Eating at the Burj Kalifa Dubai – When we visited Dubai there were two things we wanted to do. Watch the sunrise from a balloon over the Sahara and go up the tallest building in the world. Unfortunately due to the winds, we did not manage to get up in the ballon despite getting up at 3.45 am. However, we did get a chance to go up the Burj Kalifa.
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ToggleEverything you need to know about eating at the Burj Kalifa Dubai
I booked our visit before leaving the UK and after weighing up the options. I decided on the combined ticket of entrance to the 124/125 floor and dinner. There are lots of different options when purchasing tickets including a drink in the Sky Bar on floor 150 something… But it’s not cheap. So trying to opt for the cost-conscious alternative I opted for tickets with dinner. By doing this the combined cost of going up what Burj Kalifa and dinner was around £150 for the two of us. Which worked out cheaper than doing the two things independently. After all, eating out is not cheap in Dubai in mainstream restaurants.
When to book the Burj Kalifa Dubai
However, it took us a little while to make the decision since information is seriously lacking. I did email the restaurant to see what the set menu is likely to be. They directed me to their website which does not hold any set menus. So we did take a bit of a gamble thankfully it turned out well. When we booked we had to choose a time. We took the earliest dinner slot at 7 pm. But it wasn’t clear if you needed to turn up at 7 pm to eat or go up the Burj Kalifa at 7 pm. Knowing that sunset was between 6 pm and 6.30 pm when we visited we decided to try our luck. All we had was a printout which we needed to exchange for tickets.
Exchanging your tickets
You do this at the desk in the Dubai Mall. We did struggle a little to find the desk which is on the ground floor. Since we had loads of time it wasn’t stressful. But I could imagine if we were running late it would have been a different matter. Once we had been given tickets we decided to head up the Burj Kalifa straight away which was around 5 pm. It took us a little while to get through security. On the way to the lifts, you are taken through a museum that explains how the tower was built and the different phases. There are various exhibits designed to slow you down a little so that crowds are managed.
Going up to floor 125
Once we got to the lifts we were lucky and walked pretty much straight into one. While you go up the 125 floors there is a video that is played within the lift that talks about the vision for the building. I was a little worried when we reached the top as I had heard stories about it being packed and really busy. It actually wasn’t too bad considering it was just before sunset. I think that could be to do with the day we visited. A Sunday is a workday for those in Dubai and we did find many things a little quieter because of it.
Floor 125 is completely enclosed with a large shop and opportunities for photos all the way around. Downstairs on floor 124, there is an outside viewing area. It is amazing how much difference the natural light makes to photos. So I am guessing the glass has some sort of reflective covering upstairs. There is also several pairs of wings dotted around. Unfortunately when we arrived the lighting was all wrong because it was fading. But if visiting an hour or so earlier I would head towards them as unsurprisingly they are very popular.
Eating at the restaurant – Armani Hotel
Once we had finished upstairs we went back down in the lift and found one of the staff and told them about our reservation. Dinner is not at the top of the Burj Kalifa instead it is in the Armani Hotel. I hoped we would not be disappointed because previously we have eaten at the top of these sorts of things. Such as the CN Tower and the Berlin TV Tower. The restaurant itself is right next to the pool bar and had amazing views of the fountains. Which means that you get to see them from a great viewpoint. In the evenings they go every half an hour and the waiters put chairs outside for us to be able to view them better.
The menu at the Armani Hotel Dubai
The menu was pretty standard. Wine, as expected, was expensive we opted for a bottle of white which was their cheapest option at around £75. The food itself was tasty but nothing amazing. But to be honest for the price I wasn’t expecting Michelin star quality. The service was extremely polite and there were a number of different waiters. Almost too many, as plates were cleared away before we finished properly etc. It felt like a bit of a rush. Although I do think that’s probably just because they were being super polite and helpful. Rather than a desire to get you out as such. I am glad we did it as it was a great end to the experience.
We also popped down to the fountains so we could see them at eye level as well. There is something quite magnificent seeing 50ft of water rising in the air in front of you.
