Cuisine Choice
Multiple kitchens cover international cuisines, making mixed-group dining easy without settling on one style.
The Market Island
Dubai Festival City
The Market Island is an upscale food hall inside Dubai Festival City, bringing multiple cuisines together in a spacious, polished setting. It suits groups with different cravings, with review highlights including the Vietnamese Pho Ga and Italian pizza, plus outdoor seating and a lively but comfortable atmosphere.
Reputation Score
4.7
★★★★★
705 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Spacious Setting
The large, open layout provides comfortable seating for families, friends and solo diners.
Helpful Service
Reviewers describe attentive table clearing, food collection from stalls and prompt support across the hall.
Clean Layout
The seating areas, tables and washrooms are repeatedly described as clean and well organised.
Outdoor Views
Winter outdoor seating is a draw, with one review mentioning views toward Festival Bay and Burj Khalifa.
Portion Sizes
Pasta Art portions were reported as large enough that one diner could not finish the dish.
Vegetarian Options
A visitor seeking vegetarian food found several appealing selections among the different kitchens.
What to Eat at The Market Island How we choose these items We use AI to find praise and criticism of specific foods and drinks in a selection of Google reviews. For The Market Island, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. We still have more reviews to analyze, so the scores may change. The score is positive reviews minus negative reviews. For example, two positive reviews and one negative review give +1. Each review counts once per item; neutral comments do not change the score. A zero score is not a positive recommendation. “Only neutral feedback” means there are no positive or negative votes. “Mixed feedback” means equal numbers of positive and negative votes. The quotes are examples of what people said, not every comment we counted. We use different reviews where we can. We normally show up to 10 foods and 5 drinks with non-negative scores. Items with the same score stay together. If a tied group would go past the limit, that group and the lower non-negative scores go into Honorable mentions. If an overflowing positive top tie would leave the list empty, we show up to 10 items from that tie and keep the rest in Honorable mentions. Foods and drinks with a negative score are under What to Avoid. Use this as a guide to what reviewers liked, not a guarantee that you will like it too.
These items at The Market Island got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 10
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Bolognese with truffle Net +1
“Al dente 🤌 We took bolognese and with truffle. Btw, the vibe of food hall is super friendly and aesthetic. High recommend”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Al dente 🤌 We took bolognese and with truffle. Btw, the vibe of food hall is super friendly and aesthetic. High recommend”October 2024
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Butter croissant Net +1
“We’ve tried iced Spanish latte from Wave, fresh juice from Shaka Waka and butter croissant and turkey sandwich from Scarlets everything was good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We’ve tried iced Spanish latte from Wave, fresh juice from Shaka Waka and butter croissant and turkey sandwich from Scarlets everything was good.”August 2024
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California roll Net +1
“The California roll was fresh and delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The California roll was fresh and delicious.”March 2025
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Ceviche Net +1
“So far I highly recommend ceviche in La Barra, naughty pizza and Turkish sweets in Kadayefzade 😍”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“So far I highly recommend ceviche in La Barra, naughty pizza and Turkish sweets in Kadayefzade 😍”September 2024
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Chicken parotta Net +1
“The chicken parotta was very good as well.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The chicken parotta was very good as well.”August 2024
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Chicken teriyaki Net +1
“The Chicken Teriyaki was outstanding, so much sauce, so rich in taste, yummy!!! Deserves a 5-star rating.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The Chicken Teriyaki was outstanding, so much sauce, so rich in taste, yummy!!! Deserves a 5-star rating.”August 2024
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Dumpling soup Net +1
“The dumpling soup at Kelinka was a comfort on a cold winter's day.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The dumpling soup at Kelinka was a comfort on a cold winter's day.”May 2026
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Freshly grilled seafood Net +1
“I personally loved trying the freshly grilled seafood and the authentic Indian street food. The quality of the ingredients is top-notch, and the flavors are amazing.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I personally loved trying the freshly grilled seafood and the authentic Indian street food. The quality of the ingredients is top-notch, and the flavors are amazing.”August 2024
