The best family restaurants in the UAE share four things: child pricing, space for a big table, food that children will eat, and no pressure to hurry. Which one is best depends on who is coming. A toddler needs a high chair and food that arrives fast; school-age children need choice and something to watch; a three-generation family needs a long table and a menu the grandparents know.
Toddlers and under-5s: what to check
- High chairs, and space beside the table for a pram
- Food that arrives fast: buffets and sharing plates beat a long à la carte wait
- Under-5s free or heavily discounted, which is common at UAE buffets
- An early sitting: arriving at the start of service means a quieter room
- Baby-changing facilities nearby, which malls and hotels usually have
School-age children: what to check
- A kids' menu or a kids' corner on the buffet: nuggets, fries, pasta
- Mild dishes on the main menu, so children can try the family's food
- Something to watch: a live grill or cooking station keeps them at the table
- Half-price or child rates up to age 10 or 12
Big families and three generations
- Tables that can be joined: ask when you book, and give a few days' notice
- A fixed per-head price, so nobody has to split a bill
- A menu older relatives recognise, which is why community restaurants are popular for family gatherings
- Easy parking close to the door
Where families eat in each emirate
- Dubai: the big malls, beachfront promenades and hotel brunches cater for children, at a price. Older districts such as Karama and Deira are cheaper.
- Abu Dhabi: the Corniche, the malls and Yas Island have family chains; Mussafah and the city centre have long-running community restaurants.
- Sharjah: family dining is the norm. With no alcohol licences, restaurants in Al Majaz, Al Nahda, Al Qasimia and Abu Shagara are built around family seating, and prices are lower.
- Ajman: seafront cafes on the Corniche, and easy access to Sharjah's family restaurants next door.
What a family meal costs in the UAE
For two adults and two children, expect roughly AED 100 to 200 at a community or casual restaurant, AED 250 to 450 at a mid-range or mall restaurant, and AED 600 and more for a hotel brunch. Buffets with child pricing are usually the best value, because children's rates and free under-5s cut the bill hard. Our UAE buffet price guide compares the levels.
Timing a family meal
UAE restaurants fill late, often after 9:00 PM, so families with young children do best arriving early in the evening. Weekends, Saturday and Sunday, are the busiest; a weekday dinner is quieter and often cheaper. In Ramadan, family iftars book out early, so reserve a week ahead.
A family restaurant in Sharjah
Our own kitchen, in Abu Shagara opposite Nesto Hypermarket, was set up for exactly this: under-5s eat free at the dinner buffets, children aged 5 to 10 pay half, the weekend buffet has a kids' corner, and tables are joined for big families. The details are in our kids friendly restaurant guide and our Sharjah family restaurant guide.
Eating out with children?
Under-5s free at our dinner buffets, kids corner at weekends.
Family Dining in Sharjah
