Best UAE Credit Cards for Dining and Food Spending

Eating out is a regular expense for many people in the UAE, from quick meals and coffee to family dinners, hotel restaurants and food delivery. Choosing a credit card that rewards dining can help you earn cashback, collect points or access restaurant discounts while paying for expenses you already make.

But not every dining-focused credit card works in the same way. Some cards offer direct cashback on restaurant spending, while others provide discounts at selected restaurants, food-delivery promotions, dining memberships or reward points.

This guide compares selected credit cards in the UAE based primarily on their dining and food-related benefits, including restaurant cashback, dining discounts, food-delivery offers, reward programmes, spending requirements and applicable limits.

Quick Comparison: UAE Credit Cards for Dining & Food

Important: Dining benefits, cashback rates, caps, participating restaurants and promotional offers can change. Always check the issuer's current terms before applying or making a purchase.

1. Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus Card

The Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus Card is designed around everyday spending categories, including dining and restaurants.

Dining & Food Benefit

Cardholders can earn up to 10% cashback on dining in the UAE and abroad.

The cashback rate depends on total monthly card spending:

• AED 3,000–9,999: 3% cashback
• AED 10,000–17,499: 5% cashback
• AED 17,500 or more: 10% cashback

Dining cashback is capped at AED 200 per month

A minimum total monthly card spend of AED 3,000 is required to earn cashback.

Why Consider It for Dining?

The main attraction is that the dining reward increases as total monthly spending rises. This can make it relevant for households or individuals with relatively high monthly card expenditure.

Best For

People who regularly spend on restaurants and want a direct dining cashback benefit rather than relying primarily on restaurant discounts.

2. HSBC Live+ Credit Card

HSBC Live+ is one of the cards in this list with a clearly defined dining cashback category.

Dining & Food Benefit

The card offers 6% cashback on dining, up to AED 200 per statement cycle, when the required monthly spending condition is met.

You need to spend at least AED 3,000 per month to unlock the enhanced cashback categories.

Food & Restaurant Offers

The card also includes a complimentary Zomato Gold membership, which can provide up to 50% off dining bills at participating restaurants across the UAE.

Why Consider It for Dining?

It combines a straightforward dining cashback rate with a restaurant membership benefit. This makes it relevant for people who frequently dine out rather than using their card mainly for general shopping.

Best For

Regular restaurant customers who want both dining cashback and restaurant discounts.

3. FAB Cashback Credit Card

The FAB Cashback Credit Card provides a direct cashback category for dining.

Dining & Food Benefit

You can earn 5% cashback on dining, subject to the applicable AED 150 monthly dining cashback cap.

The card also offers cashback on selected other spending categories, but dining is one of its core cashback categories.

Food Offers

FAB periodically provides additional restaurant and food-related promotions for eligible FAB cards. Offers can vary by restaurant and campaign period.

Important Requirement

The card has a minimum AED 3,000 previous-month spend requirement to earn FAB Rewards.

Best For

People who want a relatively straightforward 5% dining cashback benefit while also earning rewards on other eligible spending.

4. ADIB Cashback Visa Covered Card

The ADIB Cashback Visa Covered Card provides a dedicated cashback category for dining and restaurants.

Dining & Food Benefit

Cardholders can receive 4% cashback on dining and restaurant spending, with a maximum dining cashback of AED 200 per month.

The card also provides cashback on groceries, fuel, education and utility payments.

Why Consider It for Dining?

The dining category is easy to understand: eligible restaurant spending earns a fixed cashback rate, subject to the monthly category limit.

Best For

People looking for a 4% dining cashback card that also covers several everyday household spending categories.

5. Emirates Islamic Switch Cashback Credit Card

The Emirates Islamic Switch Cashback Card allows customers to choose between different cashback programmes, including a dining category.

Dining & Food Benefit

Under the Lifestyle option, dining earns 4% cashback, with a maximum of AED 200 per month for the dining category.

The Travel option also provides 4% cashback on dining, subject to the applicable category limit.

A minimum billed amount of AED 2,500 per calendar month is required to earn the applicable cashback.

Why Consider It for Dining?

Its flexibility can be useful if your spending pattern changes. Dining remains a key cashback category, while the card can also be used for other lifestyle or travel-related spending.

Best For

People who want 4% dining cashback with the flexibility to select a cashback programme.

6. FAB Rewards Indulge Card

The FAB Rewards Indulge Card takes a different approach to dining. Instead of relying primarily on a dining cashback percentage, it focuses heavily on restaurant discounts.

Dining & Restaurant Benefit

Cardholders can receive up to 20% off at more than 150 restaurants across the UAE.

