Dubai brunch: party, spread, or the one at the top of the Burj

Brunch is Dubai's signature meal and it is really three different events sharing a word.

The party brunch is the loudest version: live entertainment, a DJ by the second hour, and a room that is closer to a wedding than a lunch. Saffron 2.0, Bubbalicious, Naughty Noodles and Candypants are the names that come up most often. Book these for an occasion and a group; book them for a quiet catch-up and you will not hear a word anyone says.

The hotel spread is the classic: a long buffet, a beverage package priced in tiers, and a fixed sitting. At.mosphere's Le Cloud Brunch at the Burj Khalifa runs Saturdays from 1pm to 4.30pm, with packages from AED350 to AED590 and an optional sunset afterparty at AED155. The tiering there is typical — what separates the tiers is almost always the champagne, not the food.

The third version is the low-key à la carte brunch that has grown up in the independent cafés of Jumeirah and Al Quoz. No package, no sitting, no DJ, a third of the price.

Two things to check before booking. First, the sitting time: a 1pm to 4.30pm brunch is a four-hour commitment and the venue will want the table back. Second, whether the afterparty is included or sold separately — increasingly it is separate, and it is where the evening's real cost appears.

Prices move with the season, and summer rates are not winter rates. Confirm when you book.