Have you visited the Burj Kalifa? What’s the tallest building you have been up?
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36 Responses
wow, what an adventure, travelling halfway round the world! glad you enjoyed it xx
What an experience – one day ill be doing this too
The whole visit must have been pretty fabulous in itself. It’s a shame the food wasn’t that good. Bet you enjoyed the views though.
Wow the views looks utterly breathraking. It’s a pity the foof didn’t live up the the view though.
Fantastic photographs to help you remember your wonderful adventure!
Wow what a beautiful place to eat! What a shame the food perhaps was not as good as the view though!! x
I have never been to this place, but it looks soooo amazing. The place looks so full of life. Shame about the food not being up to the review…
I have never been to Dubai, but this post makes it look absolutely amazing. It has now – officially – been added to my future travel plans list.
Every time i see or read about dubai I get more desperate to go!
It’s a shame the food wasn’t amazing but probably worth it for those views. Wow!
Ooh this looks lovely!! Dubai isn’t somewhere I’ve ever thought about but we have been invited next year and now I’m thinking we should go for it! I want to eat here!
Dubai is an interesting place to visit and to tour. A ton of unique memories to be made, food included.
I have always wanted to go to Dubai. What an incredible view to enjoy while eating dinner! And the pic with the angel wings in gorgeous!
What an absolutely beautiful place! I have Dubai on my bucket list. The food looks amazing as well.
£75 for the cheapest bottle of wine! It’s a big stretch from £3.50 at Whether spoons, isn’t it? Haha! It sounds like it was a great experience, even if it was a little rushed. I suppose staff are maybe trained to always act like it’s super busy and keep their eye on the ball, so to speak. It still sounds like an amazing dinner date… There are worst places to eat! Glad you enjoyed it!
The view of Dubai looks so beautiful and the food looks so delicious. Looks like you had fun trip x
I love Dubai! I was here a few years ago and I had a BLAST! Great pics, brought some great memories
Looks like a beautiful place to visit. Love the photo’s
This looks like such a fun activity! I would love to go there someday and try this fun for myself! 🙂
Wow, those views are amazing! We lived in Berlin for 6 years but never made it up the TV tower.
I have never there but wow, this place is beautiful and view from there is amazing! The food looks really good and I am glad that you were able to enjoy every meal that you have especially the wine.
This is such a wonderful post with great pictures! It brought back some amazing memories! I also dined at the top of the Burj Khalifa – at the atmosphere restaurant. Oh, the spectacular view and amidst the mesmerizing view and good food, my boyfriend, now husband, proposed to me! So yes, this place holds a special place in my heart!
Thanks for the lovely pics. Dubai is such a lovely place..! I have it on my bucket list, hope to visit there soon.
Out of the ordinary experience. This place is memorable and all the visuals tell me about a true gourmand delightful joy you had.
I have been to Dubai in a layover but because it was early morning, I didn’t go up Burj Kalifa. The views from up there are gorgeous! The dinner though, doesn’t looks impressive at all. The menu is quite basic, I don’t think it’s worth so much money.
Such a beautiful place to eat! The view is absolutely amazing there. I would love to visit someday.
When I was in Dubai many years ago, this was under construction. I am planning to visit it in future
Wow , not everything can afford such fancy dinner, I’m happy you’re able to do it, Hard work really pays off 🙂
what a truly awesome experience and the food looks amazing
Oh wow just wow!! Lol! That places looks amazing and the pictures are stunning
Those views are amazing. I went to dinner in the space needle in Washington and this looks twice as high! Definitely on my bucket list.
Wow! What amazing views from that tower! Absolutely stunning! The menu looked ok too, but the views were better. What wonderful memories you have made x
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Such a beautiful place to eat! The view is breathtaking.
We spent only 1 night in Dubai en route to London and had dinner on a Dhow. It was an enchanting experience.
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Lovely photographs, sounds like an amazing experience #bloggerclubuk
What an adventure Dubai looks beautiful xx
Oh wow it looks amazing and those pictures are fantastic. Dubai is definitely on the bucket list one day