Gastronomy in the Sands: Exploring Dubai’s Desert Dining Scene

It should go without saying that desert dining in Dubai is a seasonal affair! You will find most options we mention here are available through the winter months only, from late October through until early May, but do enquire directly with each provider their exact program for the 2024-25 season.

Nara Desert Escape

Operating from the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR), a privilege extended to only a few operators, this exquisite dining and overnight glamping option has been around for a few years. It has firmly cemented itself as one of Dubai’s best luxury desert camps.

They can take care of everything for you, including city pick-ups, or you can meet at the DDCR visitor center and be transferred by 4×4 to their secluded desert location.

On arrival, you can grab a drink and head straight to a comfy bean bag to watch the sunset as your experience is prepared. Alternatively, for the more active, there are plenty of entertaining options, from archery and sandboarding to volleyball and a falconry show, or take a traditional camel ride through the dunes.

With a fully equipped kitchen on site, you can choose from their ready-made menus, including Japanese Fusion Cuisine, Gastronomic Dinner, Signature Barbecue, Oriental Dinner, Vegan Menu, or Children’s menu. Alternatively, you can create a bespoke menu with their resident chef.

Your special evening in the desert is complemented by an extensive entertainment program, including belly dancing, acrobatics, and fire tanoura. Finish your night with a star-gazing opportunity conducted by an astrologist.

Children are not forgotten here either, with a dedicated dining area possible for pajama parties in the dunes, followed by movies under the stars, a roving magician, and a treasure hunt, to name just a few activities on offer.

Your journey can be continued overnight for a fully immersive experience in their luxurious Lotus Tents or Nests by Sonora.

This is an exquisite bespoke desert experience, so you’ll enquire directly with Nara Escapes for approximate pricing for your group.

Veuve Clicquot Desert Experience by Arabian Adventures

A newcomer for winter 2024-25, this private dining experience is a partnership between Arabian Adventures (a division of Emirates Group) and French Champagne house Veuve Cliquot. A bespoke dining setting has been created in a remote and exclusive location with the DDCR, one of the UAE’s largest protected nature reserves.

Enjoy sunset views from their panoramic sunset lounge, followed by dinner in a private enclave. Your private chef will prepare dinner for a minimum of 2 through to a maximum of 8 guests. Guests will enjoy premium beverages carefully paired with the menu by your sommelier.

You will be transferred to and from the exclusive desert location in a luxury vehicle, such as a Mercedes-Benz G Class, with a safari guide on hand to help with evening wildlife spotting. There’s optional camel rides on offer too, and your evening concludes with star gazing opportunities, a bonfire, and optional cognac and chocolates served.

Prices start from AED 3,350 per person – learn more and book your exclusive experience here

If you are travelling with under-21s or non-drinkers, Arabian Adventures also offers other luxury dining options—they cover everything from extreme dune bashing to ultra-luxurious and exclusive camp set-ups.

For private dining experiences, couples start from AED 2,895, and groups from AED 3,665 – see further private dining options on offer here.

Al Hadheerah at Bab Al Shams

This desert experience has been around longer than most, with an established desert resort setting on the city’s outskirts for many years. Conjuring up Arabian night dreams, the Al Hadheerah restaurant is set up with lanterns and carpets in an al fresco setting overlooking the desert dunes of Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve.

After your arrival, you are ushered through an Arabian Souk (market), passing by alleyways with live cooking stations and authentic Middle Eastern entertainers. You’ll then take your seat under the stars for a gastronomic feast of flavours.

The buffet dinner here includes a spit roast and entertainment such as falconry shows and camel rides. They also have regular tanoura dancers and a live band for the perfect desert ambience.

Open to both hotel guests and walk-ins, this is an excellent choice for those seeking the desert ambiance with limited sand stuck between the toes for weeks to come!

Their nightly buffet dinner starts at 7:00 pm and costs AED 450 pp or kids AED 225, under 5s free – learn more here

Desert Safaris With Traditional Dinners

If the above 5-star dining options are beyond your budget, don’t worry—many Dubai desert safari companies offer dinner among their experiences to suit a wide range of budgets.