The offer can also be used when dining with up to seven friends, subject to the applicable restaurant terms.

Why Consider It for Dining?

For someone who regularly eats at participating restaurants, a restaurant discount can sometimes be more useful than a small cashback percentage.

The card also earns FAB Rewards that can be redeemed across categories including dining.

Best For

People who prefer restaurant discounts and dining experiences over a traditional cashback-only model.

7. FAB Elite Credit Card

FAB Elite is aimed at customers looking for premium lifestyle benefits, including higher-value restaurant discounts.

Dining & Restaurant Benefit

Cardholders can receive up to 40% off at selected top restaurants in the UAE.

The dining offer includes selected hotel restaurants and can extend to the cardholder and friends, subject to the participating restaurant's terms.

Why Consider It for Dining?

The headline benefit is the potential restaurant discount rather than a standard dining cashback percentage.

For customers who frequently dine at premium restaurants, the discount structure can be particularly relevant.

Eligibility

The card has a minimum monthly salary requirement of AED 40,000 and an annual fee of AED 1,200.

Best For

High-income customers who regularly dine at premium restaurants and hotels.

8. HSBC Cash+ Credit Card

HSBC Cash+ is primarily a general cashback card rather than a dedicated dining card.

Dining & Food Benefit

The card provides 1% cashback on eligible purchases, with no minimum spend or earning cap for the standard cashback.

For dining specifically, the card also includes complimentary Zomato Gold, which can provide up to 50% off dining bills at participating restaurants across the UAE.

Why Consider It for Dining?

The value for food spending comes from the combination of general cashback and dining-related partner benefits rather than a higher standalone dining cashback rate.

Best For

People who want simple general cashback while also receiving additional restaurant savings.

9. HSBC Emirates Skywards Signature Credit Card

The HSBC Emirates Skywards Signature Credit Card combines travel rewards with dining-related lifestyle benefits.

Dining & Food Benefit

The card includes complimentary Zomato Gold, which can provide up to 50% off dining bills at more than 4,000 restaurants across the UAE, subject to the applicable Zomato Gold terms.

It also provides discounts on food and drinks at cinemas.

Dining Rewards

The card earns Skywards Miles on eligible spending, allowing restaurant spending to contribute to an airline rewards balance rather than direct cashback.

Why Consider It for Dining?

This can be useful for someone who wants dining benefits while also collecting Emirates Skywards Miles.

Best For

Frequent diners who also value airline miles and lifestyle dining benefits.

10. HSBC Premier Credit Card

The HSBC Premier Credit Card includes several food and restaurant benefits for eligible HSBC Premier customers.

Dining & Restaurant Benefit

Cardholders can receive complimentary Zomato Gold, with up to 50% off dining bills at more than 4,000 restaurants across the UAE.

Food Delivery Benefit

The card also provides up to 20% off grocery or food orders twice a month through Talabat, subject to the applicable promotion and terms.

Why Consider It for Dining?

Unlike a conventional cashback card, the value comes from combining restaurant discounts with food-delivery savings.

Eligibility

The card is intended for HSBC Premier customers who meet the applicable Premier relationship requirements.

Best For

Existing HSBC Premier customers who regularly use restaurants and food-delivery services.

11. HSBC Advance Credit Card

The HSBC Advance Credit Card provides several restaurant-focused benefits.

Dining & Food Benefit

Cardholders can receive complimentary Zomato Gold, offering up to 50% off dining bills at more than 4,000 participating restaurants across the UAE.

The card also provides access to discounts at more than 400 restaurants when paying with the credit card.

Additional Food Benefit

There are also cinema-related food and drink discounts, subject to the applicable spending conditions.

Why Consider It for Dining?

The combination of Zomato Gold and restaurant-specific discounts makes the card relevant for people who prefer restaurant savings instead of category-based cashback.

Best For

HSBC Advance customers who frequently dine out and want access to restaurant discounts.

12. Emirates NBD Darna Visa Signature Credit Card

The Emirates NBD Darna Visa Signature Credit Card is closely linked to the Darna ecosystem and Aldar destinations.

Dining & Restaurant Benefit

Darna Gold membership provides up to 20% off dining at selected hotels, subject to participating venues and Darna's terms.

The card also provides Darna Points on spending at Aldar destinations.

Why Consider It for Dining?

The card may be particularly relevant for people who frequently visit Aldar hotels, restaurants and lifestyle destinations.

The dining benefit is therefore more location- and partner-focused than a universal restaurant cashback percentage.

Best For

People who frequently dine at participating Aldar and Darna partner locations.

