Restaurant fit out cost in Dubai: 2026 price guide
Budget AED 350 to 500 per sq ft for an economy F&B fit out in Dubai and AED 1,000 to 1,600 per sq ft for premium fine dining. What you actually spend depends on kitchen scope, MEP load and how much of the joinery is built rather than bought.
Why work with Crafty Clare decoration design LLC
- Turnkey delivery under one contract, from concept design to final finishing
- In-house joinery workshop in Jebel Ali, so millwork is built not outsourced
- Commercial F&B focus across restaurants, cafés and cloud kitchens
- One team handles Dubai Municipality, Civil Defence, DET and DEWA submissions
- Fixed scope and a written bill of quantities before work starts
- Direct phone and WhatsApp line on 0508570938
What drives restaurant and café fit out cost in Dubai
Six variables move the price more than anything else: scope, seating capacity, commercial kitchen, MEP and DEWA load, finishes, and the condition of the unit you lease. Two 1,000 sq ft units in the same Dubai building can differ by AED 300,000 because one needs a grease line and three phase power and the other already has them.
Scope of works
A shell and core unit needs partitions, ceilings, flooring, MEP first fix and drainage. A unit that was previously a restaurant may already carry a three phase supply and a grease trap, which removes a large block of cost. Ask for the previous fit out drawings before you sign the lease.
Seating capacity
More covers means more tables, banquette joinery, air conditioning capacity and washroom provision. Moving from 40 covers to 90 covers usually adds AED 120,000 to AED 250,000 once the extra AC and loose furniture are counted.
Commercial kitchen
The kitchen is the largest single line in most F&B budgets, typically 20 to 35 percent of the total. Extraction canopy, make up air, cold room, cooking line, dishwash area, grease trap and stainless steel tables all sit here.
MEP and DEWA load
Kitchen equipment pulls serious power. A new DEWA connection study, distribution board or substation upgrade adds AED 40,000 to AED 150,000 before a single tile is laid, so confirm the available load in writing at lease stage.
Finishes and joinery
Feature joinery, stone, acoustic ceilings and decorative lighting are where premium projects spend. Custom millwork from an in-house workshop is often 20 to 30 percent cheaper than the same scope tendered to an external joinery.
Cost per sq ft by finish level in Dubai
Use the table as a planning range, then get a measured quote on your actual unit.
| Finish level | Cost per sq ft (AED) | Typical F&B use |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | 350 to 500 | Kiosks, grab and go counters, cloud kitchen shells |
| Mid-range | 600 to 900 | Neighbourhood cafés, casual dining, 40 to 80 covers |
| Premium | 1,000 to 1,600 | Fine dining, licensed venues, feature joinery and stone |
These rates cover the fit out package: partitions, ceilings, flooring, MEP distribution, kitchen installation, joinery and handover. They exclude kitchen equipment purchase, loose furniture, licence fees and the DEWA deposit.
Worked example. A 1,200 sq ft café in Jebel Ali with 55 covers, a full cooking line, a small cold room and mid range finishes lands at AED 750 per sq ft. That is AED 900,000 delivered turnkey. Move the same unit to premium finishes with a marble bar and a feature ceiling and it climbs to roughly AED 1,350,000.
Premium finish level in emerald velvet and gold with a crystal chandelier on a decorative ceiling. This is the band that costs AED 1,000 to 1,600 per sq ft.
Send us your unit size, covers and menu outline and we will request a fixed F&B fit-out quote in Dubai against that scope. You can also see our café and restaurant fit-out projects for delivered examples.
Restaurant versus café versus cloud kitchen
A café costs less than a full restaurant because it usually runs a lighter menu, fewer covers per square metre and no licensed bar. A cloud kitchen costs less again per sq ft because there is no guest facing area to finish, but the kitchen itself is denser and more expensive. Approximate Dubai ranges:
- Restaurant, 1,500 to 3,000 sq ft: AED 900,000 to AED 4,000,000, 12 to 20 weeks
- Café, 400 to 1,200 sq ft: AED 250,000 to AED 1,000,000, 8 to 14 weeks
- Cloud kitchen unit, 200 to 600 sq ft: AED 120,000 to AED 450,000, 6 to 10 weeks
Timelines assume approvals are submitted in parallel with construction. The finish level bands hold across formats, so if you are comparing other commercial units too, our guides to retail fit out cost Dubai and office fit out cost Dubai use identical language.
