Credit crunch brunches in Dubai

Sick of dropping Dhs400 on your favourite Friday pastime? Us too! Time Out’s uncovers 32 bargain brunches to try 9 Comments

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Under Dhs100

Fibber Magee’s: Less of a brunch and more a meal and a pint, Fibbers is perfect for post-Thursday-night hair of the dog. Hidden behind Fairmont Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road, this Irish-themed pub offers the choice of a fry-up and an all-day roast every Friday. The fry-up is a guilt-inducing greasy affair with black pudding, beans, fried bread and hash browns as well as the essentials. But the best thing is the price, which clocks in cheaper than a pint in some other bars.
Sheikh Zayed Road (04 332 2400). Fri 11am-4pm. Dhs35 with a pint of beer

Dante: This café is a great alcohol-free option if you’re in the area. It’s also one of the very best value Friday feasts in town. Choose a seat on the shaded terrace by the lake if it’s cool enough and tuck in to the ‘Big Breakfast’, a hearty plate for two consisting of free-range eggs, turkey bacon, lamb sausage, grilled tomato, mushrooms, a pile of thick-cut farmhouse toast and bottomless tea or coffee. Everything is grilled so it’s kind on your cholesterol levels. How many more reasons do you need to visit?
Green Community (04 885 3399). Fri 10am-2pm. Dhs100 for two with bottomless coffee

Dakshin: How many brunches in Dubai have a cross-legged Ravi Shankar-style sitar player plucking away? As far as we’re concerned, too few. The live music is the selling point of Dakshin’s Indian brunch, as the curries and dosas on offer don’t always strike the right note. The buffet – a mixture of popadums, lamb bone rogan josh and crumbly basmati rice – feels like it has been squeezed into a corridor, because ‘everyone else in Dubai has one’. A tepid aloo tikka and, yes, creamy mashed potato are the highlights. Still, you can’t argue with the price.
Lotus Hotel, Deira (04 227 8888). Fri 11am-4pm. Dhs59 with one bottle of beer

The Locker Room: There is very little you can’t find at this brunch, as pretty much every food item is stashed away somewhere on their buffet. That said, this isn’t a place you go to for fancy fare: you won’t find salmon en croute. What you will find, however, is a room heaving with young party people in search of a good spirited place to while away the hours before hitting Chi for their night out. While it isn’t gourmet, it’s not bad for the price.
Golden Tulip (04 501 6189). Sat 12 noon-4pm. Dhs75 with four drinks

Iranian Club: This venue may be unlicensed, and somewhat austere on the inside, but the food – strictly Persian – is unbeatable. Some women might be put off by the traditional dress code (long skirts or trousers and mandatory head scarf), but you’re unlikely to find a better kebab in town. And definitely don’t miss out on the zereshk polow, fluffly saffron-infused rice, or the khoresht ghormeh sabzi, a stew with tender morsels of beef. A good spot for families.
Oud Metha Road (04 336 7700). Fri 1pm-4.30pm. Dhs77 with soft drinks, children half price