Let’s be honest—sometimes after a full day of fasting, a buffet just doesn’t cut it. You’re not looking to pile your plate six times; you’re chasing that craving. The one that’s been whispering in your mind since noon, waiting for sunset to make its move.

This Ramadan, we ditched the usual “all-you-can-eat” approach and went looking for Iftars that actually make sense. From fire-kissed Japanese cuts in Abu Dhabi to a first-ever Iberian-Latino Iftar in DIFC, or a Cantonese set menu with views of the Burj Khalifa, this is your guide to breaking fast based on what you truly want—not what’s just on the buffet line.

So, what are you in the mood for tonight?

For the soul: Lebanese

Lebanese Iftar is basically the whole point. The moment you hear the Azan and you know there's a bowl of lentil soup waiting — that is a specific kind of peace. If that's the Iftar you're after, two spots this Ramadan are doing it particularly well.

Al Hallab

There are tables, and then there are Al Hallab tables during Ramadan. Hummus. Moutabal. Fattoush. Vine leaves. Labneh. Grilled skewers. A bowl of something warm. Kunafa at the end. If you've had an Iftar here before, you already know the feeling. If you haven't, that's the plan for this week. The dine-in experience spans all three outlets — Al Garhoud, Dubai Mall, and Mall of the Emirates — and if you'd rather eat at home in your pyjamas (genuinely a valid Ramadan tradition), they do Iftar boxes for one, two, or four people that include everything from dates and Kamaredine juice to Kataef Walnut and Shaibeyat Ashta.

Price: AED 155–175 per adult | AED 95 per child | Delivery boxes from AED 45–70

Outlets: Al Garhoud, Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates

Reservations: +971 4 330 8828 

Byblos Sur Mer

This MICHELIN-selected restaurant overlooking a private marina does Ramadan the way a long evening should feel — generous, unhurried, and a little bit beautiful. Every night throughout the month, the Iftar buffet runs alongside live cooking stations and Arabic music, covering everything from slow-cooked lamb ouzi to tagines and communal desserts. After 9pm, the mood shifts entirely. Suhoor is served as a set menu in an intimate, calm setting — the kind of late-night experience where conversation stretches past midnight and no one checks their phone.

Iftar Buffet: From AED 240 per person | Daily from 6 pm to 8 pm

Suhoor Set Menu: From AED 150 per person | 9 pm to 3 am

Reservations: +971 50 721 1079

For the craving: Japanese

Japanese Iftar isn't a phrase you hear every Ramadan, but it probably should be. There's something about the restraint and precision of Japanese cooking that makes it feel exactly right for breaking a fast — nothing heavy, nothing excessive, just technique and flavour in the right proportions.

Strawfire by Ross Shonhan

Set inside the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi, Strawfire is built around Warayaki — a centuries-old Japanese method of cooking over straw-fired flames. The result is a kind of controlled drama: an open kitchen that feels like a performance, dishes that arrive with visible depth and aroma, and a dining room where the fire does as much talking as the menu. The Iftar set menu is available daily from 6:30 pm and includes dishes like the Australian Wagyu Striploin paired with an Edo-period-inspired soy BBQ sauce, and the Crispy Vegetable Hot Stone Rice with tatamen sauce and onsen egg — the kind of dish where the textures do the storytelling.

If you're looking for something at larger scale, Strawfire also shows up at Majlis by the Sea, Emirates Palace's enormous beachfront Ramadan destination with 1,400 seats, live entertainment, and sunset views that are genuinely hard to argue with. Their signatures on the buffet line include Mac & Mentaiko and Bossam-style Short Rib.

Strawfire Iftar Set Menu: AED 350 per person | 6:30–9 pm throughout Ramadan

Majlis by the Sea: AED 365 per person | Sunset to 8:30 pm | Group discounts available

Reservations: +971 2 690 7999 | moauh-restaurants@mohg.com

Sushiyaki — Japanese Craft Meets Ramadan Warmth

Sushiyaki at Souk Madinat Jumeirah isn't doing a set Iftar menu this year — and that's actually a good thing. Instead, the kitchen has curated a handful of shareable Ramadan specials that sit alongside the regular menu, designed to be eaten the way Iftar should be eaten: slowly, together, without a fixed plan. Think Thai Salad and Miso Soup to open, Beef Gyoza for the savoury middle act, Prawn Sticky Rice for something genuinely satisfying, and a Pistachio Kunafa to close — a smart nod to local tradition through a Japanese lens. It's a light, elegant way to break your fast in a waterfront setting.

Dates: 18 February – 18 March

Menu: Ramadan specials, individually priced

Reservations: reservations@sushiyaki.ae

For the mood: Cantonese

Sometimes the craving isn't even for a specific dish — it's for a specific feeling. The kind of Iftar where the room is beautiful, the food is refined, and the evening actually feels like an occasion.