Evening entertainment programs invariably involve dune bashing and sand sports, but many operators go above and beyond to make the ambiance of the desert more of a highlight, with dining and overnight options included. We’ll highlight a few of the best bespoke options and some of the most popular commercially sold desert safari packages.

We examine ‘Dubai Desert Safaris’ with price comparisons in a lot more detail in this guide.

Sand Sherpa

If you are looking to do something self-catered or have a special event you’d love to host in the ambience of the desert, then our go-to recommendation would be Sand Sherpa.

Their regular program involves helping new campers get set up in the desert with all the gear they need (they clearly state you are desert camping, not glamping with their trailer and rooftop tent setups – but it’s the top end of camping set-ups!!).

You are provided with all the tools you need to prepare your own special desert dinner experience, and you can add on extras like night walks and falconery.

However, they can also offer private event setup in their secluded corner of DDCR. It would be an excellent option for corporate events, weddings, or any special celebrations you’d like to have dinner in an authentic Dubai desert setting.

You must enquire directly with Sand Sherpa for pricing on their bespoke desert dining setup.

57 Safari

Another DDCR offering that can cater to your bespoke needs is 57 Safari. Be it dining in the desert, overnight camping, or events management, 57 Safari offer vintage Landrovers into their secluded desert setting and unique Bedouin experiences for those wanting to get more in touch with the local culture.

Prices for overnight tours start from AED 595 per adult – make inquiries here for your group

Other Dubai Tours With Desert Dining You Can Book Online

We’ll highlight a few of the most popular Dubai Desert tours that regularly receive good reviews:

• This Dubai Desert Tour, which can be booked on Viator, includes a Bedouin-style BBQ Dinner in one of two camp locations in Lahbab or Margham. It includes an element of dune bashing, with entertainment options including belly dancing, Tanoura dancing, and a fire show. Your transfers to/from Dubai are included, with prices starting from AED 250pp.

• Platinum Heritage Safaris are another top choice for discerning travellers who place more value on wildlife and desert appreciation than extreme sand sports. Their evening program includes a nature drive, falconry display, and a captivating Yola dance with Emirati drumming while sitting to your 4-course traditional dinner in the dunes.

A note on the suitability of Dubai dune-bashing desert tours

Before you book an ‘off-the-shelf’ Dubai safari experience online, consider whether they are including ‘dune bashing’ as an essential element of the tour. These types of trips don’t suit young children, pregnant ladies, the elderly, and those with back or heart problems, which rules out a fair chunk of their potential audience.

This, and the recognised ecological damage caused by these dune-bashing adventures, has seen a huge shift in recent years to more sedate and relaxing ways to enjoy the desert. Read the package details carefully before signing up to the first tour you’re offered; there really is an overwhelming number of choices now and you want your experience to be memorable for all the right reasons!

Desert Dining Beyond Dubai

Dubai is certainly not the only emirate in the UAE that takes culinary action into the desert dunes. Beyond Dubai, you may also want to have on your radar:

The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert

Another exquisite 5-star choice, they offer several different ways to enjoy unique dining experiences in the rich desert dunes of Ras Al Khaimah.

They host an Arabic BBQ night on Saturdays at Kan Zaman, an exquisite outdoor dining venue with live grilling stations (AED 265 pp soft or AED 365 with house beverages)

Alternately, they can set up a private dining venue for the ultimate romantic treat, either amongst the secluded dunes or at the Farmhouse podium, giving guests a view over the waterhole at sunset.

A new seasonal offering for winter 2024-25 is a collaboration with Zuma, which will see Japanese delicacies served in this unique desert setting in Al Wadi, definitely one to get on your radar this winter for unique experiences!

Al Falaj at Qasr Al Sarab

Heading west from Dubai, deep into the Liwa Desert, you’ll find luxury hotel Qar Al Sarab. Undisputedly one of the best desert resort experiences in the UAE, their nightly offering at Al Falaj will see guests seated in Bedouin-style seating with plush carpets and cushions, just moments away by cart from their main resort restaurants.

You’ll be served up a menu of distinctly Middle Eastern cuisine with a mezzeh selection, main course and dessert, while enjoying the ambience of the vast Empty Quarter in front of you.

Enquire on current pricing for Al Falaj with Qasr Al Sarab by Anantara.