Eateries use fireworks craze to push up prices

Dubai: New Year revellers are preparing to shell out large sums of cash for the best seats in eateries and cafes to watch the firework display at the Burj Khalifa area as the clock turns to midnight.

Eateries in are commanding large cover fees to watch the spectacle from the comfort of a dinner table at the base of the world’s tallest residential tower.

Gulf News talked to several employees at restaurants and cafes in the area about their charges per head and availability on New Year’s Eve.

Restaurants surrounding the Dubai Mall Fountain such as PF Changs, Red Lobster, and iHop are charging between Dh1,000-1,500 per person for a set menu.

When asked about bookings, the majority of restaurants said they only offer tables to groups of three people or more. While many claimed to be “almost fully booked,” all restaurants demanded the booking be done in person with the full amount paid in advance.

“To confirm a table, you have to come down to the restaurant in the next few hours and pay the whole amount,” a restaurant employee told Gulf News on Tuesday.

Cafes are also getting in on the action.

Popular hang-out spots such as Starbucks and Tim Horton’s and snack bars such as Kino cafe located at the Dubai Mall are charging a minimum spend of Dh200-500.

“The amount includes unlimited food and beverages all night from 4pm-12am,” said a café barista.

Other restaurants in the area are also exacting special fees for New Year’s Eve.

Qube café and restaurant is charging between Dh500-700 for a set menu with unlimited beverages but excluding shisha. Another popular Arabic restaurant Reem Al Bawadi said their prices stand at Dh450 person excluding shisha, and Louis restaurant in Down Town Dubai is charging Dh699 for a set menu of four courses, water, and shisha.

While many restaurants reach their maximum capacity for New Year’s Eve, not everyone will be joining the party in downtown Dubai.

Abu Dhabi outlets welcoming patrons on New Year’s Eve who spoke with Gulf News said they will offer a choice to patrons.

Located opposite the Bin Hamoodah showroom on the 19th floor, La Fontana provides a perfect view of the capital’s new year’s fireworks that take place every year on the Corniche. Although a minimum charge of Dh50 per table applies for the night, no additional fees are being taken for the view.

Visitors will be charged the same amount per table whether they sit indoors away from the fireworks or on the terrace.

The Nation Galleria’s newly opened Wafi Gourmet restaurant features a similar balcony where guests can enjoy a view of the cornice and shisha in the open air. Similarly, guests are charged Dh250 for a set menu whether they sit indoors or outdoors and no additional fee for watching the fireworks applies.

However, located right below Wafi Gourmet in the same building, Leopold’s of London will place a minimum charge of Dh200 per person for a set menu if guests choose to sit outdoors and watch the fireworks. This means that taking a table indoors away from the view, the normal menu and normal prices apply.