China Tang

China Tang at the Lana Promenade brings an Iftar that's designed to make you slow down. Inspired by the glamour of 1930s Shanghai, the dining room catches the soft light of evening while Downtown Dubai shimmers outside the windows. It sounds like theatre, and it is — but the food earns its setting. The four-course set menu at AED 268 opens with a China Tang signature mocktail and your choice of Sir David's Hot and Sour Soup or Sweet Corn Soup with Chicken. Then comes a round of dim sum — Golden Shrimp Har Kau, Xiao Long Bao, Spring Roll — before a generous main course spread of Kung Pao Prawns, Chicken in Black Bean Sauce, and Braised Aubergine with Tofu, served alongside fragrant Egg Fried Rice. Dessert is a trio: Mango Pomelo Sago, Toffee Temptation with Chocolate Sauce, and Caramelised Banana with Sesame.

For AED 268, this is quietly one of the best value Iftar sets in the city.

Price: AED 268 per person | 4-course set menu

Timing: Sunset until 8 pm, throughout Ramadan

Location: China Tang, The Lana Promenade, Dubai

Reservations: 04 295 7464 

For the unexpected: Italian

Italian food and Ramadan might not be the most obvious pairing, but think about it for a second. Long tables. Shared plates. Slow meals. Pasta that's been cooking for hours. The overlap is more real than you'd think.

Lunarossa

Lunarossa in Business Bay is doing an Iftar set menu at AED 180 — one of the more accessible prices in this guide —, and it's thoughtfully put together. The meal opens right at the athan (6:20 pm) with appetisers that include a well-executed hummus (yes, at an Italian restaurant, and yes, it works), parmigiana zucchini, truffle pizza, and a classic frittata. The main is a slow-cooked Pappardelle Genovese di Carne that has no business being as comforting as it is after a day of fasting. It closes with Crema Nonna Italia, a custard dessert that is light enough not regret. It's not flash. It's just good food, a warm room, and a price that won't have you doing maths at the table.

Price: AED 180 per person

Timing: From 6:20 pm (at Sunset) | 18 February – 19 March

Reservations: +971 56 353 7303

Vera Versilia

Vera Versilia at Kempinski Mall of the Emirates is the Italian spot for when you want to feel like you've been transported to a terrace somewhere on the Ligurian coast. This Iftar leans hard into seafood — oven-baked sea bass with lemon sauce, seared salmon with spinach and Greek yoghurt sauce — alongside classic Italian comfort in the form of herb lamb cutlets and roasted chicken. Starters include a burrata with confit cherry tomatoes and warm octopus salad with baby potatoes. Dessert is Vera's signature tiramisu, pistachio gelato, and dark chocolate cake. The setting is elegant without being stiff — it's Kempinski, so the service is sharp, and the Ramadan crowd here tends to be the kind that lingers.

Price: AED 295 per person | 4 courses

Timing: Sunset until 8:00pm

Reservations: +971 50 5989051 | reservations@kempinski.com

 For the spice: Indian

Indian Iftar has a specific logic. It's built for sharing. Everything arrives in the middle of the table and the night unfolds around it. You're not ordering — you're grazing, talking, going back for more.

Gazebo — 17 New Dishes and a Platter Worth Building Around

Gazebo has been doing Indian food in this region for over 25 years, and this Ramadan they've added 17 new seasonal dishes to the menu — available all day, which means the craving can be answered at any point. Gosht Galawati Sliders, Gosht Hareesa, Kandhari Murgh Pulao, Kaju Potli Samosa — this is the kind of menu where every dish has a backstory. For Iftar specifically, the Classics Platter at AED 150 brings together Kaju Potli Samosa, Murgh Farcha, Gosht Bhuna Roll, Murgh Zafrani Biryani, and Shahi Tukda — a properly balanced spread designed for sharing. The Premium Platter at AED 160 upgrades to assorted samosas, multiple kabab varieties, Gosht Yakhni Pulao, and Ajwa Cake with ice cream. There are also Iftar boxes for takeaway or delivery from AED 45 if you'd rather eat at home.

Iftar Classics Platter: AED 150 | Premium Platter: AED 160

Boxes: Classic AED 45 | Royal AED 70

Available: Dine-in, takeaway, delivery | All Gazebo outlets from 18 February

The Permit Room — Modern Indian, Communal Energy

If your Iftar crowd is big — colleagues, a large group of friends, a team — The Permit Room at Majestic City Retreat Hotel is doing something smart. It's a buffet or pre-plated setup designed specifically for groups, with a warm, communal energy that feels less like a restaurant and more like a large kitchen table that happens to have a live cooking station.

The evening starts with stuffed dates and seasonal refreshers like melon and rose sherbet, moves through chaat and live-cooked Changezi Chicken, Paneer Bhurji, and Sarson Pomfret, then into signature mains like Butter Chicken Biryani and Dal Makhani. It closes on sweets and a cutting chai or South Indian filter coffee — a detail that tells you this menu was built by people who actually care about the ending.

Price: From AED 109 per person (VAT exclusive) | Packages customisable

Timing: Sunset until 8:30pm | Minimum 30 guests for corporate bookings

Reservations: +971 54 791 1796

For something lighter: Mediterranean

Not every Iftar needs to be heavy. Sometimes the craving is for something fresh — a long table, shared plates, food that doesn't require a nap afterwards.

