A full dinner buffet under AED 50 is rare in Dubai. Most hotel buffets start around AED 100 and many run well past AED 150. The few under AED 50 tend to be lunch buffets at community restaurants in Karama, Bur Dubai, Deira or Al Qusais. If you live in north or east Dubai, the better answer may be across the border: Taier Al Monal, opposite Nesto Hypermarket in Abu Shagara, Sharjah, runs a full dinner buffet for AED 42.
Why are Dubai buffets so expensive?
Rent, mostly, and licensing. A hotel restaurant in central Dubai carries high rent, staffing and service costs, and often an alcohol licence, and all of that reaches the per-head price. Restaurants in older districts and in Sharjah carry far lower costs, which is why the same food costs less there. Our Dubai vs Sharjah comparison goes through it.
Where to look for a cheap buffet in Dubai
- Karama and Bur Dubai: South Asian restaurants, some with lunch buffets
- Deira and Al Muraqqabat: Arabic and South Asian buffets, often cheaper on weekdays
- Al Qusais and Al Nahda Dubai: close to the Sharjah border, which widens your options
- Check the small print: whether drinks, tax and children are included changes the real price
The AED 42 option: what you get
- Weekday Dinner Buffet, Monday to Friday, 7:00 to 11:00 PM
- AED 42 adults, AED 22 children aged 5 to 10, under-5s free
- Live tandoor counter: boti, seekh kabab and more, cooked in front of you
- Biryani, karahi, handi, daal, salads, fresh naan and a dessert table
- Water and soft drinks included
At the weekend, Saturday and Sunday, the Weekend Premium Buffet is AED 65 for adults and AED 33 for children, with a bigger spread. Both are on the buffet page.
Is the drive from Dubai worth it?
For two people on a quick weeknight, maybe not. For a family or group it usually is: a family of four pays AED 128 on a weeknight. Avoid the evening rush on the Dubai to Sharjah roads; after 8:00 PM, or on a Friday, which is priced as a weekday, the trip is much easier. See our guide for Al Qusais and Al Nahda Dubai and our full UAE buffet price guide.
AED 42, just across the border
Abu Shagara, Sharjah. Monday to Friday, 7 to 11 PM.
See Buffet Menu & Timings
