The best free bread baskets in Dubai ranked: From Texas Roadhouse to GAIA

Hello, my name is Yousra Zaki and I don't know how to act around warm bread.

So let's talk about it.

Free bread at a restaurant is an absolute joy... It's free. It's bread. It starts your dinner on a high. It makes life worth living.

While it's slowly being scrapped at some Dubai restaurants and instead offered as a chargeable appetiser or a dedicated bread course, the freebie is thankfully still very much a thing at most places.

It's one of the last great remnants of a golden era when restaurants still handed out things like matchboxes.

But not all free bread is created equal. Some places might drop a sad baguette in front of you and call it a day. But then, there are those that have stopped me in my tracks... here they are.

PS: There is no methodology behind this... only vibes.

#1: Texas Roadhouse

Bring up this American chain to anyone you're talking to, and within seconds you'll be hearing about the bread. Pillowy soft, fresh-out-the-oven and served with a sickly sweet honey cinnamon butter. The perfect way to ruin your dinner.

#2 GAIA

Here, you can choose from a selection of sourdough, olive bread and airy focaccia... I get all three. (Because I just have to, okay?) I dip them into olive oil or use them as a vehicle to scoop up creamy feta cheese.

#3 The Hide

The freshly baked, bagel-style multi-seed bread and rye sourdough bread have been a staple at The Hide for years. Brushed with butter before serving, I have to stop myself from requesting more.

#4 Seafire Steakhouse & Bar

This proper old-school US-style steakhouse kicks your meal off with delicious buttery buns and not one, but two very fancy butters.

#5 CÉ LA VI

Those seaweed Parker rolls are something else. A little bit sweet, a little bit salty (thanks to the seaweed) and not your typical bread rolls. Definitely unique to the sky-high spot.

#6 Khoori Special Kabab

This budget Iranian spot in Al Mamzar brings out gigantic barbari bread (basically the size of a football field) to start every meal. The Persian flatbread is aromatic and studded with black sesame seeds that give it such a great and nutty flavour.

#7 Cheesecake Factory

I know I keep bringing this place up, but I can't not mention the brown bread at CCF. With a slightly sweet molasses-infused flavour and strewn with rolled oats, it pairs beautifully with the salted butter. If you've not tried it, you're in for a treat.

Honourable mentions (because they aren't free): The khobez al bait at Sufret Maryam, the incredible pita bread at Maisan15, the two-year-old charcoal khubz at Moonrise and the sourdough served with the meat fruit at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.

Is there a bread out there that you love? A bread you can't live without?

Hit me up at yousra.zaki@itp.com because I'm dying to know.

Until then... stay hydrated,

Yousra

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