3 places we’d book for al fresco dining in Dubai this October

October is when Dubai’s outdoor dining season starts to feel properly appealing again. As evenings become more comfortable, terraces and open-air tables return to the shortlist for dinners that are as much about the setting as the food.

For this month, we are looking at three places that give us a timely reason to dine outside — from a recent arrival and a seasonal reopening to a familiar favourite returning with a new look. Here is where we would book this October.

Gymkhana

Cuisine

Indian

Location

Gate Village, DIFC

Best For

Date nights, dressed-up dinners and trying one of Dubai’s most talked-about new openings.

Why Now

After opening in DIFC last month, October marks the first full month to settle into Gymkhana’s Dubai chapter. The two-Michelin-starred London name occupies two floors in Gate Village alongside an outdoor terrace, giving us another reason to try the restaurant just as Dubai’s al fresco season begins.

What To Expect

Inspired by India’s historic social and sporting clubs, Gymkhana combines warm lantern lighting, patterned ceilings and timber detailing with a menu rooted in Indian cooking. London signatures such as tandoori masala lamb chops and chicken butter masala sit alongside dishes created specifically for Dubai, including Chettinad duck dosa, makhmali king crab and wagyu beef sukka with bone marrow.

Insider Tip

Request the terrace when reserving rather than leaving the seating to chance, particularly while outdoor tables are newly back in demand. For the food, we would use a first visit to try at least one of the Dubai exclusives — the Chettinad duck dosa or makhmali king crab.

Ninive

Cuisine

Middle Eastern & North African

Location

Jumeirah Emirates Towers

Best For

Atmospheric evening dinners, date nights and sharing plates with friends.

Why Now

Ninive returned for the season, making this the most timely booking on our list. The open-air restaurant is back at Jumeirah Emirates Towers with its contemporary urban-majlis setting, while the new season brings a refreshed space and new dishes. Its reopening coincides almost perfectly with the point in Dubai’s calendar when dining outdoors starts becoming part of the plan again.

What To Expect

Set beneath the towers in a garden-like space filled with greenery, lanterns and low seating, Ninive feels surprisingly removed from the city around it. The menu moves across the Middle East and North Africa, drawing particularly on Iraqi, Turkish and Moroccan cooking, with dishes intended to work well across the table. Expect everything from fattoush and chicken pastilla to grills, tagines and richer sharing dishes.

Insider Tip

Book for around 6.00pm to 6.30pm, close to opening time, to experience the space as daylight fades and the lanterns begin to take over. Come with enough people to order for the table rather than individually; the chicken pastilla followed by one of the larger sharing dishes is a better way to experience a menu designed around several regional influences.

Scalini

Cuisine

Italian

Location

Four Seasons Jumeirah

Best For

Long lunches, relaxed date nights and group dinners around a generous Italian table.

Why Now

Scalini reopened in September following a renovation. Its redesigned veranda now features citrus trees, Sicilian-inspired tiles and a white pergola, while Executive Chef Francesco Cortorillo has refreshed the menu too. With the terrace back and temperatures beginning to cooperate, this month feels like the right time to rediscover it.

What To Expect

The refreshed restaurant keeps the warmth of the original Scalini while introducing a lighter Mediterranean feel across the dining room and veranda. Food remains grounded in traditional Italian cooking and sharing, with newer dishes including Sicilian red prawn crudo and linguine alla Nerano alongside the restaurant’s familiar classics. The open kitchen and tableside preparation add a little theatre without taking the experience into overly formal territory.

Insider Tip

This month, we would specifically ask for the veranda rather than an indoor table — the redesigned outdoor space is one of the clearest reasons to return after the renovation. For the menu, start with the red prawn crudo before ordering a pasta for the table; the linguine alla Nerano is one of the new dishes that best fits the lighter, more Mediterranean direction of the refreshed restaurant.