One Carlo Diaz
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
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 the UAE; wagamama.ae
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 vegetarians and meat-eaters.
Dishes include dahi ke kebab or vegetarian patties made with curd; chooza makhani or roasted chicken simmered in makhani sauce; and almond flour halwa.
From Dh65 per person; 6pm-9pm; Karama, Garhoud, Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Al Nahda; @dhabalane.dubai on Instagram
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 the UAE; thecoffeeclubme.com
Yummy Dosa
The casual Indian restaurant has a four-course set menu offer for iftar. It starts with the usual dates and fruits, accompanied by Ramadan drink Rooh Afza. Diners are then served with a dosa, a starter and a pasta dish. The menu includes cheese burst pizza dosa, paneer schezwan and Arrabiata pasta.
Dh49 per person; sunset-8.30pm; Abu Shagara in Sharjah; Discovery Gardens and Karama in Dubai; @yummydosa on Instagram
Iftars under Dh200
Raw Coffee
Settle in for an iftar for a cause at the charming Al Quoz warehouse-turned-cafe venue with the theme “Let’s Bloom in Hope”.
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 also be served, while 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; sunset onwards; Al Quoz, Dubai; 052 698 8428
Besh Turkish Kitchen
As its name suggests, Turkish cuisine is the star of the iftar buffet at the Sheraton Mall of the Emirates restaurant. All things Middle Eastern-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 overlooking with views of Dubai’s urban centre. 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 in their next visit.
Dh175 per person; until 8.30pm; Al Barsha, Dubai; 04 377 2353
Yalumba
The Le Meredien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre restaurant 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 the diners.
Dh165 per person; until 9.30pm; Airport Road, Garhoud; 04 702 2455
Rohini by Little Miss India
For those who want to end their fast with Indian cuisine, the Jumeirah Lakes Towers restaurant is hosting a thali meal with quintessential South Asian flavours. On the menu are dishes like hummus topped with scrambled tandoori paneer, mutton seekh kebab, butter chicken, sahi murgh pulao and kalakand-stuffed baklava.
Dh149 per person; until 8pm; Cluster A, JLT, Dubai; 04 438 0064
Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf
The Zabeel Ballroom of the hotel is being dressed in an Arabian Nights theme for Ramadan. Executive chef Alaa Moustafa has curated the iftar buffet with dishes such as whole roasted lam ouzi, chicken kabsa, fish with sumac and daoud basha. There’s also a shawarma station on site, as well as a dessert corner, while a qanun musician sets the mood.
Early bird booking at Dh140 per person, regular price at Dh199 per person; until 8.30pm; Oud Metha; 04 317 7777
Habtoor Grand Resorts, Autograph Collection
Iftar can be enjoyed under the stars at this Dubai hotel’s expansive garden lawn. Traditional Arabic cuisine is on the menu, with live cooking stations spread across the alfresco spot. Diners can indulge in the typical hot and cold meze, fresh salads and hearty main courses, as well as desserts including kunafa, baklava and more.
Dh190 per person; sunset onwards; Dubai Marina; 04 399 5000
Brasserie on 1
The restaurant at Holiday Inn Dubai Business Bay is serving Levantine-inspired dishes for iftar, with a roasted lamb ouzi on the menu. Traditional Ramadan juices are also on offer. Larger groups can book a private poolside Iftar experience as well.
Dh150 per person; until 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 Arabian, Italian, Indian, and Asian cuisines. Of course, Emirati dishes are part of the selection, with dishes such as machboos, alongside 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 in Dubai with mainly Middle Eastern-inspired dishes. Starters include meat kibbeh, spinach fatayer, sambousek and cheese manakish, while the main courses include a typical Arabic mixed grill and chicken moussakas with caramelised onions and sumac on a 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; until 11.30pm; City Walk, Dubai; 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 in Dubai International Financial Centre. 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
North Indian flavours are on spotlight at this Bur Dubai restaurant’s iftar menu, which includes tandoor-cooked delights such as murg malai, paneer tikka and gosht seek. Popular curries such as butter chicken and rogan josh are also on offer, as well as five different birianis.
Indoor and outdoor seating is available, with the alfresco spot featuring a live barbecue and luqaimat stations. For those craving Arabic cuisine, the restaurant also serves slow-cooked lamb ouzi.
