Eat & Stay
Best brunch in Dubai, by the kind of day you want
Pick the mood first, the venue second: a garden family brunch like Reform Social and Grill, a chic set menu like Viceroy's Table or Babel, or a loud beach brunch at Pavilion at The Beach. The big weekend sitting is now Saturday, and the advertised price is rarely the final one.
The best brunch in Dubai is the one that matches the day you want, so pick the mood first and the venue second. For a family Saturday where somebody else entertains the children, book a garden brunch like Reform Social and Grill in The Lakes. For a long, chatty table and proper cooking, go to a set-menu room like Viceroy's Table or Babel. For sunshine and noise, the beach brunches at Pavilion at The Beach on the JBR strip. Two things before you book anything: the big weekend sitting has moved to Saturday, and the advertised price is often not the final one.
Is brunch in Dubai on Friday or Saturday?
Saturday, mostly. The UAE working week has been Monday to Friday since the start of 2022, with the weekend on Saturday and Sunday, and brunch shifted with it. Friday sittings still exist, usually as a later long lunch, because Friday afternoon is quiet for a lot of offices. The full weekend brunch, the one with the DJ and the queue at the seafood counter, is now a Saturday event at most hotels and beach clubs.
What that means in practice: the Saturday tables at the famous places go first, and in the cool months you want to book one to two weeks ahead. Friday and Sunday are where the last-minute tables and the calmer rooms live. If you have visitors and one free day, take Saturday. If you actually want to hear each other talk, take Sunday.
How much does brunch in Dubai cost?
Anywhere from roughly AED 150 to over AED 600 a head. The number that changes everything is the drinks package, not the food. Here is how the tiers sit at the time of writing.
| Kind of brunch | Rough price per adult | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Neighbourhood hotel buffet | AED 150 to 250 | Live cooking counters, soft drinks, a kids' corner |
| Pub or beach brunch | AED 200 to 400 | Set menu or buffet, soft to house drinks, sea air |
| Chic set menu | From about AED 300 | Sharing courses, no DJ, a room you can talk in |
| Big party brunch | AED 400 to 600 plus | DJ, themed rooms, pool or beach access, after-party |
Ask three questions when you reserve. Are tax and service included, because an advertised AED 199 can land closer to AED 250 on the bill. Is the package soft, house or premium, since that is usually the entire price gap between two venues serving similar food. And is there a time limit, because three hours is standard and some places clear the table firmly at the end of it.
Where do you go for a family brunch?
Somewhere the children can leave the table safely, which cuts the list down fast. Reform Social and Grill in The Lakes is the one I keep passing on to friends: a British pub-style place with a big garden, a Saturday family brunch that runs roughly 1pm to 4pm, and rolling activities for the kids outside while the adults stay put. At the time of writing it is around AED 230 per adult with soft drinks and around AED 375 with house drinks, children six to twelve about AED 100 and under-fives free. I have not done their brunch myself, only heard it praised for years by parents I trust, so treat it as a strong recommendation rather than a review.
Kids' pricing is the thing people forget to ask about. At the bigger resorts, children six to twelve are often AED 250 to 300, which turns a family of four into a serious bill, while under-sixes usually eat free. At pub and beach brunches the children's rate is closer to AED 100. Ask for the exact ages covered, because "under 12" and "under 6" are very different holidays.
Where do you go for a chic, sit-down brunch?
This is my favourite end of the scale: a set menu, no DJ, and a table you do not want to leave. Two rooms here I have eaten in myself, both as invitations and both at dinner rather than at a brunch sitting, so I will be exact about what I can vouch for.
- Viceroy's Table, Jumeirah. Colonial Indian cooking served as small plates, with gymkhana-club interiors in jade green and dark timber. I went in May 2025 and the small plates are what to order, several of them, straight to the middle of the table. It is the room I would book for a birthday lunch for six. Call and ask what the weekend menu looks like, as the format changes.
- Babel, Fashion Avenue at The Dubai Mall. Lebanese, generous mezze, and a dining room with a view out over Downtown. I ate there in May 2025 and the food deserves the reputation. The useful weekend fact: they run a Lebanese breakfast set menu for two at roughly AED 90, served into the early afternoon at weekends at the time of writing. For Dubai Mall that is remarkable value, and it is the table I would take a friend to before the shops fill up.
Which brunch is best when you want noise?
Pavilion at The Beach, on the JBR strip, is six restaurants in one low-rise block facing the sea. I was there in May 2025 for its third birthday, with live DJs, special menus across all six kitchens and a balloon drop, and it is a good picture of what that stretch does well: loud, sunny, easy.
The brunch to book there is at Claw BBQ, the American barbecue and seafood one. At the time of writing it is roughly AED 200 with soft drinks, AED 300 with house drinks and AED 400 for the premium package, with children six to twelve at about AED 100. Expect chilled seafood, roast meats, and the beach, Ain Dubai and Bluewaters in the window. The Palm beach-club brunches are the same idea with a pool and a bigger bill, usually AED 400 to 600. I have not done one recently, so take that as the going rate rather than a recommendation.
Which brunch has the best view?
CouCou, on the 52nd floor of the Palm Tower, is the one I would send you to for the view. I went in June 2025 for dinner: Mediterranean food, thin-crust pizza, burrata, good desserts and the whole city glittering below. It is a rooftop restaurant rather than a brunch factory, so ask what the weekend offer is when you book, and ask for a table on the glass.
For a view at ground level and no alcohol anywhere near it, Logma in The Dubai Mall. I had a Khaleeji lunch there in April 2025 with the Dubai Fountain going off in front of the table and staff who could not have been kinder. It is not a brunch, it is a long weekend lunch, and for family visiting from India it is the meal they remember.
Disclosure: Viceroy's Table invited me, and my visits to Babel, Logma, CouCou and the Pavilion at The Beach anniversary were hosted or arranged through PR. My opinion is my own.
What if you do not drink, or you want a quiet table?
Nearly every brunch sells a soft package with unlimited juices and mocktails, and it is normally the cheapest ticket in the room, so you are not paying for other people's wine. Say it clearly at booking so you are seated in the right section, because the family and soft-package tables are often away from the speakers.
Outside the hotels, an alcohol-free cafe is the quieter answer. Comptoir 102 on Beach Road in Jumeirah 1 is a small healthy cafe and concept store that people rave about for a slow weekend breakfast, with a garden courtyard and a shop attached. I have not been yet. It is on my list because every friend who cares about food and quiet has told me to go.
How do you get the good table?
- Book Saturday one to two weeks ahead from October to April. Same-week is fine in summer.
- Ask whether tax and service are included in the quoted price. Get it in writing on the confirmation.
- Give the number of children and their exact ages when you reserve, not on arrival.
- Ask for the time your sitting ends, so nobody is surprised when the food stops.
- Ask about the dress code. Smart casual is the safe default, and swimwear plus a cover-up only works at a beach or pool brunch.
- Check parking and valet. At a mall or beach venue it is a real line on the day's cost.
What I would skip
The AED 600 party brunch as your first brunch. It is a lot of money to spend finding out you would rather be somewhere you can talk. Skip a party brunch with small children, however family-friendly the website says it is, because loud rooms and long sittings are a bad combination at 2pm. Skip any package where "unlimited" is quietly capped at two hours unless the price reflects it. And in July and August, skip an outdoor beach brunch entirely and take the indoor table, because a shaded terrace at midday is still 42 degrees.
If what you really want is the whole family fed without the drinks package, my guide to family lunches in Dubai is the calmer version of this. For an afternoon that is dressier and shorter, look at afternoon tea with a view, and for the evening version of a long sharing table, my picks for dinner with friends.
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