How much is a buffet in the UAE?

From about AED 40 a head at community restaurants to AED 250 and more at luxury hotels. Pakistani and Indian dinner buffets are usually the best value.

What is the cheapest good buffet in the UAE?

Pakistani dinner buffets in Sharjah are among the cheapest full buffets in the country. Taier Al Monal's weekday buffet is AED 42 per adult with a live tandoor.

Are drinks included in UAE buffets?

It varies. Community restaurant buffets often include water and soft drinks; hotel buffets usually charge for drinks separately.

Do children pay full price at buffets?

Most buffets have a child rate. At Taier Al Monal's dinner buffets, under-5s eat free and children aged 5 to 10 pay half.

Best Buffet in the UAE With Price: AED 42 to AED 250+

Buffets in the UAE run from about AED 40 a head at a community restaurant to AED 250 and more at a five-star hotel, and the best one depends on what you are paying for: food, setting or the whole experience. For the food alone, the best value in the country is the South Asian dinner buffet. Ours, at Taier Al Monal, opposite Nesto Hypermarket in Abu Shagara, Sharjah, is AED 42 for adults and AED 22 for children Monday to Friday.

UAE buffet prices by level

AED 40 to 70: community restaurants, mostly Pakistani, Indian and Arabic. Live grills, biryani, curries, dessert, soft drinks often included.
AED 70 to 150: mid-range hotels and larger restaurant groups. International stations, more seafood.
AED 150 to 250: four and five-star hotel buffets, often themed nights, with service charge on top.
AED 250 and up: luxury hotel buffets and Friday or weekend brunches, especially in Dubai, where drinks packages raise the price further.

What makes a buffet good value?

A live station, so something is cooked in front of you rather than sitting in a chafing dish
Child pricing: under-5s free and half price for older children makes a big difference for families
Drinks included, or at least soft drinks and water
Restocking through the night, not one fill at 7:00 PM

Our buffet, as a benchmark

Weekday Dinner Buffet, Monday to Friday, 7:00 to 11:00 PM: AED 42 adults, AED 22 children
Weekend Premium Buffet, Saturday and Sunday, 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM: AED 65 adults, AED 33 children
Sunday Brunch, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM: AED 49 adults, AED 24 children
On the dinner buffets, children under 5 eat free and ages 5 to 10 pay half; water and soft drinks are included

Every dinner buffet has a live tandoor counter, biryani, karahi, handi and a dessert table. The buffet page shows the full spread and the menus for each night.

Which emirate has the cheapest buffets?

Sharjah and Ajman. With lower rents and no alcohol licences, a full dinner buffet in Sharjah typically costs a fraction of a comparable spread in central Dubai. If you are in Dubai and want a buffet under AED 50, our Dubai under AED 50 guide is honest about the options.

Planning a buffet for a family or group

For four people, two adults and two children aged 5 to 10, our weeknight buffet comes to AED 128. Groups of eight or more should book ahead on WhatsApp. For birthdays, decor and cake can be added; see birthday packages.