Live in or near Karama? Filled with culture, friendly faces, and the usual daily traffic jams, this is one if the most buzzing areas in the city. So if you’re looking for a neighbourhood guide to help you uncover Karama’s hidden gems, we got you! With hundreds of little stores, restaurants and beauty salons dotted all over, we’ve picked out a few of our favourites to help you out.
Best chilli paneer: Eric’s Restaurant
Ever tried the chilli paneer at Eric’s Restaurant? This Goan restaurant seriously knows how to make us drool. Eric’s Restaurant has loads of great options on the menu, but the chilli paneer is one of the highlights. The dish is actually insanely spicy (you’ve been warned!), but trust us – it’s worth every bite.
Where: 10B Street, Karama
Best bargain store: Day to Day Dubai
Whether you’re looking for clothes, accessories, shoes, beauty products, home decor, kitchenware, electronics, tools, stationary or toys – Day to Day Dubai has everything you could need, and at bargain prices! There are 4 branches in Old Dubai, including one in Karama. Head there to shop till you drop.
Where: Just off Kuwait Street, 18A Street, Karama
Best salon: Hala Beauty Salon
Hala Beauty Salon if affordable, easy to find and professional – everything you could possibly want when looking for a new salon in Dubai. They offer all the usual services from hair cuts and colour to waxing and mani-pedis, and the staff are super friendly too!
Where: Kuwait Street, next to China Garden, Karama
Best biryani: Jaffer Bhai’s
If you’re looking for some finger lickin’ good North Indian food, you need to try Jaffer Bhai’s! This restaurant serves up some of the best biryani in Dubai, and it comes in a good portion size too! Try it, and thank us later.
Where: Near Karama Post Office, Za’abeel Road, Karama
Best tailor: Zahrat al Orchid
With affordable prices and a quick turnaround time, this ladies tailor is not just one of the best in Karama, but in the whole of Dubai! The men running the business are super friendly, and whatever alterations you need – no matter how ridiculous they may sound, these guys will find a way around it. Besides alterations, they also stitch outfits and offer embroidery services.
Where: 10B Street, Karama (opposite Eric’s Restaurant)
Best free activity: Street art
Whether you’ve got visitors in town, or you just want to be a tourist for a day – Karama is home to some really cool street art murals! From falcons and lions to to cityscapes and typography, there’s so much to check out.
Where: 18B Street, Karama
Best boredom-busting activity: Braingame
If you’re looking for something fun to do in Karama, you need to check out Braingame Dubai. It’s a super fun game to play with your mates, especially if you like solving puzzles. They’ve got three awesome escape games to try out, including a Pablo Escobar one!
Where: Kanoo Group Building, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road, Karama
Best dessert: Kulfilicious
If you haven’t tried the kulfis at kulfilicious yet – what are you waiting for? Not only is this one of India’s tastiest desserts, but they’ve also got huge variety of flavours to choose from! Yep, definitely the best way to beat the summer heat.
Where: Saeed Al Nabooda Building, 18A Street, Karama
Image credits: Via IG @dommeister & @borilz.art
Read more: Check out our neighbourhood guide to Satwa, or visit our Explore section for more ways to discover Dubai…