Urban Balkan bistro · Umm Suqeim 2, Dubai

Balkan soul food in Dubai, made by hand

21grams is a homegrown bistro serving honest, daring dishes from the Balkan Peninsula — phyllo pastry stretched by hand, bread baked through the day, slow-cooked sarma and wagyu ćevapi — in a bright room above Al Thanya Street.

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Monday – Friday: 8:00 – 16:00
Saturday – Sunday: 8:00 – 18:00

Komplet egg with blistered homemade bread and melted kajmak at 21grams

MICHELIN GuideBib Gourmand · Dubai
MENA’s 50 Best RestaurantsNo. 26 · 2025
HomegrownSince 2018
Open dailyfrom 8am

A Balkan spread of grilled dishes, salads and bread on a wooden table

The Roots

Flavours, memories and Balkan staples you keep coming back to: an all-day breakfast, phyllo pies straight out of the oven, sharing plates and soulfood.

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Test Kitchen

Sustainability-forward dishes, seasonal experiments and new ideas — from tufahiya poached apples to the catch of the day.

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From our pantry to your table

A few dishes guests come back for. Every one is made in-house from family recipes.

pindjur eggs
poached eggs, spicy slow-roasted pepper and tomato relish, creamy yogurt, chili oil
VegetarianDEAED 72
komplet egg
sunny-side-up egg, homemade bread, cheese, butter, sour cream, beef jus
GDEAED 65
cevapi
wagyu beef kebabs, beef jus, pickled onion, chili flakes
Gluten freeAED 96
zucchini moussaka
lentil and chickpea ragout, tomato salsa, aged cheese, garden bouquet
VegetarianAED 80
sarma
slow-cooked sour cabbage rolls stuffed with minced beef, pulled beef, mashed potato
AED 88

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The arched coffee bar and pink walls of the 21grams dining room

Twenty-one grams

Twenty-one grams is said to be the weight of a human soul; the 21st degree is close to the latitude of the Balkan Peninsula. Both ideas sit behind our name and on every plate we send out.

Founded in 2018 by Stasha Toncev, 21grams grew from a small bistro with 25 chairs into one of Dubai’s best-loved neighbourhood tables — still independent, still cooking from the recipes of home.

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A living pantry

Flavour starts long before the plate: with what is in season, what grows close to home, and with jars of pickles, relishes and preserves that line our kitchen.