13. Emirates NBD Diners Club Credit Card

The Emirates NBD Diners Club Credit Card has a specific reward rate for dining.

Dining & Food Benefit

Cardholders can earn 2.5% in Plus Points on dining spending.

The card also earns Plus Points on other categories, but dining has a higher earning rate than its standard spending category.

Why Consider It for Dining?

For someone who regularly pays restaurant bills by card, the dedicated 2.5% dining reward rate provides a straightforward way to earn points from dining.

The card also includes access to a wide range of dining and lifestyle offers.

Best For

Frequent diners who prefer reward points over direct cashback.

14. Emirates Islamic Etihad Guest Platinum Credit Card

The Emirates Islamic Etihad Guest Platinum Credit Card is primarily a travel-rewards card, but it can still be relevant for dining and food-related lifestyle spending.

Dining & Food Benefit

The card includes lifestyle and hospitality benefits, including access to the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection. Participating properties can provide benefits such as a food or beverage voucher, subject to the programme's terms.

The card also provides restaurant reservation assistance through its concierge service.

Why Consider It for Dining?

This card is less focused on direct dining cashback than cards such as HSBC Live+, FAB Cashback or Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus. Its dining value is more closely connected to premium hospitality and travel experiences.

Best For

People who want dining and hospitality benefits alongside Etihad Guest travel rewards.

Dining Cashback vs Restaurant Discounts: Which Matters More?

When comparing dining credit cards in the UAE, the highest percentage is not necessarily the only factor to consider.

There are two main types of dining benefits:

Dining Cashback

With a cashback card, you receive a percentage back from eligible restaurant spending.

For example:

• Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus: up to 10%
• HSBC Live+: 6%
• FAB Cashback: 5%
• ADIB Cashback: 4%
• Emirates Islamic Switch: 4%

However, category caps and minimum monthly spending can affect how much you actually receive.

Restaurant Discounts

Other cards focus on reducing the restaurant bill directly.

Examples include:

• FAB Rewards Indulge: up to 20% at participating restaurants
• FAB Elite: up to 40% at selected restaurants
• HSBC cards with Zomato Gold: up to 50% off at participating restaurants
• Emirates NBD Darna: up to 20% at selected hotels

These offers depend heavily on participating restaurants and the specific terms of each programme.

What Should You Check Before Choosing a Dining Credit Card?

A dining cashback percentage is only one part of the calculation.

1. Check the Dining Cashback Rate

Look specifically at the percentage offered on restaurant spending.

A card offering 10% cashback may have a lower practical benefit if the category has a relatively small monthly cap.

2. Check the Monthly Cashback Cap

For example, if dining cashback is capped at AED 200, spending substantially more than the amount needed to reach that cap will not generate additional dining cashback.

3. Check the Minimum Monthly Spend

Some cards require you to spend a minimum amount across the card before enhanced dining cashback becomes available.

This is particularly important for cards such as HSBC Live+, Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus and Emirates Islamic Switch.

4. Check Whether Your Restaurants Qualify

Restaurant discounts and memberships such as Zomato Gold generally depend on participating restaurants.

A high advertised discount does not mean every restaurant in the UAE will offer that discount.

5. Look at Food Delivery Benefits

If you order food frequently rather than dining out, check whether the card provides benefits through platforms such as Talabat or Zomato.

6. Consider How You Actually Spend

Someone spending AED 1,000–2,000 a month on restaurants may value a simple dining cashback card differently from someone spending several thousand dirhams at premium restaurants.

Final Thoughts

The right dining credit card in the UAE depends on how you spend on food, not simply on the highest advertised cashback percentage.

If your priority is direct dining cashback, cards such as Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus, HSBC Live+, FAB Cashback, ADIB Cashback and Emirates Islamic Switch provide clearly defined dining cashback categories.

If you prefer restaurant discounts, FAB Rewards Indulge, FAB Elite, HSBC cards with Zomato Gold and Emirates NBD Darna offer a different approach, with savings linked to participating restaurants and dining programmes.

For people who combine dining with travel rewards, cards such as HSBC Emirates Skywards Signature and Emirates Islamic Etihad Guest Platinum may be relevant because dining can form part of a broader rewards and lifestyle strategy.

Before applying, compare the dining cashback rate, monthly cap, minimum spend, restaurant participation, food-delivery offers, annual fee and eligibility requirements. Also check the issuer's latest terms because dining offers and partner promotions can change.

Disclaimer

Credit card cashback rates, dining offers, participating restaurants, fees, eligibility criteria and promotional benefits can change. The information in this article is for general informational purposes and should be verified against the card issuer's latest terms and conditions before applying or making financial decisions.

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