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Where to Go in Dubai for a Sharing-Plates Dinner With Friends

For a relaxed, lots-of-sharing night out in Dubai, I keep coming back to Roka, Bebabel and Forma, plus a few more spots built for ordering the whole table and passing it all around.

By Aastha Chopra  ·  25 June 2026  ·  3 min read

My favourite kind of dinner in Dubai is the one where nobody really orders for themselves. You pick a handful of things, they land in the middle, and everyone reaches in. No fuss, good food, great company. Here is where I actually go for that, and what to order when you get there.

What makes a good sharing-plates night out in Dubai?

For me it is three things. The food has to be built for the middle of the table, not plated as one giant main per person. The room has to let you talk, because half the point is the company. And it should suit a group, so booking a four-to-six top is easy and nobody is fighting over the last bite.

I posted about one of these runs recently: late-night bites at Roka, family-style Lebanese at Bebabel, and pizza worth going back for at Forma. Good food, great company, lots of sharing plates. That night basically wrote this guide for me.

Where did I actually eat, and what should you order?

Roka, in the Opus building in Business Bay, is my pick when I want something a little dressed up but still relaxed. It is contemporary Japanese robatayaki, so things come off an open grill in the middle of the room. Order the black cod, the lamb cutlets and a few of the robata skewers, then let the table fight over the last piece. Reckon on roughly AED 300 to 350 a head once you have shared a proper spread. Book ahead, especially for the terrace.

Bebabel is my family-style Lebanese go-to. I usually do the Palm Jumeirah branch at Club Vista Mare for the sea air, but the Dubai Mall one is just as good for a mid-shopping refuel. This is the easiest sharing menu of the lot: order a big run of hot and cold mezze, the hummus, the moutabal, plenty of bread, then a mixed grill for the middle. It is generous and very fair, usually around AED 150 to 200 a head. Bring the people who like to graze for two hours.

Forma is the casual one, and honestly the pizza is worth going back for. It is tucked inside the Al Safa Art and Design Library on Al Wasl Road, which makes it feel like a little secret. Get a couple of pizzas to split, the burrata poppers and the halloumi panzanella, and you are looking at a happy AED 80 to 120 a head. Perfect for an easy weeknight with one or two friends.

What other spots would I send friends to?

When I want to keep the same spirit but mix it up, three places do it for me. Reif Japanese Kushiyaki at Dar Wasl is street-style Japanese on skewers, made entirely for sharing. It is walk-in only, so go a little early. Orfali Bros Bistro at Wasl 51 in Jumeirah is the special-occasion one, all playful Mediterranean small plates, and you genuinely need to book well ahead. Kinoya in The Greens does izakaya-style small plates and some of the best ramen in the city, ideal for a low-key catch-up.

A quick table of where to go

How do I make these nights actually work?

A few things I have learned. Book at least a few days ahead for Roka and Orfali Bros, because weekend tables vanish. For the walk-in spots like Reif, go on the earlier side or be ready to wait with a drink. Over-order starters and under-order mains, since the table always wants more small plates. And put one person in charge of ordering so you actually get a balanced spread instead of five versions of the same dish.

If you are trying to keep one of these nights a bit lighter, I have a whole guide to healthy food in Dubai that pairs well with the mezze-heavy spots. And because half the fun is getting ready, here is what I reach for when I am figuring out what to wear for a night out in Dubai. Go hungry, bring the right people, and order for the middle of the table.

More from Aastha's hospitality world: explore here.