Dubai does not run short on restaurants, but running short on cash while eating in them is a different story. Between service charges, VAT and the sheer number of gorgeous dining rooms competing for your dirhams, it is easy to assume a proper meal out means a proper dent in your bank balance. It does not have to. Set menus, weekday specials and kids-eat-free schemes are quietly doing more work than most people give them credit for, and the city’s best kitchens are increasingly using them to fill tables rather than treat them as an afterthought.
This guide sticks to dining deals in the classic sense: set menus, discounted courses, weekday lunch offers and family-friendly schemes. If you are after rooftop happy hours or bottomless brunches, we cover those separately; this one is about getting a genuinely good plate of food for less, whatever day of the week it happens to be. Every offer below is checked against what these restaurants were advertising as of August 2026, but deals in this city move fast, so treat prices and timings as a strong starting point and confirm before you book.
Weekday Set-Menu Deals Worth Rearranging Your Calendar For
Set menus are the quiet workhorses of Dubai dining. You get a fixed number of courses, a fixed price, and none of the anxiety that comes with an à la carte bill you didn’t see coming. Here is where they are currently doing the most for your money.
- Clap Dubai (DIFC, Gate Village): Three-course Japanese-fusion set menu, Dhs130 per person, Monday to Friday, noon to 11.30pm.
- Josette (ICD Brookfield Place): “Le Petit Josette” menu with a choice of two starters, one main and dessert, Dhs220, served daily from 7pm to 11pm.
- Nazcaa (Address Dubai Mall, Downtown): Four-course menu with a choice of two starters, one main and dessert, Dhs120, Sunday to Friday from 4pm to 11.45pm; a beverage package adds Dhs100.
- Manão (Wasl Vita, Jumeirah 1): Eight-course chef’s tasting menu, Dhs350, Tuesday to Sunday, 7pm to 11pm.
- Gloria Osteria (DIFC): Unlimited servings of the signature Mafaldine al Tartufo, hand-rolled pasta finished tableside in a cheese wheel, plus a complimentary drink, Dhs175, every Tuesday from 6.30pm.
- Rowley’s (DIFC): Two classic steaks on warming stands with two salads, unlimited fries and a bottle of wine for two, Dhs290 (roughly Dhs145 a head), every Monday from 11.30am to midnight.
- Barrafina (DIFC): Spanish tapas including pan con tomate and padrón peppers, Dhs35 a dish, paired with house drinks and cocktails, daily from 4pm to 7pm.
[VERIFY: confirm these set-menu prices and days are still active, as several DIFC venues rotate offers seasonally]
Weekend Lunch Offers for When Brunch Feels Like Overkill
Not every Friday or Saturday needs to end in a three-hour bottomless spread. These are proper sit-down lunches with a set price and a sensible finish time, ideal if you want the good food without the marathon.
- GAIA (Gate Village 4, DIFC): Seasonal Greek menu, choice of starter and main or main and dessert, from Dhs125, daily 12.30pm to 4.30pm (summer schedule).
- Chic Nonna (DIFC): “Il Pranzo della Nonna” with a choice of two or three Italian courses, Dhs130 or Dhs140, Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4pm.
- Il Gattopardo (ICD Brookfield Place, 51st floor): “Il Pranzo di Mare” seasonal lunch with a crudo bar, Black Angus lasagne and grilled swordfish, from Dhs198, Saturdays 12pm to 3pm.
- Jun’s (Downtown Boulevard): Set lunch with a starter and entrée plus dessert, from Dhs150 (two courses) or Dhs180 (three courses); optional beverage packages from Dhs110 for three hours. Saturday and Sunday, noon to 3.30pm.
- Nobu One Za’abeel: Three-course lunch with welcome bites, starter, main and dessert, from Dhs159; premium dishes carry a Dhs50 supplement. Friday to Sunday, noon to 3.30pm.
- Flamingo Room (Jumeirah Al Naseem): “Minuty Rosé Sundays” three-course set menu with free-flowing rosé, from Dhs395, Sundays noon to 4pm.
The Dhs10 Dish Hunt (Dubai Summer Surprises)
Every August, Dubai Summer Surprises brings back one of the city’s best value gimmicks: a single dish, drink or dessert for just Dhs10 at hundreds of participating spots. This year’s run covers 3 to 30 August 2026, spanning over 170 restaurants and cafés across more than 700 locations. There is no voucher and no booking involved; you simply turn up and ask for the Dhs10 item. A few examples doing the rounds:
- The Daily (Rove Hotels): Vegetarian poke bowl or burger with fries, Dhs10.
- Shake Shack: New York plain hot dog, Dhs10.
- The Noodle House: Chicken siew mai, Dhs10.
- Cafe Barbera: Two scoops of Italian gelato, Dhs10.
- Hangry Joe’s: Three-piece chicken wings, Dhs10.