Dh189 per person; until 10.30pm; Movenpick Hotel & Apartments Bur Dubai; 04 336 6000
The Strand
Diners looking for a Mediterranean-inspired iftar can head to this Palm Jumeirah restaurant. The meal begins with a choice among classic lentil soup, Moroccan harira soup or Algerian white chicken soup, all served with warm Arabic bread.
A sharing appetiser platter follows, featuring beef kibbeh, sambousek and cumin labneh. For the 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 nute cheesecake.
Dh150 per person; sunset onwards; Palm Views West; 04 430 221
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 of over-baked fish topped with spicy sauce, kibbeh bill laban or meatballs cooked in warm dried mint yoghurt sauce, dal makhani or black lentils cooked in butter and cream. The meal ends with umm ali.
Dh125 per person; until 10.30pm; Dubai South; 050 213 3831
Oak
This newly-opened restaurant at Umm Suqeim offers an iftar menu inspired by Asian woodfire cooking. It includes two beverages, a salad, a soup, a main course and a dessert.
Diners can choose between a lentil soup or a miso butternut squash soup to start, followed by a fattoush yuzu salad. For mains, diners can opt for miso grilled and braised chicken breast or aromatic Thai red curry lamb shank, both accompanied by a choice of coconut rice or kimchi rice. Dessert options include sea salt apple and banana crumble, toffee pudding with Madagascar vanilla gelato and saffron tress leches.
Dh160 per person; 7pm onwards; Jumeirah 3, Umm Suqeim; 04 266 8979
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. Middle Eastern 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 neighbourhood hangout spot at Zabeel House The Greens will serve up an open buffet of hot and cold mezzes, salads and soups, while the mains are served on the table, including lamb shank served with puff pastry, shuwa rice and sauce, as well as a platter of mixed grill. Vegetarian options are also available with dishes such as grilled vegetable tagine with saffron couscous, and rice-stuffed veggies.
To complete meal, guests can expect a pistachio milk cake with pistachio cream and sticky date pudding with caramel sauce, honeycomb and caramel ice cream. Typical Ramadan drinks will also be available.
Dh185 per person; sunset onwards; The Greens; 04 519 1111
Bombay Bungalow
The Michelin-lauded Indian restaurant has prepared a set menu for iftar.
The meal starts with an Arabic coffee, a fruit platter and dates to welcome the diners. It is followed by lentil soup and fattoush, drizzled 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 tress leches cake.
Dh110 per person; sunset onwards; Beach Mall, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai; 800 692 8779
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 an array of Arabic desserts, including the classic kunafa.
Dh179 per person; sunset-8pm; Sheraton Dubai Creek; 050 9731673
Sidekicks
Head to the restaurant inside Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi for an international buffet.
There’s a dates and dried nuts section filled with different varieties, from medjool to safawi. A bread station is on site, as well as a counter for the cold meze with Arabic starters. For mains, dishes include lamb harees, chicken maqluba, Thai chicken curry and dal makhani. There is also a live pasta station, a children’s corner and an extensive dessert bar.
Dh180 per person; 6.30pm-10.30pm; Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi; 02 815 0000
Roots Yas Acres
Located within the Yas Acres Golf and Country Club, the family-friendly restaurant is dishing out Middle Eastern food, as well as international favourites for iftar. Live cooking stations of shish tawook and lamb chops are on site, while dishes like lasagne, pesto chicken and lamb stew are also part of the eclectic menu.
Dh120 per person; sunset onward; Yas Island; 050 757 4808
Jing Asia
A traditional iftar buffet is on offer at this Crowne Plaza Yas Island restaurant, complete with live cooking stations and a selection of Ramadan-themed drinks. Children under the age of six dine for free.
Dh159 per person; 6pm-10.30pm; Yas Island; 02 656 3000
The Lighthouse
If a buffet is too much to break a fast, head to any of this restaurant’s branches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The iftar package includes unlimited starters plus a choice of main course. Diners can choose from truffle rigatoni, grilled salmon fillet and more. The meal comes with one dessert and unlimited soft drinks. An Oud player is on site to add a soulful touch to the dinner.
Courtesy: thenationalnews