Approvals and timeline for F&B fit out in Dubai
Expect 10 to 16 weeks from design sign off to opening for a mid range casual dining unit, and longer if a DEWA load upgrade is required. Approvals run alongside construction, not after it.
- DET trade licence with the correct food service activity for the premises.
- Fit out permit from Dubai Municipality, plus Civil Defence submission covering life safety and kitchen extraction.
- Food premises approval from the Dubai Municipality food safety team, covering layout, drainage, handwash provision and pest control.
- DEWA connection or load variation, plus water and drainage clearance.
- Construction with staged inspections at partition, MEP first fix and ceiling closure.
- Final inspections, Civil Defence certificate, food premises inspection and handover.
Budget two to four weeks for approvals alone on a straightforward unit. If your drawings change after submission, the clock restarts.
Why in-house joinery in our Jebel Ali workshop cuts cost and lead time
Because we build the millwork ourselves in Jebel Ali, you do not pay a joinery subcontractor margin and you do not sit in their queue. An external joinery package for a 60 cover café is typically AED 120,000 to AED 220,000 with a five to eight week lead time from approved shop drawings. Building it in our own workshop brings that to two to four weeks and removes a layer of markup.
Cane webbing doors, glass fronts and solid wood drawers, built in our own joinery workshop in Jebel Ali rather than bought in.
There is a second benefit that shows up on site. The person who measures the unit is the person who signs off the finished counter, so a 20 mm site discrepancy does not turn into a rework claim at handover. Delivery from Jebel Ali to sites across Dubai is short, which keeps transport and remeasuring costs down.
Five cost mistakes that blow F&B fit out budgets
- Signing the lease before checking the DEWA load. A three phase upgrade can add AED 150,000.
- Designing the menu after the kitchen layout. Changing the cooking line later means redoing extraction, drainage and MEP.
- Treating joinery as a late package. Millwork ordered after the ceiling closes delays handover by weeks.
- Budgeting for the fit out only. Kitchen equipment alone runs AED 80,000 to AED 400,000, before licence fees and deposits.
- Awarding on the lowest lump sum with no bill of quantities. Variations then arrive mid construction, when you have no leverage.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a restaurant fit out cost in Dubai in 2026?
A full restaurant fit out in Dubai costs AED 350 to 1,600 per sq ft in 2026, depending on finish level and kitchen specification. A 2,000 sq ft mid range casual dining restaurant with a full commercial kitchen typically lands between AED 1,200,000 and AED 1,800,000 turnkey.
How much does a café fit out cost in Dubai?
A café usually costs less than a restaurant because the menu is lighter and covers are fewer. For a 600 sq ft café with mid range finishes, expect AED 360,000 to AED 540,000, with economy finishes closer to AED 210,000 and premium fit outs above AED 600,000.
How long does an F&B fit out take in Dubai?
Most mid range units take 10 to 16 weeks from design sign off to opening, including approvals. Cafés sit at the lower end and full restaurants with licensed bars at the upper end, while any DEWA load upgrade adds four to six weeks.
Do I need Dubai Municipality food premises approval before fitting out?
Yes, and ideally before you sign the lease. Dubai Municipality food safety reviews the layout for drainage, handwash sinks, separated raw and cooked zones and pest control, while Civil Defence reviews life safety and kitchen extraction. Design changes after submission restart the approval clock, so sign off the layout first.
What does a commercial kitchen fit out cost in Dubai?
A commercial kitchen fit out runs AED 150,000 to AED 600,000 depending on the cooking line, extraction length and cold storage. It is typically 20 to 35 percent of the whole project and the package most likely to change once the menu is finalised.
Can you fit out a cloud kitchen or small café unit in Jebel Ali?
Yes. We are based in Jebel Ali and build the joinery in our workshop there, so delivery runs and remeasuring are fast. Cloud kitchen units of 200 to 600 sq ft usually take 6 to 10 weeks and cost AED 120,000 to AED 450,000.
