Canapé catering · Dubai
Canapés and cocktail parties in Dubai, carried to every guest.
Drinks on a Palm Jumeirah terrace, a client reception in DIFC, an engagement party in an Emirates Hills garden. Finger food that keeps coming, a live counter to gather round, and a team that keeps the room moving.
A cocktail party works differently from a dinner. Nobody sits down and nobody queues. The food goes to the guests, a few bites at a time, for the length of the evening.
That changes the menu and the team. The menu is canapés, finger food and live counters with no main course. The team is larger than at a buffet, because the canapés are carried round rather than collected from a table.
The menu
Hot and cold canapés, live counters and something sweet.
Choose Cocktail party on the first screen of the menu builder and it lays out a cocktail menu for you: twelve finger-food dishes and two desserts, or ten finger-food dishes with up to two live counters. Every dish can be swapped, and each one shows its price as you go.
- Cold canapés on the trays as the first guests arrive, then hot ones from the kitchen as the evening warms up.
- Live counters that become the centre of the room: chaat, dosa, wok, pasta or live jalebi, cooked in front of the guests.
- Pure-vegetarian, Jain and vegan bites cooked on a separate line, so a mixed guest list eats from the same trays.
- Two desserts to close the evening, with mithai from Chhappan Bhog, the group's own sweets kitchen, if you want an Indian finish.
- Soft drinks at AED 6 a guest. Bartenders can be added to the order.
Staffing
One waiter for every twenty guests.
At a buffet, guests serve themselves and one waiter looks after fifty. At a cocktail party the food goes to the guests, so the team is sized at one waiter for every twenty guests, at AED 150 each. That is what keeps the trays moving and the empty glasses and plates off the tables.
Each live counter is cooked by a chef at the counter. The AED 500 catering setup covers transport, setup and clearing, chafing dishes, plates and cutlery, whatever the guest count.
| Line | Calculation | AED |
|---|---|---|
| Service staff, canapés carried round | 60 guests ÷ 20 = 3 waiters × AED 150 | 450 |
| Catering setup (transport, setup, chafing dishes, plates, cutlery) | Flat | 500 |
| Food | Priced dish by dish in the menu builder | As chosen |
| VAT | 5% on the total |
Where it happens
Villas, terraces, towers and offices.
A cocktail party can be at home, in a garden or on a terrace, or a reception at an office or a hired venue. We cover all of Dubai, from the Palm, Jumeirah and Emirates Hills to Dubai Hills, Downtown, DIFC, Business Bay and the Marina. Gated communities and towers usually need vehicle and service-lift access cleared with security, so tell us the building when you book and we will send the details your gate needs.
Indoors, live counters run on butane, so chaat, dosa, wok, pasta and jalebi all work in an apartment, a tower's party room or an office. Tandoor and open charcoal need an outdoor space.
Before the evening
How booking works.
- Twenty guests is the floor, with a minimum order of AED 2,500.
- Half the total confirms the date. The balance is due before the event.
- Final numbers are due 72 hours before the party.
- Food is prepared for a safe service window and served for the length of the party.
Common questions
Answers before you ask.
- How much does canapé catering cost in Dubai?
- A cocktail menu is priced dish by dish, so the menu builder shows the food total as you choose each canapé and counter. On top of the food, allow one waiter per 20 guests at AED 150 each, the AED 500 catering setup and 5% VAT. Sixty guests need three waiters, so service and setup come to AED 950 before the food and VAT.
- How many canapés per person?
- It depends on how long the party runs and whether dinner follows. For a cocktail party in place of dinner, the menu builder starts at twelve finger-food dishes and two desserts, or ten with up to two live counters, served for the whole evening. Before a dinner, a shorter selection is enough. Tell us the timings and we will size it before you confirm.
- What are the three types of canapés?
- Cold canapés, served first as guests arrive; hot canapés, sent out from the kitchen through the evening; and sweet canapés to finish. A good cocktail menu has all three.
- How many waiters does a cocktail party need?
- One for every twenty guests, at AED 150 each, because the food is carried round to guests. A buffet needs fewer, one per fifty guests with at least two.
- Can you add a live counter to a cocktail party?
- Yes, up to two in the suggested menu, and more on request. Chaat, dosa, wok, pasta and live jalebi all work indoors on butane; tandoor and charcoal need an outdoor space.
- What is the minimum for a cocktail party?
- Twenty guests, with a minimum order of AED 2,500.
- Do you cater cocktail receptions for companies?
- Yes, at the office or at a venue, with a quote and invoice made out to the company. Larger and recurring corporate work is on the corporate catering page.
- Can the canapés be vegetarian or Jain?
- Yes. Pure-vegetarian, Jain and vegan menus are cooked on a separate line. Jain food carries no onion, no garlic and no root vegetables.
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