Ocean Basket — The Seafood Switch-Up

Ocean Basket is leaning fully into its identity this Ramadan, and the result is one of the more refreshing Iftar options on this list. Rather than a buffet or a set menu, the star of the evening is a Ramadan Seafood Platter built for sharing — Dover sole, Argentinian and Prince prawns, mussels, calamari, golden fries, and fragrant rice. It's generous, it's communal, and it's the kind of spread that makes the table feel alive.

The Iftar still begins properly: complimentary dates, a bowl of harira, a strawberry hazelnut salad, and a hibiscus iced tea before the platter arrives. Available at both Reem Mall in Abu Dhabi and Mirdif in Dubai, the platter comes in two sizes — and the per-head value is quietly very good.

Price: AED 299 for two | AED 499 for four

Available: All day throughout Ramadan | Reem Mall, Abu Dhabi & Mirdif, Dubai

More info: https://dubai.oceanbasket.com

ERGON Agora Dubai

ERGON Agora sits in Boulevard Heights, Downtown Dubai, and it's one of those places that feels genuinely comfortable rather than just well-designed. The Ramadan sharing menu for two is built around Greek staples: freshly baked bread with tirokafteri, olive tapenade, and eggplant spread; a classic Greek salad and golden feta; and a main course that ranges from chicken souvlaki with lemon-oil sauce to hearty mushroom pilaf with truffle oil.

The meal opens with dates, dried fruits, and nuts, closes with a Ramadan date dessert and either a Date Smoothie or a Hibiscus Lemonade. It's pet-friendly, it has indoor and outdoor seating, and it's priced from AED 160 depending on your main — which makes it an easy, genuine answer to the question of where to go when you want something Mediterranean without the ceremony.

Price: From AED 160 per person

Timing: 8am–11pm daily

Reservations: +971 56 570 1136

For the adventurous: Latino-Iberian

For the person who actively doesn't want to do Ramadan the expected way, La Niña in DIFC is making its Iftar debut this year — and it's worth paying attention to.

La Niña

La Niña has built its reputation on contemporary Iberian-Latino cooking, and its first Ramadan Iftar brings that same energy to the holy month. The curated sharing menu is anchored by signatures like Locrio de Camarones — a Dominican-style rice dish with prawns — and slow-braised Rabo de Toro (oxtail). It's rich, it's slow-cooked, it's the kind of food that asks to be eaten unhurriedly. Set in DIFC with refined interiors that don't feel stiff, it works equally well for families, friends, and business Iftars.

ICD Brookfield Place — La Niña's home — is also running a wider Ramadan programme this year, including a contemporary majlis concept and a large-scale art installation by illustrator Abeer Anabtawi that wraps the building's facade throughout the month. It's a destination, not just a dinner.

Location: La Niña, ICD Brookfield Place, DIFC, Dubai

More info: www.icdbrookfieldplace.com

For the group: Turkish

Sur.Dubai — The Atrium, Uptown Dubai

Sur.Dubai does Turkish Iftar the way it should be done — generously, without overthinking it. The menu starts where every good Turkish table starts: dates, olives, cheese, watermelon. It moves through mezze and lentil soup before settling into the mains — marinated chicken skewers, slow-cooked lamb shank with barley purée, or grilled catch of the day — and finishes with baklava or güllaç. It's a menu built for families and groups, structured to feel like a proper table rather than a tasting experience.

Uptown Dubai's Atrium gives it a setting that's open and spacious, which helps when you're feeding a crowd.

Price: AED 279 per adult | AED 99 per child (up to 7 years)

Timing: Sunset until 8pm

Reservations: +971 (0) 44249600

And after...

Some nights, Iftar ends and the evening is just getting started. Here's what to order when the main event is over.

STIR Coffee

STIR Coffee's limited-edition Ramadan drink this year is a Date Cardamom Latte — hot or iced, AED 28 — and it is exactly what it sounds like: date sweetness, cardamom warmth, smooth espresso, creamy milk. It's the Ramadan version of dessert in a cup. Perfect for post-Iftar catch-ups, a long suhoor conversation, or just the quiet half-hour before you sleep. Available at all STIR outlets throughout Ramadan.

Price: AED 28 | Hot or iced | All STIR Coffee locations

Black Tap Dubai Mall

Look. Sometimes the craving is a burger and a milkshake with the Dubai Fountain outside the window, and there is nothing wrong with that. Black Tap at Dubai Mall is offering an AED 79 Iftar set menu — starter, main, and drink — during Iftar hours only. Starters include Onion Rings, Asian Street Corn, and Fried Mozzarella. Mains are the All American Burger, a Falafel Burger, or the Crispy Chicken Sandwich.

And then there are the Mini CrazyShakes: AED 99 for a trio of miniature versions of Black Tap's famous milkshakes, available at all outlets throughout Ramadan. Order them for the table. You won't regret it.

Iftar Set: AED 79 per person | Iftar hours only, Dubai Mall

Mini CrazyShakes: AED 99 for a trio | All outlets, throughout Ramadan

More info: www.blacktap.com/location/dubai-mall