fish, grilled | 82 |
| Safi tanoor | A whole safi fish, grilled | 86 |
| Build-your-own seafood tray | You choose the seafood | Market price, set by your choice |
Prices are from the Al Fanar website on 2 November 2026 and vary slightly between branches. Check the branch you plan to visit.
If you like rice dishes, start with the machboos, which is the Emirati plate most people name first. If you want to see the fish, choose the grilled sea bream or the safi. If you eat shellfish, tell the kitchen about any allergy before you order.
Budget to splurge: what it costs
The venues below are sorted by price. The tiers come from the venues' own sites and from Visit Dubai, which marks restaurants with dollar signs and not with real prices, so treat them as a guide.
| Level | Where | What you pay | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Waterfront Market, Deira | The fish, by weight, plus a cooking charge; neither is published | Market website |
| Budget | Bu Qtair, beachfront | Lowest price band on Visit Dubai; no menu checked | Visit Dubai |
| Mid-range | Al Fanar Seafood Market, Al Seef and Al Barsha Pond Park | AED 76-86 per fish or shrimp dish | Al Fanar menu |
| Splurge | Ossiano, Atlantis The Palm | Highest price band (four dollar signs); no menu checked | Visit Dubai |
Menu prices may exclude VAT and a service charge; read the bottom of the bill. Our tipping guide explains what to add.
Our tipping guide covers service charges, and a cafeteria meal in Old Dubai costs far less, about AED 15-25 a plate according to our Old Dubai guide.
The cheapest and freshest: Waterfront Market
The Waterfront Market in Deira is where you buy the fish yourself. Its website lists more than 25 species in the live seafood section, including hamour, king crab and oysters. You choose the fish, have it cleaned at the market, and then take it to a waterfront restaurant that cooks it your way. The fish market is open 24 hours, except on Friday from 12:00 to 2:00 pm, and the restaurants open from 12:00 pm to 12:00 am.
The market does not publish fish prices or a cooking fee, so ask before you agree. The full details, including the parking rates, the nearest Metro station and the opening of the fishing season on 4 November 2026, are in our Waterfront Market guide. It is a working market and it is a long ride from the Marina or Downtown, so plan it as a lunch trip.
A sit-down fish plate: Al Fanar's Seafood Market
Al Fanar's website lists two seafood market branches. The one at Al Seef is on Dubai Creek and opens from 1:00 pm to 10:30 pm daily. The one at Al Barsha Pond Park opens from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm on weekdays and from 8:30 am to 10:00 pm at weekends. The site lists parking at both, and valet at Al Seef.
Al Seef is easy to combine with a walk: it is the heritage waterfront on the Bur Dubai bank, ten minutes from Al Fahidi, and our Al Seef guide explains the area. If you are choosing between Creek-side places, where to eat in Old Dubai compares them by street, and our Old Dubai walking tour, from $35, visits Al Fahidi, Al Seef, the Creek by abra and the Spice and Gold Souks, so it fits a day that ends with fish.
Beachfront and fine dining: Bu Qtair and Ossiano
Bu Qtair is described by Visit Dubai as a popular beachfront restaurant with celebrated seafood, in the lowest price band. The page does not give hours or an address, so look it up on a map and check the hours before you travel. Ossiano is a seafood restaurant at Atlantis, The Palm, listed in the highest price band. Check the hotel's website for how to reach it, the current menu and booking.
If you want to catch your own fish instead, see our fishing trip from Dubai Marina guide. For the sea from the water without the fishing, our shared Marina yacht tour is a one-hour cruise from $32.
Practical tips before you order
A few habits make a seafood meal easier and cheaper:
- Ask the price of whole fish. At a market stall or a restaurant, fish is often priced by weight, so ask for the price and the weight before it is cooked.
- Share. Rice dishes and whole fish are generous, and sharing lets you taste more.
- Mind allergies. Tell the kitchen about shellfish, nuts or sesame. Rice and sauces can contain them.
- Alcohol is limited. Most casual seafood places do not serve it, and licensed hotel restaurants do. Check the rules before you plan a drink with dinner.
- Food is halal by default. Licensed hotel restaurants can differ; halal food and pork in Dubai explains the rules.
- Check the season. The Waterfront Market lists a fishing season event from 4 to 30 November 2026, and the Dubai Food Festival page will have food events when dates are confirmed.
FAQ
How much does seafood cost in Dubai?
At Al Fanar's seafood restaurants, fish and shrimp dishes are listed at AED 76-86, or about $21-23. The Waterfront Market charges by the fish plus a cooking fee, and publishes neither. Visit Dubai puts Bu Qtair in its lowest price band and Ossiano in its highest.
What fish should I order in Dubai?
Try hammour, a local grouper, or safi, which is served whole. Fish machboos and hamour biryani are the rice dishes to know, and grilled sea bream is a simple whole-fish option. Ask the staff which fish is freshest today.
Where can I buy fish in Dubai and have it cooked?
The Waterfront Market in Deira. You choose fish or seafood, have it cleaned at the market, and a restaurant on the waterfront cooks it. Al Marsa Seafood, Fareej Eshafan Altaybeen and Yahya are named on the market's dining page.
Is there a cheap place for seafood in Dubai?
The Waterfront Market is the usual budget choice, because you pay for the fish by weight. Visit Dubai also lists Bu Qtair, a beachfront restaurant, in its lowest price band. Neither publishes a full menu we could check, so ask for prices first and carry some cash.
Where is the best fine-dining seafood restaurant in Dubai?
Visit Dubai lists Ossiano at Atlantis, The Palm as a luxurious seafood restaurant in its highest price band. Check the hotel's website for the current menu, dress code and booking details, because we did not confirm them.
Is seafood in Dubai halal?
Fish and seafood are halal, and food in ordinary restaurants is halal unless a licensed venue says otherwise. Licensed hotel restaurants may serve alcohol. Our halal guide explains what tourists should expect.
Is there a seafood restaurant on Dubai Creek?
Al Fanar's Seafood Market at Al Seef is on the Creek and, per its website, opens from 1:00 pm to 10:30 pm daily. It lists parking and valet. Fish and shrimp dishes on its menu are AED 76-86, and prices vary slightly between branches.
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Photos: Waterfront Market, Deira — Jpbowen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Al Fanar Seafood Market, Al Seef and Al Barsha Pond Park — Poorva90, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).