Sharjah is the third largest emirate in the UAE and the one usually described as its cultural capital, largely on the strength of its museums, its heritage area and the Central Souk. It is also, quietly, where a lot of people who live in Dubai come to eat.
Why the food is different here
Sharjah has a very large South Asian resident population, and it is a dry emirate: no alcohol is served anywhere. Those two facts shape its restaurants more than anything else. The kitchens cook for people who grew up on the food rather than for tourists trying it once, and the evening trade is built around families and long tables instead of bars.
The practical consequence is that the Pakistani and Indian food in Sharjah is generally less adapted than the same food a few kilometres away. Dishes arrive at the heat they are supposed to be, and the prices are set for people eating twice a week rather than once a holiday.
What Sharjah is known for beyond food
- The Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization and the wider Heart of Sharjah heritage district
- The Central Souk, often called the Blue Souk, for carpets, gold and textiles
- Al Noor Mosque, one of the few mosques in the UAE offering tours to non-Muslim visitors
- Al Qasba and the Al Majaz waterfront, which is where most of the evening family traffic goes
- A dry emirate, so evenings are built around food rather than drinking
What to eat while you are here
If you only eat one meal in Sharjah, make it a Pakistani one. The things worth ordering are biryani, a karahi from the tandoor section, and something off the live grill. Those three are what the city does better than its neighbours.
At our restaurant in Abu Shaghara, Chicken Biryani is AED 15, a full Chicken Karahi is AED 48 and the Mixed BBQ Platter is AED 45. If you would rather not choose, the dinner buffet is AED 42 on weeknights and AED 65 at weekends and puts all of it in one place.
Getting here from Dubai
Abu Shaghara is central Sharjah, opposite Nesto Hypermarket in Bu Shaghara, Hay Al Qasimiah. It is a straightforward drive from Dubai outside peak hours, and parking in the area is far easier than anywhere comparable across the border.
We are open noon to midnight every day, which covers both an early dinner after the museums and a late one after the souk. Directions and both phone numbers are on the contact page, and if you are new to the cuisine start with what to order first.
Eating in Sharjah tonight?
Open noon to midnight, seven days a week, opposite Nesto Hypermarket in Abu Shaghara.
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