Ramadan is just around the corner, which means restaurants and hotels are preparing their iftar offerings.
While some options can be quite steep in terms of prices, there is no scarcity of wallet-friendly iftars that do not compromise on quality.
Although predominantly Middle Eastern, selections also features non-Arabic cuisines such as Asian and Italian.
Here are some to check out.
Iftars under Dh100
LDC Kitchen + Coffee
All five branches of the cafe are serving an all-you-can-eat iftar. Diners can choose from a selection of all-day breakfast dishes, such as smoked salmon Benedict, oven-baked eggplant with shakshuka, French toast and buttermilk pancakes with crispy praline streusel among others.
There's also a selection of pizzas and pastas, as well as starters including chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks and lentil soup. The meal comes with unlimited dates and water, one soft drink and a scoop of London Dairy ice cream.
Dh89 per person; sunset-midnight; various locations; ldckitchen.com
Dhaba Lane
The Punjabi restaurant is serving a four-course set menu for iftar, starting with dates, fruit chaat and dahi bhalla papdi chaat. Diners can then choose two starters, one main and a dessert with options for both vegetarians and meat-eaters.
Dishes include dahi kebab or vegetarian patties made with curd; chooza makhani or roasted chicken simmered in a buttery sauce; and almond flour halwa.
From Dh65 per person; 6pm-9pm; Karama, Garhoud, Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Al Nahda
Yummy Dosa
The Indian restaurant has a four-course set menu offer for iftar. It starts with dates and fruits, accompanied by Ramadan drink Rooh Afza. Diners are then served a dosa, a starter and a pasta dish. The menu includes cheese burst pizza dosa, paneer schezwan and Arrabiata.
Dh49 per person; sunset-8.30pm; Discovery Gardens and Karama
Wagamama
Branches of the Japanese chain have a set menu that includes a miso soup, a main course, a side, a drink and a dessert.
Diners can choose from dishes such as chilli chicken ramen, teriyaki soba steak or chicken katsu for mains. Side dishes include chicken gyoza, ebi katsu or Korean fried chicken. End the meal with either chocolate layer cake or white ginger cheesecake.
From Dh99 per person; sunset onwards; various locations across Dubai; wagamama.ae
The Coffee Club
Traditional iftar meals are available at the coffee chain with a set menu for two people.
Dishes include sharing platters of pomegranate and date salad, chicken wings, turkey pastrami and garden vegetables served with tahini yoghurt, mayonnaise and blue cheese sauce.
Dh99 for two people; sunset onwards; various locations across Dubai; thecoffeeclubme.com
Iftars under Dh150
Rohini by Little Miss India
The restaurant at Jumeirah Lakes Towers will serve an Indian thali with quintessential South Asian flavours, for iftar. On the menu are dishes such as hummus topped with scrambled tandoori paneer, mutton seekh kebab, butter chicken, shahi murgh pulao and kalakand-stuffed baklava.
Dh149 per person; sunset to 8pm; Cluster A, JLT; 04 438 0064
Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf
The hotel's Zabeel Ballroom will put on an Arabian Nights-themed iftar buffet, with dishes created by executive chef Alaa Moustafa. On offer are whole roasted lamb ouzi, chicken kabsa, fish with sumac and daoud basha. There's also a shawarma station and dessert corner, while a qanun musician sets the mood.
From Dh140; sunset to 8.30pm; Oud Metha; 04 317 7777
Cuisines
Those in Dubai South can head to this Holiday Inn Dubai Al Maktoum Airport restaurant for a traditional Arabic iftar.
On the menu are samak harra or oven-baked fish topped with spicy sauce; kibbeh bil laban or meatballs cooked in warm dried mint yoghurt sauce; and dal makhani or black lentils cooked in butter and cream. The meal ends with Umm Ali.
Dh125 per person; sunset to 10.30pm; Dubai South; 050 213 3831
Seva Table
For a healthy iftar experience, head to the Jumeirah Beach Road restaurant. The sharing menu includes dates and olives, a soup and several dips, including roasted capsicum, roasted eggplant and beetroot hummus, a salad, saffron rice and kofta tahini. For dessert, there is a plant-based kunafa.
Dh129 per person for a group of five or more; sunset-8.30pm; Jumeirah Beach Road; 056 534 2899
Bombay Bungalow
The Michelin-lauded Indian restaurant has prepared a set menu for iftar.
The meal starts with Arabic coffee, fruit and dates. These are followed by lentil soup and fattoush with sweet tamarind chutney, as well as a trio of dips: kadai hummus, hummus with fresh mango and mutabal.
