Al Ain has a more authentically Emirati food culture than Dubai or Abu Dhabi — the inland city never had the same concentration of international expats, so the restaurant scene developed around what local families actually eat. The best meals are found in and around the old souq area near the oasis: small Arabic restaurants serving grilled meats, slow-cooked lamb, harees (a wheat and meat porridge eaten especially during Ramadan), and fresh flatbreads from wood-fired ovens. Street food stalls near the souq sell shawarma and luqaimat (honey-drizzled dumplings) that are among the best in the region.
For a sit-down Emirati meal, look for restaurants that advertise machboos (spiced rice with meat), saloona (a tangy meat and vegetable stew), and fresh samboosa (fried pastry pockets with spiced filling). The Hili area in the north of the city has a cluster of family restaurants popular with locals that are consistently good value. International chains are available throughout the city if you need them, but they are largely beside the point in a place with this much genuine food culture.