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Hotdog Net +1
“we enjoyed for Vietnamese cuisine Bo, the taste of hotdog from hammer burger was amazing, so juicy.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“we enjoyed for Vietnamese cuisine Bo, the taste of hotdog from hammer burger was amazing, so juicy.”February 2025
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Italian pizza Net +1
“Excellent delicious Italian pizza with the thinnest pizza dough in the middle and the fluffiest most tender dough in the crusts. Usually thin pizza dough is burnt in the crust and I never eat it. This one, while it had very thin authentic Italian dough at the crust it gets very fluffy. The crust is so soft, tender and delicious. I LOVE THIS PIZZA 😍😍😍”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Excellent delicious Italian pizza with the thinnest pizza dough in the middle and the fluffiest most tender dough in the crusts. Usually thin pizza dough is burnt in the crust and I never eat it. This one, while it had very thin authentic Italian dough at the crust it gets very fluffy. The crust is so soft, tender and delicious. I LOVE THIS PIZZA 😍😍😍”March 2025
Honorable mentions (5)
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Naughty pizza Net +1
“So far I highly recommend ceviche in La Barra, naughty pizza and Turkish sweets in Kadayefzade 😍”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“So far I highly recommend ceviche in La Barra, naughty pizza and Turkish sweets in Kadayefzade 😍”September 2024
-
Pho ga Net +1
“We tried the Vietnamese *Pho Ga*, and it was absolutely amazing—a huge, flavourful bowl that’s perfect for sharing with the whole family.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We tried the Vietnamese *Pho Ga*, and it was absolutely amazing—a huge, flavourful bowl that’s perfect for sharing with the whole family.”August 2024
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Plov Net +1
“Unexpectedly I had visited this place and been very surprised finding my country food restaurants which is “Kelinka”&”Keytown. Korean and Uzbek food. Very tasty plov and Korean chicken among their other dishes! Highly recommended.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Unexpectedly I had visited this place and been very surprised finding my country food restaurants which is “Kelinka”&”Keytown. Korean and Uzbek food. Very tasty plov and Korean chicken among their other dishes! Highly recommended.”March 2025
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Soft shell crab bao Net +1
“I absolutely devoured the soft shell crab bao.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I absolutely devoured the soft shell crab bao.”August 2024
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Turkey sandwich Net +1
“We’ve tried iced Spanish latte from Wave, fresh juice from Shaka Waka and butter croissant and turkey sandwich from Scarlets everything was good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We’ve tried iced Spanish latte from Wave, fresh juice from Shaka Waka and butter croissant and turkey sandwich from Scarlets everything was good.”August 2024
Drinks 3
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Hot spanish latte Net +1
“The hot Spanish latte from Arte was just amazing”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The hot Spanish latte from Arte was just amazing”August 2024
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Iced spanish latte Net +1
“We’ve tried iced Spanish latte from Wave, fresh juice from Shaka Waka and butter croissant and turkey sandwich from Scarlets everything was good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We’ve tried iced Spanish latte from Wave, fresh juice from Shaka Waka and butter croissant and turkey sandwich from Scarlets everything was good.”August 2024
-
Margarita pizza Net +1
“We ordered margarita pizza from naughty pizza it was good but not as expected.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered margarita pizza from naughty pizza it was good but not as expected.”June 2025
What to Avoid (2)
Food 2
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Shawarma platter with beef and fries Net −1
“We also tried the Shawarma platter with beef and fries. The meat was super dry and overly salty, and the fries tasted like old oil — not enjoyable.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We also tried the Shawarma platter with beef and fries. The meat was super dry and overly salty, and the fries tasted like old oil — not enjoyable.”March 2025
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Shin ramen Net −1
