Diwali falls on November 8, 2026, and Abu Dhabi's hotels and restaurants are marking the Festival of Lights with a week-long run of Indian-themed dinner buffets and special menus. Prices start at just Dhs95 per adult, and most events run across the weekend of November 7 and 8. If you're in the capital that weekend — or pairing a city break with the celebrations — here's what's on the table.
The budget pick is New Season Restaurant at City Seasons Al Hamra Hotel, where an adult dinner buffet costs Dhs95 (or Dhs179 for two, Dhs355 for four). Expect street-food classics like pani puri, samosas and papdi chaat, plus curries, biryanis and a sweet spread of gulab jamun, rasgulla and jalebi, with festive decor and Indian music. It runs 6.30pm–10.30pm both nights. The Royal Rose Hotel's Printania Restaurant offers a near-identical format for Dhs139 per adult, including soft beverages, from 7pm to 10.30pm on November 7 and 8.
Mid-range options lean more upmarket. Graphos Social Kitchen at the Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island hosts a Diwali Spice Market buffet on November 8 — tandoori dishes, grilled paneer and a build-your-own chaat station — at Dhs180 with soft drinks or Dhs240 with house beverages. Namak at Dusit Thani runs a one-night dinner on November 7 with tandoor specialities and regional curries, soundtracked by live Bollywood music from Sujata Singh Nath; Dhs189 per adult, kids seven to 12 pay Dhs75 and under-sixes eat free. Sevilla Restaurant at Al Raha Beach Resort & Spa serves curries, biryanis, tandoori plates and fresh Indian breads on November 8 for Dhs190, with half price for kids five to 12.
Two splurge-friendly options round things out. Balcon Lounge & Terrace at Southern Sun Abu Dhabi offers tiered pricing — Dhs275 with soft drinks, Dhs375 with house pours or Dhs599 with premium beverages — on November 7 from 7pm to 11pm. And Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental hosts a Diwali Mela on November 8 with street-food stations in suitably grand surroundings; Dhs299 with soft drinks, Dhs499 with house beverages, and a takeaway mithai box for Dhs150 if you want the festivities to last beyond the weekend.
A few things worth noting: kids' pricing varies a lot between venues, with under-fives eating free almost everywhere, so families do best at Namak, Sevilla or Balcon. Book ahead where possible — most venues list direct phone lines, and November 8 is the main Diwali night, so it'll be the busiest. If you're visiting from India, the timing lines up neatly with the public holiday back home, and Abu Dhabi is an easy four-hour hop from most Indian metros, making this a plausible long weekend of lights, chaat and biryani by the Gulf.
