I would use Restaurant Week to try a restaurant I genuinely want to eat at—not to chase the biggest advertised discount. A limited menu is only good value if its choices appeal to you. For the 2026 edition, the headline was AED 125 for a two-course lunch or AED 250 for a three-course dinner. It ran from 1 May and was extended to 31 May 2026. It is over, so do not mistake an old menu for a bookable offer.
Dubai Food Festival, Dubai Restaurant Week and Taste of Dubai are not interchangeable booking terms. This guide separates the promotions, explains what the 2026 menus actually offered and shows how I would judge a future offer. No next-edition date or price is confirmed here.
Which food event would I choose?
| The plan | My choice | Check before paying |
|---|---|---|
| A particular restaurant and a seated meal | Restaurant Week, when an edition is running | The actual set menu, sitting, included courses and supplements. |
| Food stalls, music and a festival outing | A separate festival such as Taste of Dubai | Entry ticket, food credits or vouchers, workshops, age rules and what costs extra. |
| A beach pop-up or low-cost signature dish | The specific Beach Canteen or dish activation, if announced | Its own dates, location and access or purchase terms—not a different event’s listing. |
Restaurant Week 2026: the dates and prices in context
The DIFC announcement dated 30 April 2026 gave the initial 1–17 May programme and the AED 125 lunch/AED 250 dinner structure. The National subsequently reported the extension to 31 May; CQ French Brasserie’s own archived menus also state 1–31 May 2026. The original and extended dates are different stages of the same promotion, not competing current dates.
For two diners the headline food totals were AED 250 at lunch and AED 500 at dinner, before choices or purchases outside the advertised base menu. DIFC’s announcement specified vegetarian choices and complimentary water for its participating menus; that is not a promise of unlimited drinks or every dietary requirement at every restaurant. I would read the actual menu, not book on the headline alone.
The menu detail I would check first
CQ’s published 2026 lunch menu makes a useful example. At AED 125 it offered starter plus main, or main plus dessert, and one bottle of water for two. Its steak frites listed a 180 g serving, with an AED 29 supplement for 280 g. The dinner menu was AED 250 for three courses; its 200 g filet had an AED 60 upgrade to 300 g. These are historical menu details, not current offers or a recommendation based on a meal I ate.
That changes the decision. I would choose lunch if I wanted a particular main and one other course. I would choose dinner when I wanted the three-course format and the dinner choices—not simply because dinner sounds more impressive. A dish count is not a substitute for checking the menu.
What two people would actually spend on those choices
| Historical menu choice | Calculation from the published menu | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|
| Two base CQ lunches | 2 × AED 125 | AED 250 |
| Two lunches, both taking the 280 g steak upgrade | AED 250 + 2 × AED 29 | AED 308 |
| Two base CQ dinners | 2 × AED 250 | AED 500 |
| Two dinners, one taking the 300 g filet upgrade | AED 500 + AED 60 | AED 560 |
These are reproducible subtotals from that specific May 2026 menu, excluding other purchases. The menu says its prices include 7% municipality fee and 5% VAT, so I have not added those again. That statement belongs to that menu; it is not a universal service-charge or tax rule for every restaurant. The point is simple: decide whether you want the upgrade before deciding what the deal costs.
Taste of Dubai is a separate day out
The organiser’s site records Taste of Dubai’s 2026 edition as 6–8 February and describes a food, drink and music festival with restaurant pop-ups and workshops. That is a different outing from reserving a Restaurant Week table. A ticket does not automatically buy every dish, drink or class; compare the actual package inclusions for the edition you intend to attend.
For a focused meal I would choose the restaurant promotion. For sampling several things with music and activities around me, I would compare festival tickets. Neither is inherently better value: they buy different afternoons or evenings. I would not compare the entry price of one with an entire meal at the other as if the two totals covered the same things.
What about Beach Canteen, Hidden Gems and AED 10 Dishes?
These names have appeared in Dubai Food Festival coverage, but they are not automatic additions to every Restaurant Week. A food-village entry policy, a discounted signature dish and a set-menu reservation are separate propositions. Check a dated programme for the specific activation. Historic free entry does not establish current free food, and an old AED 10 dish does not establish a permanent price.
How I would choose and book the next edition
- Choose the restaurant and menu first. Pick dishes you actually want, rather than the highest claimed saving.
- Check the precise sitting. Lunch, dinner, weekday, weekend, branch and date can change the offer.
- Read the extras. Look for supplements, water or drink inclusions, minimum spend, deposits, fees and cancellation terms.
- Resolve dietary needs directly. A vegetarian choice does not establish allergy-safe preparation or every vegan option.
- Use that edition’s booking route. DIFC’s 2026 release used Careem DineOut. Follow the next published instructions rather than assume the old route or archived menu is still active.
Start with Visit Dubai’s Restaurant Week page for the promotion and the Taste organiser for its own event. For a restaurant to investigate outside a promotion, our new restaurants and bars guide is a separate starting point, not a list of confirmed festival participants.
My verdict: the food has to earn the booking
A set menu is a brilliant excuse to try somewhere new when the dishes are genuinely tempting. I would take a lunch I want over a dinner bought mainly for the discount. The strongest deal is the one that gives me the meal I wanted at a total I understand—not the one with the loudest percentage.
Frequently asked questions
When was Dubai Restaurant Week 2026?
It began on 1 May with an original end date of 17 May, then was extended to 31 May 2026. Those dates have passed. They do not establish the next edition’s dates.
What did the 2026 menus cost?
The advertised structure was AED 125 for a two-course lunch and AED 250 for a three-course dinner. Those are historical promotion prices, not permanent menus; individual upgrades, other drinks and terms need checking.
Is Dubai Restaurant Week the same as Taste of Dubai?
No. Restaurant Week is a restaurant-menu promotion. Taste of Dubai is a separate ticketed food, drink and music festival; its official site records the 2026 edition as 6–8 February.
Does a two-course menu always include dessert?
No. For example, CQ French Brasserie’s published May 2026 lunch menu allowed starter and main, or main and dessert. Read the course choices rather than assume two courses means any two dishes.
Are Beach Canteen and AED 10 Dishes automatically running?
No. These names have appeared in past Dubai Food Festival programmes, but each activation needs a dated announcement and its own access or purchase terms. A Restaurant Week announcement does not establish that they are running.
How should I book the next Restaurant Week?
Use the current edition’s official programme and booking link. DIFC’s 2026 announcement directed diners through Careem DineOut, but that is not proof of the next edition’s route. Confirm the exact venue, menu, date, dietary requirements, charges and cancellation conditions.
Source and timing scope
Checked on 21 October 2026 against the dated DIFC announcement, subsequent extension reporting, CQ’s published lunch and dinner menus and the Taste organiser’s 2026 recap. The menus and dates discussed are historical. No new dining visit, current reservation, next-edition launch or personal food test is claimed.