For starters, dishes include mushroom empanada, afghani chicken tikka and black lemon and cardamom mutton. Biryani and a curry of the day are on offer for mains, accompanied by an assortment of breads. The meal ends with a tres leches cake.
Dh110 per person; sunset onwards; Beach Mall, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai; 800 692 8779
Iftars under Dh200
Raw Coffee
Go to an iftar for a cause at this charming Al Quoz warehouse-turned-cafe.
Authentic Palestinian dishes will be served, while the venue will be adorned with decorations made by Palestinian artists. Floral-infused beverages and traditional drinks will be served, and there is a dedicated retail area featuring Palestinian art and merchandise, including tote bags, shirts and pantry items.
A portion of the sales will be donated to Tarahum for Gaza through Red Crescent UAE.
Dh195 per person; Friday to Sunday throughout Ramadan; 6.30pm-8pm; Al Quoz; 052 698 8428
Besh Turkish Kitchen
As the name suggests, Turkish cuisine is the star of this iftar buffet at the Sheraton Mall of the Emirates. All things Middle East-inspired are part of the spread, from hot and cold meze to succulent grills. Diners can sit indoors, or choose the Spartan tent on the terrace. Traditional Turkish tea is on the cards, as well as live entertainment.
On weekdays, the restaurant will choose a lucky table of four to enjoy a complimentary iftar during their next visit.
Dh175 per person; until 8.30pm; Al Barsha; 04 377 2353
Yalumba
The restaurant at Le Meredien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre has transformed its outdoor space into an Arabian oasis to host a lavish iftar complete with pan-Arab and international cuisines. Cooking stations are scattered across the pitch, while an Arabic trio band serenades diners.
Dh165 per person; until 9.30pm; Airport Road, Garhoud; 04 702 2455
Habtoor Grand Resorts, Autograph Collection
Enjoy an iftar under the stars at the hotel's expansive garden lawn. Arabic cuisine is on the menu with live cooking stations spread across the al fresco spot. Diners can indulge in hot and cold meze, fresh salads and hearty main courses, as well as desserts including kunafa and baklava.
Dh190 per person; sunset onwards; Dubai Marina; 04 399 5000
Brasserie on 1
The restaurant in Holiday Inn Dubai Business Bay is serving Levantine dishes for iftar, including roasted lamb ouzi. Traditional Ramadan juices are also on offer. Larger groups can book a private poolside spot during iftar.
Dh150 per person; sunset to 9pm; Business Bay; 04 871 6000
Millennium Plaza Downtown Hotel
The Dubai hotel is bringing back its Al Jumairah Ramadan Majlis with an iftar buffet that rotates three menus. There will be 12 live cooking stations, featuring dishes from Italian, Indian and Asian cuisines. Middle Eastern and Emirati dishes are also part of the selection, including machboos and Arabic-inspired sushi.
Dh199 per person; until 9pm; Sheikh Zayed Road; millenniumhotels.com
Chival Global Social
Three rotating set menus are on offer at this City Walk hotel with mainly Middle Eastern-inspired dishes. Starters include meat kibbeh, spinach fatayer, sambousek and cheese manakish, while mains include mixed grill, and chicken moussakas with caramelised onions and sumac on freshly baked saj.
Diners can end the meal with orange blossom panna cotta infused with mandarin extract or Umm Ali made of milk, rosewater and puff pastry.
Dh195 per person; sunset to 11.30pm; City Walk; 04 403 3111
QD’s
The Dubai Creek Resort restaurant is going the traditional route with its iftar offering, with Arabic dishes from hot and cold appetisers to mixed grills galore. For dessert, diners can indulge in Umm Ali, saffron rice pudding, kunafa and more.
Dh195 per person; until 9pm; Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht club; 04 602 1587
The Artisan
An Italian feast awaits diners at the Waldorf Astoria restaurant. The sharing-style meal starts with a platter of dates, home-made ricotta, caramelised walnuts and molasses. This is followed by a Castelluccio lentil soup with black truffle foam and fresh marjoram, fried Patagonian calamari with chilli lime mayo or a margherita pizza.
The dessert is the restaurant's signature cannoncini, a home-made crispy pastry roll stuffed with house cream.
Dh165 per person; sunset onwards; DIFC; theartisan.ae
Chutney’s Restaurant
The Bur Dubai restaurant serves North Indian dishes at iftar, including tandoor-cooked bites such as murg malai, paneer tikka and gosht seekh. Popular curries such as butter chicken and rogan josh are also on offer, as well as five types of biryani.
For those craving Arabic cuisine, the restaurant also serves slow-cooked lamb ouzi. Indoor and outdoor seating is available, with the al fresco spot featuring live barbecue and luqaimat stations.
