Guide · Choosing a caterer
Choosing an Indian caterer for a party at home.
Ten questions worth asking before you pay a booking amount, and our own answer to each.
Dubai has hundreds of Indian caterers, from restaurant kitchens that cater on the side to companies that do nothing else. Most cook good food. The difference shows on the night: whether the food arrives hot, whether the team knows the building, and whether the bill matches the quote.
These are the questions worth putting to any caterer, us included. Our own answers are in the last column, so you can compare.
At a glance
- Caterer
- Cater Inc., cooking for UAE events since 1985 in its own HACCP-certified kitchens and serving the food at your venue.
- Where
- Homes, villas, offices and venues across Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
- Guests
- From 20 guests at home to banquets of 3,500.
- Food
- Indian from every region and pan-Asian, with live counters cooked in front of guests, and Jain, vegetarian and vegan menus cooked on a separate line.
- Menus
- Classic at AED 140, Premium at AED 180 and Luxury at AED 210 a guest, or a menu built dish by dish. Minimum 20 guests and AED 2,500.
- On top
- One AED 500 catering setup covers transport, setting up, clearing, chafing dishes, plates and cutlery. Waiters come only when food is passed around or served at the table, one for every 10 guests. 5% VAT goes on the total.
- To book
- Compose the menu at caterinc.ae/book and see the itemised total, or message the Dubai team on WhatsApp. A 50% booking amount confirms the date.
Prices and policies on this page are the ones our booking engine uses. Page last updated .
The questions
Ten questions to ask any caterer.
| Ask | Why it matters | Our answer |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the food cooked? | A licensed, inspected kitchen is the first test of food safety | In our own HACCP-certified kitchens, a 6,500 sq ft facility |
| Can we taste it first? | The only way to judge the food before the night | Yes. Ask the team on WhatsApp and the lead for your city comes back to you about it |
| Is the quote all in? | Staff, transport, plates and VAT are where a total grows | One itemised quote lists food, counters, waiters, chefs, setup and 5% VAT before you book |
| How many staff come, and what do they cost? | Some quotes leave staff out, others charge for staff a buffet does not need | None for a buffet; one waiter for every 10 guests when food is passed, at AED 150 each |
| Who sets up and clears? | Chafing dishes, plates and clearing up are easy to forget | One AED 500 catering setup covers transport, setting up, clearing, chafing dishes, plates and cutlery |
| Can the live counters run in my home? | Towers and villas have different rules for gas and flames | Chaat, dosa, wok and dessert counters run indoors on butane; tandoor and charcoal go outdoors |
| Is Jain or vegan food cooked separately? | A shared pan defeats the point of a Jain menu | Yes, on a separate line, Jain with no onion, garlic or root |
| Have you worked in my building or community? | Towers and gated communities need approvals and a booked service lift | We send what security asks for; tell us the building when you book |
| What is the minimum? | Many caterers start at 50 or 100 guests | 20 guests and AED 2,500 |
| What are the payment and cancellation terms? | This decides what you lose if plans change | 50% to book, the balance before the event by bank transfer; final count 72 hours before; nothing refunded within 48 hours |
Worth a second look
Signs to slow down.
- A rate per guest with no list of what it includes.
- A booking amount asked for before a written quote.
- Staff, transport or VAT mentioned only after you agree a price.
- No straight answer to where the food is cooked.
- Reviews you can read only on the caterer's own website. Read them on Google Maps too.
Matching the party
Which kind of caterer suits which party.
- Under twenty guests: a private chef who cooks in your kitchen.
- Twenty to fifty at home: a full-service caterer with a low minimum, a buffet and one live counter. Our minimum is 20 guests.
- Fifty to two hundred at a villa: a buffet with two live counters set apart, and a caterer who has worked in your community.
- A pure vegetarian or Jain family: a caterer that cooks vegetarian food on its own line, away from the meat.
- A mixed crowd with friends who do not eat Indian food: a caterer who cooks pan-Asian as well, so half the menu can be a live wok and dim sum.
About us
Where we fit.
Cater Inc. has cooked for UAE parties since 1985. Indian food from every region is our main cuisine, with pan-Asian alongside it: live chaat, dosa and tandoor counters, Jain menus on their own line, and a live wok, sushi and dim sum for the guests who want something else.
Parties we have catered in Dubai this year include a seventy-guest dinner at a villa in Dubai Hills, a first birthday for thirty in a JLT apartment and an Asian dinner for twenty at a villa on Palm Jumeirah.
Common questions
Answers before you ask.
- Who are the best Indian caterers in Dubai for a home party?
- The best one for your party is the one that passes the ten questions above for your guest count, your food and your building: its own licensed kitchen, a tasting, an all-in written quote and reviews you can read on Google Maps. Cater Inc. has cooked Indian food for UAE parties since 1985, from 20 guests at home, with live chaat, dosa and tandoor counters and Jain menus cooked separately.
- How much does Indian catering for a home party in Dubai cost?
- Published Dubai rates run from about AED 55 a guest for a basic Indian buffet to AED 195 for a premium one, before VAT. Ours are AED 140, 180 and 210 a guest, with one AED 500 catering setup and 5% VAT on top: about AED 4,935 all in for thirty guests on Classic.
- Do Indian caterers in Dubai send waiters?
- Most offer them. A buffet does not need them; food passed around or served at the table does, about one for every 10 guests. Ask whether waiters are in the rate or added on top.
- Can I get Jain food for a party in Dubai?
- Yes. Ask whether it is cooked on a separate line with no onion, garlic or root. Ours is, and a Jain menu can sit beside a non-vegetarian one at the same party.
- Can an Indian caterer also cook Asian food?
- Some can. We cook pan-Asian alongside Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Burmese and Mongolian, so one party can have both, with a live wok or a dim sum counter beside the chaat.
Keep reading
Related to this page.
- CuisinesIndian cateringIndian caterers in Dubai since 1985. Dum biryani, live tandoor and chaat, North and South Indian, Gujarati and Bengali menus for 20 to 3,500 guests, priced online.
- CateringPrivate & home party cateringHome and small party catering in Dubai, from twenty guests. Birthdays, Diwali, cocktail parties and dinners in villas and apartments, set up and cleared for you.
- GuidesCatering for 100 guestsHow to cater a party of 100 at a Dubai villa or venue: the menu, the buffet and live counters, the team that comes, and the all-in total on each package, from AED 15,488 with setup and VAT.
- GuidesWhat catering costs per person in DubaiWhat catering in Dubai includes and costs: AED 140 to 210 a guest, about AED 9,975 for 50 guests and AED 19,950 for 100, with setup, counter chefs and VAT.
- CuisinesJain & vegan cateringJain and vegan catering in Dubai from a menu written for it, cooked on a separate line. No onion, garlic or root. Pujas, weddings and parties from 20 guests.
- GuidesChoosing an Indian caterer in Abu DhabiWhat to ask an Indian caterer in Abu Dhabi before booking a home party: the kitchen, a tasting, the written quote, staff, live counters, Jain cooking and payment.
Ready when you are
Compose your menu, course by course.
No commitment and no phone call. Choose every course yourself in about two minutes, then send it over and we'll take it from there.