“We order a Shin ramen and chicken in teriyaki sauce ( can't remember the exact name in the menu) We've been asked about level of spiciness , so it seemed to be well thought through. Once I went to pick up the order I realised something was not right with the ramen, it smelled like cup noodles and the dehydrated carrots were greeting me still half soaked. I tried to eat it but couldn't get the idea of my head that this is just a cup noodle. Moved to the chicken it was spicy as hell, though we clearly said not spicy (at this point I wonder how spicy would be like) . So with empty stomach decided to approach and question the food quality we reviewed , considering we paid for both dishes aprox 130 aed. We were informed that indeed Shin ramen it is a packed cup noodle ramen and for this dish only they are using the noodles but for all the others in their menu thy do hand made noodles. They offered to replace so we got another bowl. I wish I could say it was better but things didn't get any better. We got a bowl of soup, noodles, carrots, broccoli and a piece of chicken.I have never seen a ramen with carrots and broccoli. Useless to say we could not eat that”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We order a Shin ramen and chicken in teriyaki sauce ( can't remember the exact name in the menu) We've been asked about level of spiciness , so it seemed to be well thought through. Once I went to pick up the order I realised something was not right with the ramen, it smelled like cup noodles and the dehydrated carrots were greeting me still half soaked. I tried to eat it but couldn't get the idea of my head that this is just a cup noodle. Moved to the chicken it was spicy as hell, though we clearly said not spicy (at this point I wonder how spicy would be like) . So with empty stomach decided to approach and question the food quality we reviewed , considering we paid for both dishes aprox 130 aed. We were informed that indeed Shin ramen it is a packed cup noodle ramen and for this dish only they are using the noodles but for all the others in their menu thy do hand made noodles. They offered to replace so we got another bowl. I wish I could say it was better but things didn't get any better. We got a bowl of soup, noodles, carrots, broccoli and a piece of chicken.I have never seen a ramen with carrots and broccoli. Useless to say we could not eat that”September 2024
Tips for a Better Visit
Visit Weekdays. Choose a weekday if you want a calmer experience; a reviewer found weekends too busy.
Park North. Use the North section of the parking garage to stay close to the food hall entrance.
Share Dishes. Consider sharing larger orders: the Vietnamese Pho Ga was described as a huge, family-shareable bowl.
Check Ramen. Ask how the Korean ramen is prepared before ordering; one review specifically found the Shin ramen was packaged cup noodles.
Budget Extra. Plan to spend more than at a normal food court, as reviews describe the pricing as slightly high to overpriced.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Mall 9 - Crescent Dr
Al Kheeran - Dubai Festival City, Dubai
| Mon | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Tue | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Wed | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Thu | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Fri | 10:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
| Sat | 10:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
| Sun | 10:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
Common Concerns
High Prices
Several reviews say the food hall costs more than a standard food court, with one calling the pricing poor value.
Uneven Food
Quality varies by kitchen: one reviewer found the noodles disappointing and the shawarma meat dry and overly salty.
Ramen Issue
One Korean stall used packaged Shin ramen for a dish priced as part of a roughly AED 130 order, which the reviewer disliked.
Weekend Crowds
The hall can become noticeably busy on weekends, making quieter visits less likely then.
Limited Change
One reviewer felt the selection was less impressive than expected and found the overall concept not especially unique.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
The Market Island is a large food hall inside Dubai Festival City, designed for groups who want different cuisines under one roof. You can try Vietnamese Pho Ga, Italian pizza, Korean and Uzbek dishes, Indian street food, coffee or desserts without moving to another venue. The range is the main reason to come: vegetarian diners and families both report finding plenty to explore.
The setting is more polished than a typical mall food court. Reviews mention a spacious open layout, comfortable seating, clean washrooms, prompt table clearing and helpful staff who may collect orders from different stalls. Outdoor seating is especially appealing in winter, with one reviewer mentioning sunset views toward Festival Bay and Burj Khalifa.
The hall can also provide quieter private dining in its VIP section. Budget for a premium food-hall experience rather than everyday food-court prices. Several customers found it expensive, and quality is not completely consistent between kitchens: complaints include dry shawarma, disappointing noodles and packaged Shin ramen.
Weekdays are a better bet if you want to avoid weekend crowds; parking in the North section keeps you close. There is a washroom inside the market, although one review noted there is no baby-changing room.