Dh189 per person; until 10.30pm; Movenpick Hotel & Apartments Bur Dubai; 04 336 6000
The Strand
Diners looking for a Mediterranean iftar can head to this Palm Jumeirah restaurant. The meal begins with a choice among lentil soup, Moroccan harira or Algerian white chicken soup, all served with warm Arabic bread.
A sharing appetiser platter follows, featuring beef kibbeh, sambousek and cumin labneh. For mains, the restaurant serves slow-roasted lamb, chicken kabsa, grilled sea bass and halloumi and vegetable skewers. End the meal with either saffron milk cake or date nut cheesecake.
Dh150 per person; sunset onwards; Palm Views West; 04 430 221
Oak
This recently opened restaurant in Umm Suqeim offers an iftar menu inspired by Asian woodfire cooking. It includes two beverages, a salad, soup, main course and dessert.
Diners can choose between lentil and miso butternut squash soup to start, followed by fattoush yuzu salad. For mains, options include miso-grilled and braised chicken breast or Thai red curry lamb shank, both accompanied by coconut or kimchi rice. Desserts include sea salt apple and banana crumble, toffee pudding with Madagascar vanilla gelato and saffron tres leches.
Dh160 per person; 7pm onwards; Jumeirah 3, Umm Suqeim; 04 266 8979
Siraj
The Emirati-Levantine restaurant at Souk Al Bahar is serving a traditional iftar. On the menu are a selection of soups and salads such as fattoush and tabbouleh, as well as hot and cold meze. For mains, diners can indulge in mulukhiyah, machboos rubyan and kousa bil laban.
Dh195 per person; sunset onwards; Souk Al Bahar; 052 267 3840
Salmontini Le Resto
The French restaurant, which faces the snowy slopes of Ski Dubai inside Mall of the Emirates, is offering an iftar with salmon as the star ingredient.
Guests can expect dishes such as a platter of garden vegetables, smoked salmon and California crispy maki and tzatziki for starters. For the main course, choose among mixed grill or lamb shank with saffron risotto. Desserts include pistachio semifreddo, Nutella cheesecake and apple tart a la mode.
Dh179 per person; sunset-9pm; Mall of the Emirates; 04 341 0222
Trattoria by Cinque
Head to this Five Jumeirah Village Circle restaurant for a traditional Arabic iftar. The buffet includes dishes such as lamb leg ouzi, chicken shawarma and array of hot and cold mezzes and salads. Arabic desserts are also on the menu to end the meal on a sweet note.
From Dh199 per person; sunset onwards; Jumeirah Village Circle; 04 455 9989
Social Company
The restaurant Zabeel House The Greens has a buffet of hot and cold meze, salads and soups. Mains will be served on the table, and include lamb shank with puff pastry, shuwa rice and sauce and mixed grills. Vegetarian options are also available with dishes such as grilled vegetable tagine with saffron couscous, and rice-stuffed veggies.
To complete the meal, guests can expect a pistachio milk cake with pistachio cream and sticky date pudding with caramel sauce, honeycomb and caramel ice cream.
Dh185 per person; sunset onwards; The Greens; 04 519 1111
RSVP
Head to the Boxpark restaurant for a Mediterranean-French set menu.
Starters include creamy potato and leek veloute, bruschetta with tomatoes and stracciatella drizzled with concentrated basil oil as well as Mediterranean meatballs in tomato and yoghurt sauce. For mains, diners can expect lamb shoulder and chicken skewers served with pilaf rice. A kunafa with a side of pistachio ice cream is served for dessert.
Dh188 per person; sunset-2am; Al Wasl Road; 04 265 5007
Beau Rivage Bistro
The European restaurant in Business Bay is going traditional Arabic for its iftar offering, complementing it with a live oud player.
On the menu are freshly baked Arabic bread served with hot and cold meze such as hummus, fattoush and baba ganoush. The menu rotates weekly, but guests can expect mixed grill options from shish taouk to kofta and shish kebab. End the meal with fruit, baklava and Umm Ali. A selection of Ramadan drinks are also available, from laban to jallab.
Dh180 per person; sunset-8pm; Grand Millennium Hotel, Marasi Drive; 056 682 9268
Hatta
The all-day dining restaurant of Sheraton Dubai Creek is serving a traditional Arabic spread for iftar. Diners can indulge in a lamb ouzi, seafood harra, chicken topkapi and Arabic desserts including a classic kunafa.
Dh179 per person; sunset-8pm; Sheraton Dubai Creek; 050 9731673
