Barako Grill & Barbeque

Barako Grill is a Filipino grill and barbeque house attached to the Pearl Hotel, built around a cluster of repurposed shipping containers with a garden terrace, a pool table and a small pub-style indoor room. The menu is an unapologetic run through Filipino favourites: crispy pata, lechon kawali, pork sisig on a sizzling plate, chicken inasal, pork BBQ skewers, sinigang, kare-kare, pancit and a daily seafood grill. Dinuguan, bulalo and halo-halo round out the offering for homesick regulars and curious first-timers alike. Portions are substantial and designed for sharing, and prices sit comfortably below the equivalent Filipino spots in central Dubai. San Miguel is on hand on tap and by the bottle, which draws a steady after-work crowd, and a neighbouring off-licence suits those making a longer evening of it. Service is warm and attentive, the staff are mostly Filipino and happy to guide first-timers through the menu, and the tables can feel tight on busier nights. The setting is cheerfully unfussy - this is a pub and grill, not a formal dining room - and the drive from Dubai is long enough that most visits are planned rather than casual. For Filipino expats looking for home cooking, or anyone curious to try the cuisine in an authentic setting, Barako Grill is one of the stronger options in the Northern Emirates.