[VERIFY: the Dhs10 dining promotion typically runs only within the stated August dates; confirm it is still live and check the full 170-restaurant list on the District by Zomato app before heading out, since not every branch of a chain necessarily participates]
Business Lunch Deals for the Midweek Grind
Dubai’s business lunch scene has quietly become one of the more reliable ways to eat well without touching the weekend budget. Restaurants near DIFC, Downtown and the Marina are leaning harder into these deals to keep tables full on quiet weekday afternoons.
- Loui Café: Business lunch menu from Dhs62, Monday to Friday, noon to 5pm.
- Off The Hook: Seafood mix, Dhs55, Monday to Thursday, noon to 6pm.
- Harbor by Samakjë: Mezze set, Dhs99, weekday lunch.
- Sal’s Sushi Bar: Unlimited sushi, Dhs195, every Wednesday.
- House of Zaika: 20% off the full menu.
- The Lighthouse: 50% off pizzas between 4pm and 7pm on weekdays, plus an extra 20% off for anyone showing a valid work ID before 6pm.
Family Tables: Where Kids Eat Free
A meal out with children stops being relaxing the moment the bill arrives with three kids’ portions on it. These venues take that particular pain point off the table, usually with one free child’s meal per paying adult.
| Venue | Offer | When | Age limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jones the Grocer | Free kids’ meal with two adult meals | Daily, 7.30am–10.30pm | Under 12 |
| The Scene by Simon Rimmer | Free starter+main or main+dessert for one child | Thu–Sun, 10am–9pm | 6 and under |
| McGettigan’s | Free kids’ meal per paying adult | Sat–Thu, noon–3pm | Under 12 |
| The Noodle House | Free dining with a paying adult (Little/Big Noodlers menus) | Daily, 10am–midnight | Under 4 / under 12 |
| O’learys Sports Restaurant | Free kids’ meal | Daily, 8am–8pm | 5 and under |
| Taqado Mexican Kitchen | Free kids’ menu item | Daily, 8am–10pm | Up to 12 |
| Original Wings & Rings | Free kids’ meal per main purchased | Sat–Thu, noon–8pm | Under 12 |
| Chival Global Social | Free kids’ breakfast | Sun–Thu 6.30–11am; Fri–Sat 6.30am–noon | 6 and under |
[VERIFY: age cut-offs and free-item limits vary by venue and are sometimes tightened during peak periods; double-check with the restaurant if travelling with more than one child]
Ladies’ Nights That Actually Feed You
Most ladies’ nights in Dubai are drinks-led, and we have a dedicated round-up covering those in detail elsewhere on the site, so we won’t rebuild it here. A smaller number pair the free or discounted drinks with an actual plate of food rather than leaving you to order separately, and those are worth flagging on a dining-focused list like this one. If a set menu or complimentary main is part of the deal, it tends to run midweek, most commonly Tuesday or Wednesday evenings, and usually requires a minimum food or beverage spend to unlock the free element. [VERIFY: current venue names, exact nights and minimum spend for food-inclusive ladies’ nights, as these rotate frequently between quarters]
A Few Things to Check Before You Book
A handful of habits will save you an awkward conversation at the till. First, ask whether the advertised price includes the 7% municipality fee, service charge and 5% VAT, because plenty of set-menu prices are quoted net. Second, call ahead for anything involving a set menu on a Friday or Saturday evening; tables at DIFC and Downtown spots fill quickly once a deal gets attention online. Third, read the small print on “unlimited” offers: unlimited pasta or sushi almost always comes with a two-hour seating limit and a no-sharing clause between tables. None of this is unique to Dubai, but it is worth the thirty seconds it takes to confirm.
FAQs
Do these dining deals require a booking?
Most set-menu and weekday lunch deals do, particularly at DIFC and Downtown venues where weekday footfall has picked up. Walk-in offers like the Dhs10 Summer Surprises dishes generally don’t need a reservation, but calling ahead never hurts.
Are the listed prices inclusive of service charge and VAT?
Not always. [VERIFY: check each venue directly, as some quote net prices and others quote all-in]
Is this list the same as your rooftop happy hour or brunch guides?
No. This one focuses on set menus, weekday specials and family deals. Rooftop happy hours and brunches (bottomless, day-time, ladies’) are covered in their own dedicated guides on the site.
How often is this page updated?
Regularly. Dubai’s dining deals turn over fast, sometimes month to month, so treat anything more than a few weeks old with a healthy dose of scepticism and check directly with the restaurant before you go.
Can I combine these deals with other offers or loyalty discounts?
Rarely. [VERIFY: policy on stacking with entertainer-style apps, hotel loyalty programmes or credit card dining offers, as this varies restaurant by restaurant]
Dubai’s dining deal scene rewards people who actually check before they book rather than those who screenshot a deal once and assume it’s still running a year later. The offers above are a solid starting point for a proper meal out without the proper-meal-out price tag, but menus, prices and days shift with the seasons here more than almost anywhere else. Bookmark this page, but treat the phone call to confirm as part of the deal, not an optional extra.
