Christmas Eve Dinner at Caravan, The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai JBR

The Christmas Eve dinner at Caravan brings a festive buffet to The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai on The Walk at JBR on Thursday 24 December 2026. In the hotel’s own words, guests are invited to “join us the night before Christmas for an incredible festive dinner buffet at Caravan”, with traditional roasts, fresh seafood, grills and international dishes, live entertainment and a visit from Santa. Dinner is served between 6.30pm and 10.30pm.

The timing suits families in particular: there is room for a proper sit-down celebration, and children can still be home in time for an early start on Christmas morning.

Caravan at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai

For most of the year, Caravan is the resort’s breakfast restaurant, serving a daily buffet on a sun-soaked terrace. On Christmas Eve it switches to an evening of international flavours, turning the familiar breakfast room into a festive dining room for families and friends.

The setting is part of the appeal. The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai opened in November 1998 and was one of the first luxury properties on what is now JBR. It is a low-rise, Mediterranean-style resort with Andalusian touches, wrapped around landscaped gardens and a private beach, which gives the evening a calmer, more resort-like feel than the busy promenade just outside. Every room and suite looks over the pool, the gardens or the sea, and the restaurants open onto that same green, low-rise setting. Guests who have dined at Caravan on previous Christmas Eves have described an outdoor buffet with live music, so ask about terrace seating when you book.

The Christmas Eve buffet at Caravan, Dubai

The hotel describes a global buffet with a strong seasonal focus. Published highlights for the evening include a festive dinner buffet built around traditional roasts, fresh seafood and grills alongside international dishes, plus live entertainment through the night and a visit from Santa.

According to Time Out Dubai’s 2026 Christmas Eve guide, there are three beverage packages for adults, running from soft drinks through house beverages to bubbly, and a separate rate for children aged 6 to 11. The hotel’s own page does not publish the packages, so confirm which one you want when booking. Current rates are shown in the booking box on this page.

A buffet is a practical choice for a mixed table. Each guest picks their own pace and portions, which helps when you are dining with children, grandparents or relatives with very different tastes, and it means nobody waits for courses while the younger ones are keen to see Santa.

Who the Caravan Christmas Eve buffet suits

This is first and foremost a family evening. The visit from Santa and the variety of the buffet make it easy for children, and the 6.30pm start means the youngest guests can enjoy the entertainment before they get tired. It also suits groups of friends and colleagues who want a relaxed, sociable dinner rather than a formal multi-course menu, and guests staying at the resort over the holidays who want to start Christmas without leaving the hotel.

If you prefer a set menu, the resort’s Italian restaurant, Splendido, is also serving a Christmas Eve dinner between 7pm and 11pm, with seating on its Tuscan-style piazza or indoors.

Festive season at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai

Christmas Eve at Caravan is one part of a wider festive programme at the beachfront resort. On Christmas Day, the hotel continues with its Legendary Christmas Day Brunch and a festive lunch at Tamoka. For anyone hosting at home, the resort also offers a Festive Feast At Home, available to order between 1 and 27 December.

In previous seasons, the resort’s festive calendar has also featured a festive afternoon tea and a roast turkey with trimmings to take home, so ask the team what is running in 2026 if you want to extend the celebrations beyond Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

That makes it possible to plan the whole Christmas period around one hotel: a buffet on the 24th, a long brunch on the 25th, or a hamper-style feast collected for a celebration at home.

How to book Christmas Eve at Caravan

Tables are reserved online through the Christmas Eve at Caravan page on SevenRooms, which is linked from The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai holiday events page and from this listing. The hotel can also be reached by phone on +971 4 399 4000. When booking, mention the ages of any children in your party, since the children’s rate applies to ages 6 to 11, and ask about terrace or indoor seating if you have a preference.

Comparing festive plans? See the Brazilian churrascaria Christmas Eve dinner at Frevo, browse our full dinner and brunch listings, or check what else is on in things to do in December and across things to do in Dubai.

For a generous, family-friendly Christmas Eve by the beach, Caravan’s festive buffet combines roasts, seafood, live entertainment and a visit from Santa at one of JBR’s original resorts.